Blog Post 4_Fall 2020

Team Members: Gabriela Alves, Conner Calzone, Rebecca Gjini, Kendall Prime

Ethical Decision-Making Methodology

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

- 35% of the children are stunted due to poor nutrition
- Maize and bananas are the items most commonly made into a gruel and fed to infants beginning at ~2 months of age to 24 months of age
- Mothers believe that the gruel is good for kids, but science says it lacks some key nutrients
- High rate of HIV in mothers create risk of child getting HIV during prolonged breastfeeding
  - WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until an infant is 6 months of age
  - This increases the risk of the children having the HIV transmitted to them
  - They aren’t able to identify who has HIV and who doesn’t
- We received a grant to help combat the poor nutrition of children in the area
  - has sufficient funds for the women’s group to process and market a nutritious, shelf-stable porridge made from a large mix of locally grown produce
- Nutritious porridge is supposed to wean children off of breast milk at 6 months of age
- The foods used to make the porridge contain pesticides that can affect the health of infants
- We need to figure out how to develop the cooperative
- Women are skeptical because the porridge is something they haven’t used before (new product)

Ethical issue: We are choosing whether to potentially infect the children with HIV and/or run the risk of being nutritiously deficient with the gruel versus a better nutrition but potentially adverse health side effects from the pesticides that may be in the porridge, which is also a product that is not a cultural norm.

Step 2 & 3: Define the Stakeholders and assess their motivations (personal and professional)

Me (Grant Recipient):
- Professional: Wants a successful and sustainable venture to be achieved to boost credibility and improve reputation in the field (good publicity). Want to earn money from grant
- Personal: To improve the nutrition of children and the livelihood of households.
Donor :
- Professional: Gives the donor a good reputation of trying to do something impactful
- Personal: The donor’s intent is to simultaneously improve the nutritional status of children and improve the livelihoods of rural households
Women in the Cooperative:
- Professional: women’s group to process and market a nutritious, shelf-stable porridge made from a large mix of locally grown produce
- Personal: Want to improve the overall quality of life for their communities children and mothers
Mothers:
- Professional: Work and revenue opportunities
- Personal: Healthy children and to improve their livelihoods
Infants:
- Professional: N.A
- Personal: The children need to be given the proper nutrients from a young age while limiting their risk of contracting HIV. Want to also prevent health effects from pesticides.
Farmers:
- Professional: Can make more money from selling produce to make the porridge
- Personal: Helping out the health and livelihood of mothers and children in the local communities

Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions – based on information available, using basic ethical core values as guide Approaches

Having the women of the cooperative take part in the porridge production, farming the crops without pesticides.
1. Pros:
  1. The women can make money from growing their own vegetables
  2. The food they feed their children will be more nutritious
  3. There won’t be any pesticides in the food or there will be significantly less depending on if the women can completely supplant the other cash crops
  4. Reducing the children’s chances of getting HIV
  5. Less expensive to fund the production of food if the women are providing the crops
  6. The women will not need to breast-feed as much, reducing the chance of HIV being transmitted being transferred to the babies
2. Cons:
  1. There might be more inconsistency with crops
  2. The crops are more susceptible to infestation and can go bad
  3. There might not be enough women to farm to help grow crops
  4. The women may not be as well trained to grow crops as the farmers
3. Ethical Principle: The women are still feeding their children with nutritious food that will help their children reduce the chances of getting HIV and being affected by the impacts of pesticide consumption.

Use market power to pressure farmers to stop using pesticides by advertising certified pesticide free porridge
1. Pros:
  1. No more pesticides which are unhealthy for the infants and may cause further growth stunting
  2. This creates long term change around farm culture and pesticide use, making vegetables safer for the entire community
  3. Empowers women in our cooperative by showing the power of cooperative, making more women interested in joining
  4. The women will not need to breast-feed as much, reducing the chance of HIV being transmitted being transferred to the babies
2. Cons:
  1. The women in the cooperative may not be able to penetrate the established crops market
  2. Farmers may lose sales due to this shift in technique
  3. Farmers might lie about pesticide usage for the sake of selling crops
  4. This is more of a long term movement, and does not satisfy immediate need for pesticide-free vegetables
3. Ethical Principle: This is duty based thinking because it is our duty to deliver safe nutrition to the children of the mothers in our cooperative.

