Volkswagen Guessed Speculated That it Could Fool the EPA

¶ … Meta-Analysis When it comes to the Volkswagen scandal, the real cost in human terms could be sixty or more premature deaths, according to an environmental study reported in Time. The 482,000 dirty diesel Volkswagen engines (sold in the U.S.) spewed enormous amounts of nitrogen oxide into the air for years before the deceptive software was discovered. The study by the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters suggests that ".. as many as 130 additional people may die" premature deaths from pollution if the emission problems aren't fixed (Worland, 2015).

The social costs may reach half a billion dollars (Worland). Meanwhile Germany has suffered "major damage" to its image because of the scandal (Bremmer, 2015). Germany has shown strong leadership on the euro zone, on the recent refugee crisis, and in other European fiscal / social matters. But now, due to the " .. brazen deception" of Volkswagen, it will be hard for Germans to " .. complain that other governments aren't honest about reform," and their efforts to " .. cast Putin as an aggressive liar" may ring hollow (Bremmer).

Whether German political officials knew about the deception or not, the perception is that Germany " .. doesn't play by its own rules (Bremmer). Journalist Jerry Useem writes in The Atlantic that Volkswagen " .. seems intent on poisoning its own name, and future," and the current scandal wasn't the first sign of the company's unethical behavior. Ferdinand Piech, who was chairman of VW before the scandal hit (and quickly resigned), was a top figure in a 2008 corruption trial, in which there was " .. alleged widespread use of VW funds on prostitutes" (Useem, 2016).

Piech testified that the prostitute funds (for VW executives) should be called "irregularities" (Useem). Kenneth Feinberg has been hired to devise a program that will compensate owners of the defective diesel VWs. Feinberg also compensated victims of the BP Gulf Oil spill, the General Motors ignition switch scandal, and other "high-profile" cases (Krisher, 2015).

Post Script -- (To be placed After Alternative Solutions) How will I apply my leadership and management style in the business world, which is becoming more diverse and hence more challenging each year? How effective will my research skills prove to be when serious investigatory measures must be put in place to solve problems or pave new paths of success? I understand that my personal attitudes will be the focus of others around me when it comes to making decisions, leading people, and improving the culture of the company that I will work for in the future.

I have learned research skills by conducting research. I have kept my eyes wide open vis-a-vis the good and the bad of leadership and management in business. I am a stronger student because I have tried to go the extra mile to follow through on assignments. Not just to get the assignment done, but to profit from the information therein.

It is frankly shocking to delve into issues of deceit and fraud and discover not only the truth as to how it happened, but the lies that come out of the mouths of people that consumers trusted to be ethical. To wit, while doing the research on the Volkswagen scandal, which is estimated to be costing VW up to $87 billion (CNN Money), I was struck by the pithy rationalization used by VW officials, when an explanation for the fraud was called for.

Soon after the disgraceful truth of the matter broke wide open, one official called the scandal the result of " .. unlawful behaviour of engineers and technicians involved in engine development" (Hibbert, 2015). This was blatantly false on the face of it, because logically, management certainly had to know about this deception, and hence, as in the Enron scandal, the WorldCom scandal, the Barclays fraud and others, directions must have come from the top.

Lies are a poison to success in any field, and even the slightest deception rings loudly of corruption and deceit, so if young, up-and-coming management talent can't learn from the grievous errors of the recent past, then the future of commerce and corporations is going to be dark indeed. I have learned enough (and have a powerful desire to learn more) about the diversity of today's globalized workforce to know I am going to enter a field that is crying out for strong, ethical leadership.

The corporate dishonesty and fraud that can be seen every day in newspapers, on the Internet and television, is an embarrassment to all Americans and Europeans that have honest ambitions and clean consciences. I can only imagine the graft, greed, corruption, and violation of human rights that has not as yet been revealed, but is festering stealthily in unnamed but numerous companies and organizations worldwide.

I have already acknowledged / pledged to myself that if I discover deception and corruption while on the job, if I see violations of trust and of laws, I will, without hesitation, become a whistleblower. This is not a fact that I will relate to the HR director that interviews me. But after taking this course, and investigating through meta-analyses and other research, I believe I am sufficiently competent to launch my career and be a valued, trustworthy leader, who never stops learning.

If need be, I will follow in the footsteps of previous whistleblowers, people working for NIKE that were appalled that a highly visible company like NIKE would hire workers in China and elsewhere that were paid less than a dollar an hour in horrifying conditions (sweat shops).