There are many applicable scenarios in the Mattel case, where managers could have acted with courage and defined an ethically-oriented culture and in many cases chose to violate both laws and ethical guidelines. Aristotelian ethics also underscore courage as the catalyst that galvanizes a decision away from merely being aligned to expectations of the broader society to one that forces acuity of ethical and moral insight be applied (Heinze, 2010)
Justice The concept of justice as a virtue takes on different aspects of experiential meaning depending on the normative ethics applied. Justice from a utilitarian perspective states that the equality of outcomes is the highest priority, over the unequal distribution of outcomes and judgments (Kielsgard, 2011)
Selection Of Three Virtues: Courage, Honesty And Justice Courage The foundational virtue that leads all others in Aristotelian ethics is courage and the ability to courageously face fear and still remain cognitively lucid, clear in thought and capable of making decisions. Aristotle often wrote that courage is the most foundational virtue of all in that it contextualizes fear, still allowing a human to continually evaluate alternatives and think cognitively and rationally (Machan, 2004)
In the study Mattel, Inc.: Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) - A life-cycle analysis of a company-based code of conduct in the toy industry (Sethi, Veral, Shapiro, Emelianova, 2011) the authors successfully provide insights into the moral and ethical dilemmas of operating a multinational corporation (MNC) that is highly dependent on Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP)
com/annual-report) Globalization will force additional forces on multinational corporations such as Mattel thus creating "governance risks inherent in value chains and networks." (Abonyi, Van Slyke, 2010) Global economic factors hurt financial performance in 2009
Buyers who were part of the class-action lawsuit were entitled to either 50% of the total amount of vouchers sent out by the firm following the toy recalls. Moreover, members of the settlement could recover all their expenses incurred for lead testing for approximately $600,000 for the class (Andersen, 2009)
Most of the new toys reflected the growing demand among its core product lines like the market's interest in Barbie and Hot Wheels products. Historically, toy sales have continued to follow strong seasonal trends as almost 50% of sales take place in November and December (Lacorte, n
Consequently, the children could not be affected by these toys if the manufacturer didn't neglect the required standards when manufacturing the toys. The other legal theory used by the plaintiff is failure to warn customers of the potential dangers associated with the use of the product (Savage, 2011)
The major change adopted by the firm was the decision to instantly implement new federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act guidelines. As a result, the firm banned lead in toys, a move that resulted in the reduction of permissible lead levels to 90 parts per million from the existing 600 ppm (Waichman, 2008)
It could not: China valued docility not independence; it valued education not dolls. Today, Mattel could make an effort to reach Chinese consumers by establishing itself as a new Chinese icon -- by appealing to the rising Chinese middle class consumer (Burkitt, 2013)
"Don't think pink," writes Rose (2014) but rather be practical -- consider that fun and learning "are like oil and water in China," which is something Mattel failed to do. Instead it communicated a vast house of fun and style without respecting the Chinese emphasis on details, practicality and purpose (Rose, 2014)
The entire idea of a flagship store was misguided from the start as it was not something that could culturally appeal to the average Chinese consumer. Mainly, Mattel faced a serious culture-clash by jumping the gun and anticipating a market for its products that simply did not exist on any level that justified a $30 million facility (Voigt, 2012)
In short, the American company expected the Asian culture to embrace a Western icon that had no legitimate roots in Chinese culture. Though the doll was popular, it had not the same significance for young Chinese girls as it did for young American girls (Wang, 2012)
It produced an Asian version of the Barbie doll, which was less American in nature and more attuned to the ethnic and cultural background of the Chinese market. It advertised by reducing the concept of glitz and glamour and building on the traditional styles dear to the Chinese population: culture, tradition, work, and successful performance (Burkitt, 2013)
But in China for instance, Mattel cannot approach the market the same way: Chinese girls are taught to be more interested in education and conformity and submissiveness than they are taught to have "fun" or to be independent. Thus, Mattel's House of Barbie in China fell flat on its face -- it failed to advertise itself correctly and could establish no brand loyalty (Rose, 2014)
Global marketing actually is not as uniform as the name suggests. Each market, as Mattel learned, has its own ethnic, cultural, and historical nuances that must be gauged, monitored and accessed in a unique way (Wang, 2012)