Case 7:
1. Consider the corporate culture of Volkswagen in Germany. How did it affect this situation?
was an ethical issue; rather he blamed it on a misunderstanding of American law.
2. Why did Volkswagen engineers decide to cheat the emissions tests? Should the engineers have
consulted with executives?
It is unclear why engineers decided to cheat the emissions tests, but for the fact that the company
emissions cheating scandal?
hics and fair
play. The emissions cheating software was not designed and implemented by accident but was
4. VW has always been perceived to be a socially responsible corporation. In light of this, how
could an emissions cheating scandal like this occur?
5. What roles should government regulators play in terms of emissions and fuel economy
testing?
Case Discussion Q&A, Business & Society, Carroll 10e
6. Assume that you are a consumer who purchased one of the affected diesel vehicles in 2014,
before the EPA made its announcement. What might your reaction have been? What forms of
restitution would you have sought from Vow and Volkswagen?
7. Do research into what has taken place in the VW case since the end of this case. Are
circumstances looking better or worse for the company?