Answer:
The case involves the adoption of unethical practices by the pharmaceutical companies and their representatives to influence the sale of their medicines by providing gifts and other benefits to the doctors, who prescribe the medicines to their patients. In the absence of strict enforcement, such practices are rampant in India.
(a) Ethical dilemmas faced by me as the Regional Sales Manager of a pharmaceutical company include:

• Clash between personal integrity and professional obligations: 1 personally want to conduct business in an ethical manner. At the same time, being the Regional Sales Manager, it is my responsibility to ensure better sales and growth for my company. However, if I give primacy to my personal values, my professional obligations are compromised and vice-versa.
• Short-term vs long-term interests: I can focus on the short-term interests of my company by competing with other companies and keeping my sales up. However, there is a real possibility that the sustainability of the company, its values, and the work culture get threatened if I forgo the long-term interests.
• People’s health vs company’s interests: It is morally wrong to influence doctors to prescribe medicines of a particular brand and company, as it would affect their decision- making in choosing the right kind of medicine for individual patients. However, if I do not provide such incentives to the doctors, there is a high chance that some other company will. This would affect the sale of the company.

(b) As the Regional Sales Manager, three options are available to me. The options and their respective merits and demerits include:

• Option 1: Instruct the Area Sales Managers to follow all means to meet their respective targets.
  • Merits:
    • It would be financially beneficial for the company, the managers and employees at all levels.
    • The company’s share in the market could increase, which would benefit the shareholders.
  • Demerits:
    • The end is achieved through wrongful means and by violating the current laws.
    • It will lead to degradation of moral values in the society at large and the unethical practice will continue unhindered.
    • It could lead to cognitive dissonance, as I am working against my conscience.
• Option 2: Refuse to accept the new sales targets with unethical practices.
  • Merits:
    • This will lead me to have a clear conscience.
    • It would be in accordance with the deontological principle that means in themselves are the end.
    • Values of self-regulation would be propagated in the industry.
  • Demerits:
    • This would most likely result in a loss for the company in comparison to its competitors.
    • Long-term profitability and sustainability of the company may be threatened.
    • It may lead to demotion or job loss for me.
• Option 3: Report the industry-wide malpractices to the regulatory authorities while trying to meet the sales targets in an ethical manner.
  • Merits:
    • This would ensure that unethical practices are brought on record and the complaints can be investigated by the authorities.
    • I would be doing my duty as a conscientious and responsible member of the industry by highlighting the wrongdoings and promoting ethical business practices. I would be contributing towards better corporate governance.
    • By exploring new avenues of growth in sales, I would be ensuring a better sales outcome for the company.
  • Demerits:
    • In the absence of mandatory adherence to the Uniform Code of Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices, other competitors might continue to indulge in unethical practices and move ahead in the competition.
    • My own company’s sales targets might not be achieved and the company might go in distress, which could lead to layoffs.
    • The company may come to know about my role in approaching the regulatory authorities and may demote me or terminate my employment.

In the given situation, I would choose Option 3 due to the following reasons:

• Personal gains: I would have adhered to my conscience. Even if I get demoted or lose my job, my honesty and ethical work style would make me an attractive candidate for other companies who engage in ethical business practices.
• Social gains: The unethical practices by doctors would come to a halt and more choices would be available to the general public. Further, lower operating expenses could even reduce the prices of medicines.
• Sectoral gains: With improved regulations, companies would bring more sustainable and innovative ideas to increase their sales. Also, companies engaged in ethical business practices tend to succeed in the long-term.

(c) The following alternatives can be considered by the pharmaceutical companies to increase their sales and growth:
Exploring alternative markets: Indian pharmaceutical companies are known for their cost-benefit and high quality of medicines. The companies should actively explore other markets such as East Asia, Latin America, Africa, etc. for potential business opportunities. The government can extend support through market information and by facilitating better trading relations with countries in the regions. Associating themselves with certain causes: For instance, shifting CSR towards women empowerment, rural development or towards people with disabilities, sourcing raw materials from nations which procure them ethically, etc. Reducing the cost of medicines: The companies can reduce the price of medicines by adopting better technology or by giving up a share of their profit margins. Lesser price would enhance the competitiveness of the companies.
Pharmaceutical companies are trusted partners in the healthcare system in the country and have played a tremendous role in ensuring access to affordable and quality medicines not only in India but across the world. Such unethical practices by the marketing branch of the companies should be dealt with a strict hand.

Answer:
The above case highlights the plight of a transgender person in a workplace environment. Even though organisations are ready to welcome transgender people into the workplace, employees are not ready to accept them as just another colleague or employee. In the given case, they have shown unnecessary interest in her personal life. She feels discriminated against and harassed at the workplace.
(a) Ethical issues in the case:

• Gender Bias: Gender equality is one of the major organisational values. But male employees are not adhering to it.
• Lack of empathy: Discussing personal life with a co-worker who is uncomfortable doing so shows the lack of empathy among the colleagues.
• Lack of accountability: Excluding Miss A from meetings without providing a reason demonstrates the decision makers’ lack of accountability to her.
• Diversity without inclusivity: Even though the company is ready to accept the diversity by recruiting transgender people, inclusivity is still missing in terms of making the vulnerable sections work without discrimination.
• Leadership is put to the test: If the Managing Director fails to handle the situation and accepts Miss “A” resignation, it will reflect poorly on the organization’s value of gender diversity and will also erode the company’s image.

(b) Options available to me, as the Managing Director:

• Discussing the issue with the senior male employees and warning them against any potential wrongdoing.
• Accepting the resignation of Miss A.
• Disciplinary action against employees who have allegedly harassed Miss A.

