Ralph Nader and the Corvair Case

Ethics are behavioral standards determined by society stipulate how it member should act in moral manner. And every individual in the society expected to act within their own society ethical standards. In business world, business ethics has always been a critical issue for all kind of businesses. Being ethical in business deals with what is good and bad and with moral duty as well as obligation within business-related situations. In the 1960s, the rise of business ethics has come. During this period, we have witnessed the appearance of the term consumerism which is the activities undertaken by in dependent individuals, groups, and organizations known as Consumer's Bill of Rights.

The modern consumer movement is generally considered to have begun in 1965 with the publication of Ralph Nader's Unsafe at Any Speed, which criticized the auto industry as a whole, and General Motors Corporation in particular, for putting profit and style ahead of lives and safety. GM's Corvair was the main target of Nader's criticism due to the fact that General Motors was believed to have unethical behavior as many horror scenarios and accidents occurred on the 1960-1964 Corvairs. The criticism was getting even worse when in 1965, a General Motors stockholder made a suggestion to management to recall all 1960-1963 Corvairs for installment of the stabilizing parts for safety. However, this has been rejected by the board because that would be "too expensive". The ethical claims from Nader to General Motors were mainly pointed in below:

• The company sought to offer a moderate performance automobile at a specific price point, and cut corners to make the numbers work.

• The company considered vehicle safety to be unimportant, and a source of unnecessary production cost.

• Their injudicious investigation and intimidation of an outspoken critic only served to tarnish their