Workplace Ethics in the Oil Industry
Ideals, Effects and Consequences
The truck drivers’ actions of using a magnet to indicate that oil is flowing in the hose pipe is a situation at stake. The detectives have identified their misconduct, and a case is already in court. The truck drivers may be fired due to failure to follow the company’s ethics of integrity at the workplace. Also, delivery companies’ behavior colluding with truck drivers to ensure that they are sent to good stops may lead to license cancellation. The companies, Sprague and Castle oil, which used crooked means to make easy cash, would face charges in court, leading to legal penalties and costing their reputation among customers. Besides, the companies engaged in unethical behavior of selling fuel diluted with waste oil. This conduct violates several legal stipulations, including offering substandard products, leading to severe punitive action. When the issue becomes public, the companies will lose customers for fraudulent conduct, shrinking their revenues.
Moral Rights Violated
The case reveals the violation of several moral rights. First, justice to the heating oil customers has been violated. Oil companies continue to practice old-fashioned corruption, where they mix oil with waste to reap more revenue. Besides, truck drivers tamper with the hose and oil sensors to pump air instead of oil into the customers’ tanks. The drivers, companies and owners of the oil companies participated in enterprise corruption, scheme to defraud, grand and larceny. Second, the companies violated customer trust by falsifying business records and billing them for fuel they never received. When a company enters into a contract with consumers, there is a mutual trust that the company will deliver the quality and quantity quoted, and the customer would pay for the product and service in time. However, the conduct of oil companies and truck drivers violated this trust by delivering low-quality and quantity products
Utilitarian Recommendations
A utilitarian would recommend that all truck drivers involved in fuel fraud be fired after all investigations are done. It will act as a lesson to potential truck drivers who are trying to engage in such an activity. Also, companies reported having engaged in fraudulent activities be put under scrutiny by the relevant agencies. Besides the regulatory authority to put across sanctions that will prohibit companies that use a magnet as an indicator that oil is still flowing and containing oil in the truck. The clients who incurred losses by the driver’s fraud be compensated and given a one week of free customer week to retain them.
Kantian Recommendations
A Kantian believes that it is impossible to think of anything in the world that could be considered acceptable except goodwill. Kantian would therefore recommend that the regulatory agencies review oil prices in favor of oil companies to reduce the incentive for fraud. Hence, truck drivers may not overcharge clients. Oil companies to review remuneration schemes for truck drivers to increase contentment and reduce fraud. It is because a truck a contented driver will not greed for more since the salary covers his financial needs. Besides, small companies that benefited from the discounted oil prices should be charged for indirect participation and facilitation of fraudulent activity. For the truck drivers, oil companies should review the ethical code of conduct for the drives such that they behave ethically.