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Tuesday, July 26, 1994
Toshi Amino"At many corporations . . . ethical issues are not an abstract or conceptual consideration. Ethics are a daily and realistic issue. How we deal with these daily and realistic issues is a part of our job at manufacturing companies," said Toshi Amino. Technical issues such as environmental integrity and safety are typical examples of issues which are also ethical in nature. Ethical judgments are required by associates at all levels of responsibility.
Honda is committed to strengthening the ethical sensitivity of all its associates and believes this sensitivity begins with the corporate philosophy. This philosophy includes a high respect for the individual and encourages all associates to think about how each job effects other people. According to Amino, associates are also encouraged "to be involved, to speak up and contribute ideas and suggestions." Treating people with respect "is a very basic and important element to strengthen ethical sensitivity." While corporate philosophy provides a good beginning, training is necessary to provide the skills and understanding needed to "deal with ethical issues on a daily basis and in a proper manner."
Three cases were presented for discussion. The first involved a plant manager for a parts supplier and the ramifications surrounding the decision whether or not to ship a quantity of parts when it is known that 0.2 to 0.3% are quality defective. The ensuing discussion pointed out the need for organizational and individual integrity and consistency, for learning the causes of defective production, and for mutual respect and open communication between customer and company.
The second case depicted a Honda assembly-line associate who has a cold and is, therefore, having difficulty keeping pace with the assembly line. The associate believes the reclining mechanism in the seat just installed does not work properly. Does the associate ignore the problem or take steps to rectify the situation and lose valuable production time? The discussion emphasized that, if an individual is in the habit of reacting in an ethically sensitive manner, the decision will be an easy one.
The scenario of the third case related a Honda associate who, while walking outside the building, notices a liquid (which may or may not be dangerous) dripping from a pipe joint. What should this person do--ignore the situation or see to it that the proper people are made aware? The discussion again revealed the necessity for organizational integrity and consistency if the associate is to make the ethically sensitive decision.
 
 Council for Ethics in Economics
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