A Michigan elderly man froze to death in his home and his frost bite body was discovered by neighbors on January 17. The city-owned utility company installed a "electricity limiter" on Jan 13 after the old man failed to pay his bills on time. The community was outraged about the utility policy and the city.
This preventable tragedy raises a serious yet often neglected issue - what is the social and ethical responsibility of an organization? It's understandable the electric company has to maintain its profit to stay in business. The city has to have the policies in place to maintain orders in the community. However, there are better ways of shaping and enforcing the policies to meet a profitable goal for any form of organizations (either electric company, phone company, or even government).
As the economic keeps winding down south. There will be more cutbacks and tougher business rules for the companies to stay afloat. Social and ethical responsibility and conscience of an organization is the last thing on any business mind. However, it's a tough time like this that allows organizations to restructure, to think about what's fundamental to it's business, and to go back to a basic honest business practice. This horrible tragedy shouldn't have happened if the Bay City and the electric company did a better job in caring for the welfare of its senior citizens.
The Bay City hauled the electric limiter operations after receiving tremendous pressure from the community. However, we all know that it won't be long for the city to reverse it when the death of this poor elderly has faded away from the media spotlight. After all, business is just business. Lives are lost everyday. Who really care? And why am I here wasting my time ranting?
Because we all care for one and another. Because we are making this world a better place a little by little each and every day.
* The news can be found here. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28900221/
