Reflective Report Ethical Decision in Relation to a Business Decision

Question: Write the Report on Reflective Report for Ethical Decision in Relation to a Business Decision. Answer: Introduction The ultimate objective of a business organisation is to generate sales and profit so that it can acquire the power to expand its business. In order to fulfil the objective, the organisation has to take certain business decisions, but sometimes these decisions can become controversial, can be right from a business perspective but unethical from the reverse scenario. The presented report is reflective on this topic of discussion. In the report I am going to highlight the decision of Microsoft of 2015 concerning the automatic gradation of Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10. The issue is, in spite of the earnest sincerity of the organisation regarding the latest version, many users find it hard to get accustomed to the new features of Windows 10, and the high expense is another issue coupled with forced automatic up gradation as per the opinions of some users. In the report I have tried to evaluate the ethical and unethical aspects of this business decision. Automatic up Gradation from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10: Microsoft In 2015, Microsoft declares that it plans to popularise its latest version in the market. The company stresses the features of the version and states that the Windows 7 and 8 is going to be upgraded automatically to Windows 10. This announcement has been made to resist the duplicate version of Windows 8. The company promises that the new version offers more features and convenience. In that year, the company stresses that Windows 10 is going to be installed on the hard drives of the customers. along with this, the company will also offer the package of the version. Microsoft states that within the first half of 2017 the company plans to sell more than half of its product (Ford and Richardson, 2013, p.44). The business decision is made by the organisation to with the aim of popularising the latest version among the large population of the users. The company believed that if the users use the new version for the first time, then they are bound to forget the old versions. However, the problem is many people found this decision and annoying. Users who have been comfortable with the old version does not want to use the verse and resisted the change (Certo, 2015, p.5). Impact of the Decision Concerning the Automatic Upgrades of Windows 10 I think the decision of the organisation put the company into a controversy. Although the company declared its goodwill regarding the installation of Windows 10, most of the users were against the entire idea. As per the opinion of the general customers of Microsoft, it is unethical for the company to try to market its market by force. The company needs to consider the customers who find it difficult to adjust with the new version. The expense of this version also became the issue. The companys decision to sell at least half of this version to the people within 2017 took a toll on the customers (Steeleet al. 2016, p.315). It is noteworthy to mention that this business decision made the organisation lose the reputation it has earned throughout its establishment. I opine, after all the particular business decision seemed unethical, especially the approach used by the company to make the Windows 10 popular among its users. The most important thing for the business organisation is to cater the needs and demands of the general population, i.e. the customers. The organisation before selling its product/service to the customers needs to acquire their consent. It is improper and unethical for any organisation to try to force sell its products/service irrespective of the promise of providing good features and utility for bringing a better experience to the people (Ruiz and Martnez-Caas, 2014, p.95). Interconnection Between Corporate Reputation and Ethical Branding: Question of Legality I think in a business organisation, certain business decisions are taken which questions the meanings of ethical branding and corporate reputation and the subtle relationship which exists between these two terms. It is necessary for the organisation to build its corporate reputation in order to enhance the sales and profit of the organisations service/products. The company strives to attain this reputation by trying to attract as many clients and customers as possible. On the other hand, ethically refers to the ethics which are observed while executing the processes of marketing (Guerci et al. 2015, p.342). Ethical marketing sticks to the moral standpoint, the sensible judgements which are necessary to know the difference between right and wrong. One example, forceful selling must not be encouraged. The customer must have the consent or the free will to purchase the product. It is true that Microsoft wanted to encourage the Windows users to use the updated version which promises to offer extensive options for a variety of feature. The company wanted to discard its old versions of Windows, but I feel the approach which the company took was unethical (van et al. 2015, p.190). In terms of earning corporate reputation, the move could have been useful and true the plan of automatic or force upgradation deed succeed to some extent. The problem was it created a negative impact on the company in the long run. The company lost a large section of the customer base. Even some of the loyal customers were angry about the entire matter, stopped using Windows system in the process (Wouters et al. 2014, p.23) Hence, I feel and I strongly believe that a balance must always be maintained between ethical branding and corporate reputation. Earning a market reputation, increasing the stocks and profit rate is necessary but the process of marketing should always be ethical. In this way, in the long run, the company is going to get sure success. I feel that the concept of forceful selling has always been unethical and this should have been considered by the organisation. An organisation cannot sell its product or service to the customer who is unwilling to purchase the product/service. This is wrong. This also violates the right of free choice and thinking. The step of Microsoft also included a monthly subscription, much higher than the normal cost. Instigating forceful purchase can also indicate financial exploitation of consumers to generate sales revenue (Corey et al. 2014, p.7) It should be reported that the angry customers of Windows 7 and 8 who faced forceful upgradation of their system to Windows 10 were totally infuriated about the experience. These customers came together and filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and won. The company had to pay $10,000 to the customers. Future Possibility It is normal that sometimes decisions taken can be erroneous or appropriate. The important part is to correct the mistake and to take responsibility for the matter. Regarding the point, it should be stated that the company acknowledging the unethical method of selling has created the option for the users which enable the users to reject upgradation. The company also wants its users not to use the latest version at all if the customers are uncomfortable or unwilling (Thau et al. 2015, p.98). It is recommended that before trying to launch a product/service, Microsoft can hold conferences and communicate with a selected chosen group of users to generate ideas regarding the significance of the product/service. The company must maintain the concept of ethical branding, it has the power to garner positive customer behaviour and be very beneficial in the long run of business. 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