Trisha Bouchard, Orlando Bustos, Priscilla Correa, Jeremy Mah, Yves Prosperine-Laflamme

 Summary of the Case  Discussing the Problem  Immediate Issues  Underlying Issues  Conclusion

 Case dates back to 1975  We are on the board of directors of a company that makes transistors.  Back then, several deaths occurred due pacemaker implantation in humans  Several factors could be to blame, 3 in particular  We need to make a decision Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 A pacemaker is a medical device that sends electrical impulses to regulate a heartbeat  However, it disables the patient’s normal heartbeat  If the pacemaker fails, the patient dies Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Patients Pacemaker Company Transistor Company Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Creates pacemakers that give the ability to sustain life, and live a normal life  Require transistors for their pacemakers  Creating faulty pacemakers that are killing patients  Due to this, many suppliers have terminated contracts with them due to liability Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Patients require a pacemaker to live, as it is the only option  A basic right to live Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Due to this issue, the company may be legally responsible for deaths related to faulty pacemakers  Many members on the board no longer recommend selling transistors to the pacemaker company  However, they are the sole supplier available in the market, and could lose market share Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Protect your shareholders interest and stop selling the transistor, therefore, eliminating legal liability Continue to sell the transistor, risking legal liability, and the dissatisfaction of shareholders Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

The right to live, the most basic human need Risks of lawsuitsRisking Human lives Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Moral Duty to continue supplying transistors? Obligation to their shareholders Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Does the right to life affect our obligation to look after our own needs first?  Deontologist position Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Advancements in technology allow for an improved implantable pacemaker Failures during implantation and reliability causing injury and death Technological advancements improve reliability and quality Pacemaker risk is virtually non- existent and safe for patients Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Sole remaining supplier Supplying Transistors Patients Pacemaker company SocietyStakeholders Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 New technologies do not have proper laws or regulation  No quality of assurance for products  Vulnerable to lawsuits and liability Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

What would you do?

 An action is right if it produces the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people  Actions are evaluated by looking at their consequences Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Avoid potential lawsuits Focus on other markets Reduce risks for stakeholders + The pacemaker can potentially save many lives Casualties Further development of the pacemaker is stalled Lose market share - Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Fulfill obligation to protect human life Save many lives Keep 100% market share + Many Potential lawsuits Casualties of pacemaker deaths Reputation damage Currently not in stakeholder’s interest - Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Keep market share Potentially save many lives fulfill obligation to protect human life. Allow for further advancement of the pacemaker No liability + Potentially have a faulty product Expensive and time consuming - Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Alternative 3: Create legal contracts and regulations to reduce liability Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

Utilitarian Analysis Duty-Based Analysis Special obligations Degeorge “produce the greatest amount of good for the number of people affected by the action” Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives

 Continued to sell BUT:  Increased standards  Assured against liability  "showing compassion without sacrificing business...in this way they felt that they were serving the common good, protecting people's rights to a promising new medical technology, the pacemaker.” Summary Immediate Issues Underlying Issues Change Alternatives