Volkswagen emission cheats scandal analysis There are several ways that the Volkswagen leadership justified their action

Volkswagen emission cheats scandal analysis

There are several ways that the Volkswagen leadership justified their actions of cheating in an emissions scandal. Firstly, there was pressure from the competitors despite the strict emission standards from the United States. The executives were more interested in the market share than the ethical issues surrounding their actions. Due to high competition, they had to cut corners in production to compete effectively with others. There was a normalization of cheating especially from Japanese automobile makers. An example in 1991, there was a fuel efficiency scandal from Mitsubishi. This could have forced Volkswagen to think that its actions were of a lower magnitude. (Castille & Fultz 2018).

The Volkswagen executives also may have underestimated the risk that would have occurred in case of an exposure. The influence of Japanese automakers positively influenced the scandal due to their systematic cheating in 1991 while Volkswagen’s scandal began in 2006. This means that the culture of the industry was marked by attempting to breach regulations which was considered acceptable. Although there is no precise direct influence, the culture of cheats from Japanese models could have led to the risks since competitors were performing similarly. (Tanner & Groos 2022).

If I were part of a team making a tool meant to trick green tests, my first step would be to talk about my moral worries to my bosses and write down my issues. If they did not listen, I'd think about telling the problem to people inside the company or to official groups. However, in such a scenario, I risk losing my job. Being the breadwinner in my family I would look for neutral ways to address the problem without attracting negative reaction from the management. I would address the integrity issue in a way that my job is not compromised. If the company does not listen, I would consider looking for a job in a different company that is whistle-blowing against Volkswagen.

The moral of this story is that no matter how well people try to orchestrate lies, they end up being exposed. Sometimes lies may lead to short-term satisfaction but in the long-term, the reputation and financial success will be lost. Therefore, it is essential to consider ethics before taking any action. Where everyone should be individually acceptable for their actions in an organization. This ensures that in case there is a failure leaders and individual employees involved are penalized for their actions. The scandal is a reminder that ethics is directly related to financial and reputation growth.

References

Castille, C., & Fultz, A. (2018). How does collaborative cheating emerge? A case study of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

Tanner, C., & Groos, A. S. (2022). The Dynamics of Escalation in Cheating: Lessons from the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal. Available at SSRN 4191411.