Please, read and find two items(per response) out of the 18 listed by each classmate response that you disagree with and respectfully explain why by responding to the attached discussion posts. (125 words each)
The response is not an evaluation of their discussion posts. You would disagree with two of each and explain/add new information on your response regarding the topic in discussion. (No citation needed)
Thank you
Please, read and find two for each classmate response that you disagree and respectfully explain why by responding to the below discussion posts. (125 words each) The response is not an evaluation of their discussion posts. You would disagree with two of each and explain/add new information on your response regarding the topic in discussion. (No citation needed) Thank you Discussion 1 Camille Alkias 1. Buying competitors’ garbage – U, L 2. Dissecting competitors’ products – U, L 3. taking competitors’ plant tours anonymously – U, L 4. counting tractor-trailer trucks leaving competitors’ loading bays – E, L 5. Studying aerial photographs of competitors’ facilities – E, L 6. analyzing competitors’ labor contracts – U, L 7. analyzing competitors’ help-wanted ads – U, L 8. Quizzing customers and buyers about the sales of competitors’ products -U, L 9. infiltrating customers’ and competitors’ business operations – U, L 10. Quizzing suppliers about competitors’ level of manufacturing – U, L 11. Using customers to buy out phony bids – U, L 12. encouraging key customers to reveal competitive information – U, L 3. Quizzing competitors’ former employee – U, L With regards to which item that I struggled with being ethical or not that would be regarding quizzing suppliers about competitors’ level of manufacturing. Although this is legal to do, it does not like it should be. When owning a business, you do not want your secrets to be given out especially by people who produce your products. As someone who produces products, you should also have a level of respect for the company that you are making products for. This type of behavior reminds me of a football team who may try to send one of their athletes to look at a competitor school in order to get ideas. That behavior is not tolerated between schools so therefore it should not be tolerated in the business world either. Many times, in situations such as with sports, there can be fines and consequences and it seems that there should be the same thing done with a manufacturer of a business. Discussion 2 David Calderwood Spying in business by its very nature is unethical. It is an act of deception with intent to obtain information surreptitiously. However, unethical is not synonymous with illegal. Ethical behavior can be defined by some parameters that exist in the legal definitions, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect the most powerful impact on the business. Consumer perception is extremely influential and in a world that takes it cues from trending tags more than the accuracy of the information, controlling perception is vital. Consumers want to align themselves with philosophical representations of the beliefs they wish to be associated with. A business’ ethics is now being perceived at the consumer’s ethics. “A key ingredient for establishing an ethics culture is to develop a clear code of business ethic” (David, 2016, p. 309). A consumer leans on the code of ethics of many brands as a reputation of their own identity in many ways. Therefore, the business ethic is a transference of their own ethics. Questionable ethical behavior is taken with a great deal of seriousness. With the way social media impacts beliefs, I think that many people weaponize accusations to attack competitors. Generating a narrative of suspicion surrounding the ethical behavior of a company is an unethical attack to plant doubt. It is an interesting balance of using justice to create injustice in a way that seems mutually exclusive, encouraging the all or nothing belief alignment. A simple accusation in todays environment can become a declaration without any chance of defending the brand image, sinking profitability. 1.Buying competitors’ garbage (unethical/illegal depending on the state and how the garbage was obtained) 2. Dissecting competitors’ products (unethical/legal) I think it’s unethical if the intent is to replicate. 3. Taking competitors’ plant tours anonymously (unethical/legal) I am not saying it’s a good practice, but tour is open to the public and unless the person from the rival company attempts to infiltrate something off the tour. 4. Counting tractor-trailer trucks leaving competitors’ loading bays (unethical/legal) It seems trivial, but the intent seems to deceive beyond what the competitor is willing to share. 5. Studying aerial photographs of competitors’ facilities (unethical/legal) This is the same to me as counting the trucks. 6. analyzing competitors’ labor contracts (unethical/illegal) Obtaining these contracts seems like it would be done illegally. 7. analyzing competitors’ help-wanted ads (ethical/legal) I feel this is publicly available information and is perfectly acceptable in determining where you fit in personnel management/talent acquisition. 8. Quizzing customers and buyers about the sales of competitors’ products (unethical/legal) This is a common technique in information warfare. It is unethical unless it is during a sales pitch for the customer to compare their current service against the one you are selling. 9. infiltrating customers’ and competitors’ business operations (unethical/illegal) This is an example of an insider threat. It can destabilize an organization and is illegal in most places. 10. Quizzing suppliers about competitors’ level of manufacturing (unethical/illegal) Many suppliers are required to sine NDA’s, thus making it illegal to discuss with competitors. 11. Using customers to buy out phony bids (unethical/illegal) Phony bids is illegal and a form of fraud. 12. encouraging key customers to reveal competitive information (unethical/illegal) It may be illegal it certain places to lead or engineer customers to reveal competitor information. 13. Quizzing competitors’ former employees (unethical/illegal) This may be illegal as many employees are required to sign noncompete clauses. 14. interviewing consultants who may have worked with competitors (unethical/illegal) This may be illegal due to NDAs and noncompete clauses. 15. Hiring key managers away from competitors (unethical/legal) This is not illegal unless they violate the previous employment agreements. 16. conducting phony job interviews to get competitors’ employees to reveal information (unethical/illegal) May be illegal depending on the location and conditions of the job interview. 17. Sending engineers to trade meetings to quiz competitors’ technical employees (unethical/legal) This is not illegal unless there is coercion. 18. Quizzing potential employees who worked for or with competitors (unethical/legal) This is not illegal unless the potential employees are not actually being consider for a real position. (David, 2016, p. 324-325) References David, F. R., David, F. R. (2016). Strategic Management, 16th Edition [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from vbk://9780134153872