Ethical Issues In The Savage Factory

Abstract

The purpose of this written assignment is to identify the multiple management and organizational problems in Ford’s Sharonville factory and propose ethical solutions that could have probably saved the plant and, ultimately, the Ford Motor Company.

The assignment also summarizes some of the most important events of The Savage Factory. The author of the book, Robert J. Dewar, or Bob, is the main character in the book. The book narrates Bob’s experience as a supervisor in the Sharonville plant. Bob would question some management decisions and would eventually take his own steps to increase production.

The story ultimately narrates how unethical practices in a company would eventually lead to the deterioration of that company.

Detroit

In the 1960’s, Detroit was the most prosperous cities in the United States. Although Detroit was a place of high employment and high per capita income, today’s Motor City is facing debt and bankruptcy.

There are multiple reasons why Detroit failed, including the decline in population, rise of unemployment, debt, crime, and, most importantly, the inability to compete. Many historians and economists blame the failure of American car companies for the collapse of Detroit when American car brands could not compete with cheaper foreign cars with higher quality. In The Savage Factory, the author Robert J.

Bob narrates how and why production was sabotaged and why hourly employees went missing. Most of the employees were protected with satisfying labor contracts. When Bob was asked for scrutinizing employees for any reason, he would question if a good supervisor would do that. He also recounts how employees took long breaks and production would drop. Supervisors would confiscate forms of distractions and the rare positive features in the plant to stop slackness. However, punishments would decrease performance because employees will slow production for