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Scenario: You are the Public Relations Manager for a small manufacturing firm located in a suburban neighborhood. Your company recently developed a new product that has attracted a lot of attention and a substantial number of sales, which have driven company profits up. But you have noticed that the number of complaints coming in from residents about the odor of the chemical used in the manufacturing of the product have risen steadily. You consult the company’s engineers about the problem, and they advise you that these chemicals are absolutely necessary in the manufacture of this new product, and they can only be reduced by installing expensive stack filters, which would substantially cut into the company’s profits. The engineers don’t understand why you are so concerned about this situation, because the company is not breaking any laws or environmental regulations, and the complaints are probably the result of the anti-business segment of the population, in an effort to make doing business very difficult in the town. But what if they are wrong, and this growing number of complaints is just the beginning of a very vocal outcry against your company for ruining the local “quality of life,” just because you can get away with it?
What advice do you give your management as to how to deal with this ethical dilemma, and what ethical considerations are in play? Write a 300 word analysis, and justify your recommendation.