Overview
Please note that there are three posts needed to successfully complete the discussion board assignment.
Post 1: Initial post addressing the discussion board topic.
Identify a time when you believe a company acted unethically. Describe the situation and discuss the action on the part of the company that led you to this conclusion. Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length.
Post 2: Response post to a classmate.
Jaclyn Young
One example of a company acting unethically that really stands out to me is Volkswagen during its diesel emissions scandal. Volkswagen marketed many of its diesel vehicles as being environmentally friendly and meeting emissions standards. However, it was later discovered that the company had installed software that could recognize when the cars were being tested and temporarily reduce emissions. In normal driving conditions, those same vehicles produced pollution levels much higher than what customers and regulators had been led to believe.
What makes this situation unethical is that the company knowingly misled consumers and government agencies. Many people bought these vehicles because they believed they were making a cleaner, more environmentally conscious choice. Instead, they found out that the company had been dishonest. The scandal also hurt Volkswagen’s reputation and caused customers to lose trust in the brand.
I think companies are bound to make mistakes, but there is a big difference between making an error and intentionally deceiving people. Volkswagen could have chosen to invest more in developing engines that truly met emissions standards or been transparent about the challenges they faced. Being honest might have cost more in the short term, but it would have preserved customer trust and protected the company’s reputation in the long run.
To me, this case shows how important ethics and honesty are in business. Once trust is broken, it can take years to earn it back.
Post 3: Response post to a second classmate .
Braressa Deloach
One company that I believe acted unethically is Ticketmaster. A good example is what happened during the sale of tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Millions of fans signed up for the Verified Fan presale expecting to have a fair chance at getting tickets, but the process turned into a disaster. The website crashed, people spent hours waiting in virtual lines, and many fans never even got the opportunity to purchase tickets. Meanwhile, tickets quickly started appearing on resale websites for thousands of dollars. I think Ticketmaster acted unethically because it did not provide the fair and transparent experience that customers were promised. Fans took time to register for presale access and trusted the company to have a system that could handle the demand. Instead, many people felt misled and frustrated. What made the situation worse was seeing tickets immediately resold at extremely high prices while genuine fans were left empty-handed. Another issue is Ticketmaster's use of dynamic pricing. In some cases, ticket prices increased dramatically because of demand, making it difficult for average fans to afford tickets. While dynamic pricing may help the company make more money, it can feel unfair to customers who expect to pay close to the advertised price. The situation sparked a lot of public criticism and even led to congressional hearings about competition in the ticketing industry. In my opinion, companies should focus on treating customers fairly and being transparent about pricing and availability. Ticketmaster's handling of the Eras Tour ticket sales showed how quickly a company can lose consumer trust when customers feel like profits are being prioritized over people.
In your response to your classmates, explain what the company could have done differently to act ethically.