M4A2 Leadership and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

M4A2 Leadership and Ethics - Essay Example Given the constraints on time, three members of the Executive Committee of TESCO were interviewed. These members were Laurie McIlwee, Matt Atkinson and Alison Horner. Laurie McIlwee serves as TESCO’s Chief Financial Officer, a highly critical position for any business operation in the modern economy. McIlwee has a well rounded career with sizable foreign exposure in the United States, Middle East, Central Europe and the United Kingdom. The interviewee was chosen for his decision making proximity to Clarke. Matt Atkinson currently serves as TESCO’s Chief Marketing Officer and presents a diverse career ranging from service in Asia to the United Kingdom. Atkinson is in constant contact with Clarke, especially in order to deal with any ethical controversies that may arise out of the group’s actions. Alison Horner is currently serving as TESCO’s Group Personnel Director with her initial joining in 1999 as a Personnel Manager in TESCO. Horner has witnessed the g rowth of Clarke over the years from his previous positions to the current position of Group Chief Executive. 1. Describe the ethical issue faced by the organization and explain how your chosen leader handled it. Do you agree with the individual's strategies for resolving the issue? TESCO is one of the United Kingdom’s largest retail operations and has found itself in various ethical dilemmas over time. It has been argued that TESCO has developed a supply chain network that forces other competitors to the ground and does not allow new competition to enter the market. The allegations were investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) but the possibility of TESCO’s monopoly was rebuked although there were concerns of TESCO’s large footprint in the industry (Office of Fair Trading, 2006). The organization’s leader allowed an investigation to take place without using any political influence or other forms of coercion. The investigation was carried out throu ghout the United Kingdom for all major retailers. The organizational leader ensured that all and any kind of information requested for the investigation was provided impromptu. In addition, TESCO has come under fire time and again for using suppliers exploiting cheap Bengali labor. TESCO’s suppliers are using labor that is paid roughly five pence every hour for an eighty hour week without any perks or benefits on the job (Ramesh, 2006). The allegations were not merely restricted to TESCO but to all major retailers operating in the United Kingdom (Label, 2006). In response to allegations of labor exploitation, TESCO’s leadership responded by stating that their suppliers were meeting the minimum national standards enforced in Bangladesh. The organization’s leader opined that all legal rules and guidelines were being met by both TESCO and its suppliers in Bangladesh so it did not make any sense to call these transactions as unethical. Moreover, the organizational l eader held that TESCO was providing jobs for millions in Bangladesh which was aiding poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Criticism has also been diverted towards TESCO on the issue of misleading price cuts projected through misleading advertisements. In order to bolster sales, TESCO reduced prices on unpopular items and slightly increased prices on popular items but advertised the overall sale as being uniform for all goods. In addition, TESCO’s buy one and get one free offers are speculated to increase wastage with special emphasis on food