Create a gruel product that has additive nutrient supplements with the key nutrients the current recipe is lacking. We can create this gruel in place of the porridge, but still keep operations running.
1. Pros:
  1. Already a loved product by the community, so there is no need to convince the community to feed it to their kids
  2. Nutritional supplements can be easily added to any food and does not have any flavor
  3. The kids will finally have the nutrients that the original gruel was lacking
  4. Mothers won’t have to buy separate ingredients for the gruel; it will be premade with the added nutrients
  5. The women will not need to breast-feed as much, reducing the chance of HIV being transmitted being transferred to the babies
2. Cons:
  1. Similarly, the villagers may be skeptical of these premade products
  2. Mothers may want to just keep making gruel on their own instead of buying one that’s premade
  3. Depending on the grant funding, there might be an issue with buying the vitamin supplements if they are expensive (typically inexpensive, though, but since we don’t know the amount of the grant, there’s no way to know for sure)
  4. It may be hard to supplement this wide-spread
3. Ethical Principle: Once again, we are using duty based thinking to try to provide the infants with nutritious food. In this scenario, we can use the unflavored additives to allow them to stick to their established routine while limiting HIV transmission risk and giving infants the proper nutrients.

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

Peers: The malnutrition team has discussed adding supplements to some of their recipes to make them more nutrient rich
Inner reflection: the risk of HIV is in my opinion, worse than the risk of lacking some nutrients
Engineering Code of Ethics: Our solution needs to follow the given ethical standards for an engineering/entrepreneurial venture
- Integrity, Objectivity, Professional Competence, Confidentiality and Professional behavior

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.

In my opinion, alternative 3 is the best option, because it does not go against any cultural norms and delivers the proper nutrients to the children to wean off of breastfeeding.
The mothers will already know what the product is and have it implemented in their day to day, so there is no introduction period.
I chose alternative 3 in place of alternative 1 mainly because the women are hesitant to give their children the porridge. They would have to try something new and different to what they are currently using, which is the main reason the mothers are hesitant to switch from gruel to porridge. Also, alternative 3 does not change the taste of the current food product that is being given to the children; it simply adds to the nutritional value.
I chose alternative 3 in place of alternative 2 because there is no guarantee that using market power will effectively pressure the farmers to not use the pesticides. Even if it does, the lack of pesticides does not change the fact that it’s a new product that the mothers don’t want to try. Alternative 3 allows us to keep the gruel, but just fortify it.
One of the downsides to alternative 3 is that the mothers may be hesitant to purchase premade gruel. They may prefer to make it on their own. A possible solution to this hypothetical situation is to have the women in the cooperative all watch the making of this nutrient-fortified gruel and see for themselves that it’s extremely similar to the current gruel. Once they see it’s essentially the same, they will be inclined to use it on their own children, and tell others about it. Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to advertise in African countries.
If alternative 3 is not affordable by the terms of the grant, alternatives 1 or 2, whichever the women of the cooperative prefer, would be great solutions. It would require the families of the community change their nutritional substance from gruel to porridge, but if that is the best option, that change will have to be made.

Step 7: (If applicable) What are the implications of your solution on the venture?

Economic:
- Money would be coming in for the cooperative due to the sales of gruel
- The families may be able to make more money due to the extra time they will have, however, the cost of buying gruel may be higher than the raw materials and making of the gruel
Social:
- Less work for the mothers since the gruel is already premade
- Children will receive the nutrients they need
- Mothers don’t need to change what they are currently doing, so there is no expected cultural change
Environmental:
- The amount of pesticides used in the process can be limited and no additional pesticides will be used, unlike in the scenario where porridge was produced.

