H.B. Fuller’s moral obligations in this case are to do everything they can to prevent illegal distribution and use of their products. Being the leading manufacturer of industrial glues worldwide, it is impossible for the company to get rid of products that kids are misusing. Yes, the company can take steps to stop it, which they are by not selling it to retailors and small business owners in Honduras and Guatemala where the biggest abuse problem is. However, this company cannot be morally responsible for every single person who chooses to use their product in the wrong way. Like the mission statement says, they will conduct business ethically...be a responsible corporate citizen. These are their moral obligations and they are met by their
A group of people who misuse the products does not override the reputation of a company. The article states that Timothy Smith, the executive director of interfaith center of Responsibility, says that “companies with a reputation as good corporate citizens are more vulnerable to attack”. So basically he is saying that because H.B. Fuller has operated as such a strong and responsible company over its past 100 years in business, that they have a target on their backs for attack because they never do anything wrong. Then he goes onto saying that their problem is that they over market themselves as a “saint”. People criticize H.B. Fuller for not living up to their moral obligations when there is evidence that says otherwise. They have taken precautions to limit selling and they are looking into different ingredients to replace Resistol. We know that this glue sniffing issue is not new and has been going on for more than 50 years. The moral rights of H.B. Fuller are being violated when people target the company saying that they are essentially responsible for kids misusing their products; when it is known that there are other glue companies in the world and that H.B. Fuller is not knowingly giving glue to kids who will misuse it, they are trying to keep their business running the way it should be and continue to sell glue to their loyal customers who rely on the product to do their jobs.
Like