Whirlpool Plant Closing Case Study

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1. The decision to close the Whirlpool plant was not just a business decision as it also carried social and ethical implications. Whirlpool's decision to move the operation to Mexico was made mainly on economic considerations. By outsourcing jobs to Mexico the company is able to save a lot of money on labor costs and remain competitive in the industry. The ethical and social implications in the decision revolve around the fact that Whirlpool did not consider the best interests of all it's stakeholders. The effect on the local community and vendors in Evansville stretches far beyond the effects of just the plant workers losing their jobs. So while the company may have met its economic responsibilities in it's attempt to maximize profits and meet consumer price expectations, it fell short on its ethical responsibilities. 2. Whirlpool has many legal and ethical responsibilities in the plant-closing example. The ethical issue here revolves around the fair treatment of all the stake-holders involved. The plant closing is going to affect the employees and the local community the most. These individuals are going to loose their livelihoods in Whirlpool's pursuit of an economic advantage. Whirlpool also has a legal responsibility to warn it's employees about a possible plant closure. Although there were rumors floating around for nearly a year that does not constitute a legitimate warning. If those employees were warned they could have started looking for new jobs and put their affairs and priorities in order. The company could have also taken steps to address it's issues before jumping to the off-shoring decision. The employees may have been willing to make concessions to keep their jobs which may have offset the benefits of moving the operation to Mexico. From the ethical perspective Whirlpool seemed to only be concerned with it's profits and shareholders in this
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