Part 2: Grassroots Diplomacy

Grassroots Diplomacy Strategy Development Methodology

Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation – obtain all of the unbiased facts possible

The women work for about nine hours every day and earn KES 300 (about $3)

They have the opportunity to sell the produce grown on their small farms to the cooperative.
The women like this arrangement because it saves them a trip (time + money) to the village market to sell their produce.
When a woman brings her hard earned money home, she has no choice but to turn it over to her husband, father, or brothers.
The men do not use this money on their family, and spend it on frivolous things such as alcohol
Social outcomes of the venture are not being achieved (improve women’s livelihood)
I am one of seven members on the oversight committee this year and I have 6 months left of my position
The other six members on the committee are also women and want things to change
Women are convinced that this is the way things are and don’t see this as an issue that their money is being taken but:
- They are upset their hard earning money is not used to feed the children

Step 2 & 3: Define the problem and the stakeholders, and their personal and professional motivations –

Me (the entrepreneur):
- Personal: Want the women to be happy and for their money to spent on their children, not frivolous things
- Professional: Want to improve the venture so the women aren’t upset
Women in the cooperative:
- Personal: Want their husbands to stop spending money on frivolous things, want to spend their money on their children and other necessities
- Professional: Want to get through each day on the job, they are enjoying their current jobs and want to keep them
Oversight committee:
- Personal: They also want their children to be fed nutritious food and to prevent their husbands from overspending on alcohol or their friends families from being subject to alcoholism
- Professional: Some may want to get reelected, some
Families
- Personal: They want their families to improve their overall quality of life by reducing how much the husbands are drinking and spending on alcohol
- Professional: The women in the families want to continue working in the cooperative

