Case Study 9: Boeing 737 Max and the Challenger: The Tale of Flying Objects Falling
from the Sky
Written by Laura Gow-Hogge
Case Summary
ethical decision by Boeing leading up to the Max 737 crisis. The 737 had become a victim of its
own success.
Case Analysis
Boeing leaders began to exhibit behaviors indicative of the slippery slope of ethical decision
making. The pressures to perform were high, group think existed, mismanaged agreement and
escalation of commitment were significant. All of this resulted in moving away from a focus on
Critical Thinking Questions and Suggested Answers
1. What is the difference between an ethical choice and an ethical dilemma?
choosing to violate a set of established
2. Was Boeing leaders faced with an ethical decision or an ethical choice?
Given Boeing new focus on shareholders and commitments to profits, Boeing leadership
3. What role does organizational culture play in ethical decision making by leadership?
As is seen in both the NASA and Boeing incidences, organizational culture played a large
role in the decision making of leadership. A shift in the company culture of Thiocol
occurred and created an environment which changed their decision–making
4. Are individuals to be held accountable for the lapse in ethical judgement and decision
making of their organization?
New technologies, evolving forms or organizations, and new social systems are
changing so rapidly, the traditional parameters of ethical decision–making are
being challenged. At the heart of this is whether or not the individual is
responsible for unethical decisions or the organization. It appears there is shift in
anonymous.
5. What role did overconfidence and self-serving biases of Boeing management play in the
737 Max crashes?
Boeing leaders exhibited overconfidence and self-serving biases in their decision making
along with characteristics of omnipotence, cultural numbness, and justified neglect. This
6.
is the death of le
ethical considerations and implications?
An ethical warning sign in groups and organizations is the idea of group think. Group
think occurs when the focus of decision making and reasoning is on unanimous