(c) Evaluation of each option and course of action

• Discussion with the senior male employees:
  • Merits:
    • It will help to explain the gender-equal policies of the company and the importance of improving the company’s brand image.
    • Further, the MD should explain the rights of the LGBT community under Indian laws and the associated punishments for violating the same.
    • This will instil confidence in Miss “A” and other employees that the organisation doesn’t tolerate any kind of discriminatory practices.
  • Demerits:
    • Directly confronting the male employees may hurt the ego of senior employees and they might feel offended. It may impact the ongoing projects in the organisation.
• Accepting Miss “A’s” resignation:
  • Merits:
    • It will pacify senior employees and help them focus on work rather than wasting time on these practices.
  • Demerits:
    • It will encourage the practice of gender discrimination which is against the fundamental rights of Miss “A” (Article 15).
    • It shows the MD’s leadership in poor light as he is not courageous enough to confront employees involved in discriminatory practices.
    • If such news becomes public, the company’s image will be tarnished which may affect its business.
• Disciplinary action
  • Merits:
    • It sends the message of zero-tolerance against any sort of gender discrimination within the company.
    • It gives confidence and moral encouragement to the employees, especially transgender and women.
  • Demerits:
  • As senior members may protest your decision, it may affect the timely completion and delivery of those projects.

Course of action: As a managing director, I will forward the complaint to the Internal Complaints Committee and will ask them to conduct a fair investigation of the issue. If found guilty, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty.\
Reasons for the course of action:

• A free and fair investigation will give everyone the chance to present their case. No judgements should be made without listening to all the sides.
• Disciplinary actions will convey the message that everyone in the organisation is equal and there is no room for any kind of discrimination in the organization.
• It also upholds values like compassion, empathy, courage of conviction, leadership and constitutional ethos (Article 15).

To avoid such instances in the future, a long-term course can be charted out like a new Code of Conduct emphasising the importance of gender neutrality, establishing a grievance cell, hiring more transgender people etc. According to a World Bank estimate, the cost of social stigma and exclusion of LGBT people in India is $31 billion. So, it is necessary to break the social stigma in our society. As a Managing Director, adopting the above course of action is a win-win situation for both Miss “A” and the organisation.

strong>Answer: The case presents a scenario where on the one hand, the number of electric vehicles on the world’s roads is rising fast, while on the other hand, due to child labour, a large number of children in India remain vulnerable and face physical and psychological risks to a healthy development. The key stakeholders in this case study are the State represented by the District Magistrate, mine workers (including children), industries using cobalt, and the society at large. (a) Ethical issues involved in the given case:

• Issues of values and morality make an essential part of environmental ethics and here inclusion of children in the mining of cobalt and that too in dangerous conditions is a major ethical issue.
• There is a failure of the government to implement the rules related to child labour, and a failure on the part of the society to stop such unethical practices.
• Multi-national corporations using cobalt are generally aware of such practices, still, they use such raw products and boast about their contribution towards environmental initiatives.
• A major dilemma is to strike a balance between ensuring development and protection of human rights, specifically child rights.
• The given case presents a scenario in which two basic necessities of children are in conflict i.e., their socio-economic rights of getting an education and good health vs. survival and livelihood of their families.

(b) Reasons for the prevalence of child labor in India: Despite various legal and institutional measures like ratifying the ILO conventions, implementing the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, formulating the National Policy on Child Labour (1987), etc., child labor is prevalent and persistent in India owing to the following reasons:

• Poverty is the greatest single force driving children into the workplace. Income from a child’s work is felt to be crucial for his/her own survival or for that of the household’s survival. Social backwardness is also one of the main reasons for child labor in India.
• The absence of compulsory education (prior to the RTE Act) at the primary level, parental ignorance regarding the bad effects of child labor, non-availability and non-accessibility of schools, and impractical school curriculum are some of the factors, which lead to child labor.
• There is poor compliance with laws related to child labor due to the lackluster attitude of the administration in their implementation.
• The lure of cheap labor is a major factor, as children’s wages are much lower as compared to adults’ wages, which encourages child labor.

(c) Steps that can be taken to address the issue of child labor in the district are the following:

• Short-term solutions for tackling such a situation:
  • Being the DM of the district, effective implementation of laws rules, and regulations for protection against child labor should be the first step, wherein the District Labour Officer would be given directions to control any such illegal and unethical practice happening in the district.
  • Strict action against miners employing children should be taken immediately and the police of the district should be kept on vigil mode, as frequent raids where children are regularly employed would help in curbing the issue of child labor in the district.
  • As child labor is a contributing factor in the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment, and underemployment, there should be a concerted effort towards social protection programs and cash transfers to improve the economic situation of families and to reduce the “need” to send children to work. This may lower the familial pressure on children to opt for child labor.
• Long-term solutions for tackling such a situation:
  • There is an urgent need to revamp the educational infrastructure in order to ensure access to educational institutions for children and improvement in the quality of education.
  • The state should take adequate measures to raise awareness among families and communities about the adverse consequences of child labor. Literacy of the parents can play an important role in ensuring that the rights of children are upheld.
  • Considering the benefits associated with the development of electric vehicles, it is necessary to focus on research and development in order to use the best affordable technology for the extraction of cobalt.
  • In the long-term, the elimination of child labor demands commitment from the society e.g., family, state, civil society, and those who employ children in any enterprise.

A climate-friendly solution should not be at the expense of children’s basic rights. Stakeholders like industries should ensure that they are not adopting any measure that results in the abuse of the basic human rights of children. Collaborative action from all key development actors, including the state, civil society organizations, communities, media, and the private sector is required to prioritize and protect the rights of children.