Ethics Governance
Ethics & Governance - Resources and Articles |
| Articles indexes: a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z | other | |
|
|
| Article - Abstract. To view full article click on the article title. | |
Dow Corning's Breast Implant Scandal (Ethikos Archives) Dow Corning's Breast Implant Scandal (Ethikos Archives) May/June 1994 - By Andrew W. Singer. In Breast Implants Scandal, Where was Dow Corning’s Concern for Women? In the annals of business ethics, the fall from grace of Dow Corning Corporation was particularly precipitous. Here was one of America’s 100 most profitable industrial companies. Its high-level Business Conduct Committee, which dated back to the 1970s, was considered an industry model: It conducted annually some 25 face-to-face audits worldwide with employee groups. More than ninety percent of Dow Corning employees considered the company “highly ethical,” according to a 1988 company survey, an exceptionally high rating.That was all before the silicone breast implants scandal.Even though the health hazards associated with the silicone implants came to light gradually, over years, the defining moment for John E. Swanson was a June 1991 story in Business Week magazine (dated June 10, 1991). This was the first article that alleged that Dow Corning concealed documents about the product’s safety. “It was the first time the company’s ethics were questioned in a public way. To me, it was a shock,” recalls Swanson, then manager of internal communications and the sole permanent member of the company’s Business Conduct Committee. After 26 years with the company, “I thought I knew where all the skeletons were.” The article alleged that silicone breast implants could deteriorate and leak, wreaking havoc upon a woman’s immune system. The company had long maintained that the implants it manufactured through Dow Corning Wright, its subsidiary company, would last a woman’s lifetime. At the time of the article, approximately 1.5 million to 2 million women had had silicone breast implants. It was the third largest form of cosmetic surgery after nose and liposuction operations. Nevertheless, Business Week charged that the industry had known for a decade of animal studies that linked implants to cancer and other illnesses. Full Article: http://www.singerpubs.com/ethikos/html/dowcorning.html |
|
2006 Ethics-Governance.com |
|||