Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation – obtain all of the unbiased facts possible. Clearly state the ethical issue. 

• Lehigh University is working towards a low-carbon circular economy.
• Students will use T-shirts to raise awareness to their various student groups.
• You receive a $5,000 grant from an alumni to fund these T-shirts.
  • Alumni is a diehard champion for sustainability and buying products manufactured in the USA.
  • *Reduce university-wide water usage by 10% by 2025 from a FY2019 baseline, including process, irrigation and potable water usage. Reassess data in 2025 and establish additional metrics for 2030. 
• If the pilot stage is successful, alumni will fund another $100,000.

Assumptions:

• Cheaper shirts are of lower quality, while more expensive shirts are of higher quality.
• Defining success: 
  • Most people reach 
  • T-shirt purchased or given 
  • Driving the strategic plan for Lehigh for sustainability

Step 2: Define the Stakeholders – those with a vested interest in the outcome 

• Alumni
• Lehigh board
• Sustainable Lehigh 2030 program
• Shirt manufacturing company 
• Students groups

Step 3: Assess the motivations of the Stakeholders 

• The alumni promote sustainability and American-made products. The alumni also want to support Lehigh University and their efforts.
  • Wants to support the program Lehigh 2030.
• The Lehigh Board wants to please both the student groups and the alumni. But the board also wants to receive the alumni gift.
• Sustainable Lehigh 2030 program wants to make sure the shirts are handled sustainably. The program also wants to receive the alumni gift. 
• Shirt manufacturing company wants to make a deal with Lehigh in order to make a profit for their business. However, they will not change any of their t-shirt options or prices because they are dealing with Lehigh.
• Student want t-shirts to promote their groups. However, they do not want to spend much time or money to do so because of their busy school schedules.

Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions – based on information available, using basic ethical core values as guide Approaches [1/2/3: repeat for every action] 

• Potential solution • Ethical Principle or code • Pros • Cons 

• Purchase one $25 t-shirt to show to the alumni, purchase the rest of them from the $10 or $2 option 
  • Moral justification: it is for the greater good.
  • Ethically very poor, since we are lying to the alumni and supporting a sweatshop 
  • Pros: can get more shirts 
  • Cons: lying to the alumni, supporting unfair working conditions 
• Convince the alumni and students to do reusable water bottles
  • Ethically good because we are still promoting something that is sustainable
  • Pros: looks at different options, water bottles uses less natural resources than shirts
  • Cons: students and alumni might not agree with it
• Sell the shirts to the student groups, use the revenue to buy more shirts
  • Ethically poor because it would create feelings of unfairness from the students
  • Pros: reduces the price of the shirts for the university
  • Cons: would only reach students who are willing to pay for the shirts, creates feelings of unfairness from students who are not willing to pay for shirts

Step 5: Seek additional assistance, as appropriate – engineering codes of ethics, previous cases, peers, reliance on personal experience, inner reflection 

• Talk to the Alumni (see what they define as “success”).
• Talk to Office of Sustainability for their opinion.
• Talk to the students for their opinion.
• Find providers of t-shirts in previous cases that are cheaper and sustainable and are also made in the USA.

Step 6: Select the best course of action – that which satisfies the highest core ethical values. Explain reasoning and justify. Discuss your stance vis-a-vis other approaches discussed in the class. 

The best course of action is to buy the organic shirts for $25, and make the students figure out how to reach the most people through events and giveaways. This would please the alumni, since the alumni support sustainability and American-made products. However, it would require students to do more work in order to plan their event. There would be less shirts available for the students; however, through events, it would make the shirts more valued. While the shirts becoming more valued, there is a less likely chance that they would be thrown away, making it more sustainable (shirt is more likely to be reused).

Step 7: (If applicable) What are the implications of your solution on the venture. Explain the impact of your proposed solution on the venture’s technology, economic, social and environmental aspects.

• Economic: Overpaying for t-shirts. You spend more per shirt and get less to give away.
• Social: Not as many people may be reached because less shirts were made. However, it would make the shirts more valued by the students who have the shirt.
• Environmental: The shirts are still fast fashion and will likely be disposed of quickly. However, it is still the best option out of the 3 in terms of the environment. Also since it is close by, transportation implications are much less significant. In addition, being organic allows for the shirts to be more environmentally decomposable in a landfill.
• Technological: Supporting organic technology. With more demand for organic technology, it shows the need for more research and development, possibly finding ways to make the shirt cheaper and more sustainable.