Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Principal Investigator:
Danielle Brathwaite

Co-PIs:
Leyla Adem, Carolina Caballero-Mayoral, Ken Chen, Jeffery Callaway Jr., Clinton Antwi

Faculty Advisor:
Dawn Adams-Harmon

Abstract:
The research project aims to conduct a thorough examination of the ethical dilemmas and corporate responsibilities surrounding a notable case of faulty airbags in Japan. This case study focuses on a prominent automotive manufacturer's unethical actions, wherein they knowingly distributed vehicles equipped with defective airbags, leading to a significant number of injuries and fatalities. Through an interdisciplinary approach encompassing ethics, corporate governance, and consumer safety, the project seeks to dissect the decision-making processes within the corporation, regulatory oversight failures contributing to the issue, and the multifaceted impacts on stakeholders, including affected consumers and the broader automotive industry. By critically analyzing the complexities of this case, the research endeavors to provide comprehensive insights into corporate accountability, ethical decision-making frameworks, and the imperative of prioritizing consumer safety in product development and distribution. Ultimately, this investigation aims to contribute to the advancement of ethical business practices and regulatory frameworks to prevent similar ethical lapses in the future. The Takata corporation is the main focus of the project research and how what they have done not only affected their customers but their business as well.