Step 4: Formulate an alternative solution

Cooperative acts as an equity bank for the workers so that they can cash out directly, or through other products (family needs) and establish a general store that takes workers credit. This store is open to the public and the cooperative gets another stream of income. The store offers beer for credit but quota is 2 six packs a week. Caveat AND incentive for saving: you can only take out one third of your savings at once (unless reason for emergency)
1. Pros:
  1. Incentivizes men to not take money because they get more if they wait
  2. Creates a long term savings plan for women’s livelihood
  3. By offering beer for credit but establishing a quota, the men are still satisfied and get their beer, but don’t overspend on it. This way, there is money left to be spent on necessities in the home
2. Cons:
  1. Women aren’t receiving all their money at once so it might be harder for them to trust the process of splitting their income up into thirds
  2. Limits spending to one-third of their savings, which can be good or bad.
3. Saving face:
  1. Me: This helps give a solution that caters towards the women on the committee while also benefiting women that are working in the cooperative
  2. Women in Cooperative: This helps the women keep some of their money without having their husbands waste it on alcohol. It allows them to not have to hide the money from the husbands and feel like their money is being protected from not being in a bank.
  3. Oversight Committee: The oversight committee saves face as they are allowing women to access their money while still allowing them to spend within a finite range.
  4. Families: This benefits families so that they can utilize the money being made by the women in smarter way and improve the overall quality of life for the family
4. Relationship short-term implications:
  1. Me:
    1. I am at first nervous to pitch this idea to the committee because I’m worried about how they may react. Once the committee approves, I will tell the other women in the cooperative about the decision – I’m assuming the women will like the idea but the men will be hesitant, so there may be a slight awkwardness in the beginning.
  2. Women in Cooperative:
    1. The women in the cooperative are happy because their money will be going towards their kids more. They are happy with me and the oversight committee for making this decision.
  3. Oversight Committee:
    1. The oversight committee also wants things to change, so my relationship with them is still great. They are excited that things are going to be different, especially because they thought they couldn’t do anything about it.
  4. Families:
    1. The families may feel some tension amongst themselves since the men won’t be able to spend their money frivolously anymore and will be upset about it.
5. Relationship long-term implications:
  1. Me:
    1. My term on the committee ends on a good, successful note and I leave with a great reputation and long lasting relationship with the women on the cooperative.
  2. Women in Cooperative:
    1. They are not to blame for the lack of spending money for alcohol and their kids are fed from their credit in the general store. They maintain a good standing within their home and the husbands do not take their aggression out on them for this new change. The women have the opportunity to save their money up and are able to plan for their future longevity.
  3. Oversight Committee:
    1. This decision demonstrates the committee’s role in the local community and if it does not go over well it could hurt the local interest in the cooperative, causing blowback on the committee.
    2. If this decision works, the committee has proven their ability to adapt to the needs of their workers and they strengthen the relationship between them and the cooperative community.
  4. Families:
    1. Since not all the money is immediately spent, families begin to save their money and build their fortunes up. Children are provided for and more healthy, and the mothers get to keep their earnings in the cooperatives equity bank to save for a better future for their children. At first, the men are angry about this change but they come around to it when they get used to having two six packs a week. Overall, the families begin to see the cooperative as a larger part of the community since they now shop at the general store.
6. Venture short-term implications:
  1. Me:
    1. The community reaction to this proposal can essentially make or break my reputation. Since it was my idea and my term is almost over, the committee might place the blame on me if this goes wrong. This venture can end my career if it fails. If it succeeds, however, my namesake will be passed on to the next committee and I will have a lasting impact on the cooperative.
  2. Women in Cooperative:
    1. In the short term, the women will have access to less money as their credit goes. They will still have enough for their family to eat, but this might put stress on their household in the earlier weeks of this change.
  3. Oversight Committee:
    1. The oversight committee is put in a tense spot. This change affects the income of their workers and the family dynamics within the community. There is a tension towards the committee in the beginning, seeing that there is uncertainty in its impact.
  4. Families:
    1. The men will have less access to alcohol, which could make them take out their anger on their families. However, since we clearly explained the saving process they might be incentivized to wait longer before pulling money out of the equity bank for their drink. This means that there might be disturbance in the beginning of the venture that should be monitored, but it should level out in the long term.
7. Venture long-term implications:
  1. Me:
    1. When this succeeds, my career flourishes and I write a publication on this grassroots cooperative management system which is featured in conferences across the globe. Once I leave my position as a chair I have no trouble getting a job in a similar field with my past experience.
  2. Women in Cooperative:
    1. The women have more financial savings for their families. They are able to afford better healthcare and nutrition for their children. Since their families have more money they can afford better healthcare. Some of the women even get their HIV treated.
  3. Oversight Committee:
    1. The oversight committee remains vested in its two goals and it begins to expand the cooperative as the credit system flourishes. Since they have a new stream of income, they begin to grow more of their own ingredients without the use of pesticides. The committee begins to have a more direct relationship to the community since they included that voice in their decision making.
  4. Families:
    1. Families are healthier and wealthier. Men don’t spend as much of their wife’s money on alcohol and begin to see the incentive for keeping the money in the bank. Since the cooperative has grown and this decision strengthened the relationship between families and the cooperative, the product is more normalized and it has widespread use among the families in the community so baby’s are getting the proper nutrition.

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

Inner Reflection: If I were in their shoes, I believe that sectioning off money available to spend would be the most efficient way to get all the needs in the house without overspending
Engineering Code of Ethics: Our solution needs to follow the given ethical standards for an engineering/entrepreneurial venture
- Integrity, Objectivity, Professional Competence, Confidentiality and Professional behavior

Step 7: List the sequence of actions you will take to implement your solution.

Validate the idea with the council
Validate the idea with 25 men and 25 women one on one or in smaller group settings with people in the cooperative
After the idea is validated, we will announce the new system and get general feedback at a community meeting to directly engage community voice
We will implement the idea by obtaining funding for opening the store and obtaining vendors to supply the store.
Then, we will hire workers for the store and finalize the credit system with the women of the cooperative and do a trial run of the solution.
If everything goes smoothly, we can open it up to the public.