Ford Case as Viewed by: Junior Ford Employee

FORD PLANT CASE STUDY

Junior Ford Employee

You were hired by Ford a little less than a year ago, after being unemployed for nearly 8 months. The job has good benefits and pays well--at least when the plant is operating. You are proud of the Ford product and purchased a two-tone Ranger with an employee discount. Unfortunately, if Ford cuts back on the work force, as a junior employee you will be one of the first to go--and so you are keen on the issues of fairness and justice.

You moved into the neighborhood a few months ago so that you could walk to work and your wife could use the car during the day. You like the neighbors and the schools, and your two children seem to be happy in their new surroundings. You are obviously also concerned about your family's good health. Financially, things are tight. Your wife works part-time in a local gift shop to help make ends meet, but thereby sacrifices time she feels she should spend with the children. You can probably scrape by until Ford truck sales improve, but you would be concerned if the plant continued at less than its current level of operation.

Some particular questions that you need to resolve:

What is Ford's responsibility to eliminate or minimize odor and health risks for you, your family and your neighbors, knowing the possible consequences for your own job?
Does Ford and/or the community have a responsibility to honor the commitments you have made to work at Ford?
Given your multiple concerns, what terms for an operating permit would you claim are justified?

Be sure to read the Background carefully for information that is relevant to these questions and your position.

Remember that the aim in adopting a stakeholder's perspective is not to "act out" someone else's role or to make decisions according to some stereotyped view of how another person "should" act. Rather, you should focus on the stakeholder's concerns and consider how YOU would act in a similar situtation.