Business Ethics Case Study: Martin Winterkorn

Apologies originating from large global corporations may likely be fauxpologies to protect brand image and prevent customer loss. It is therefore necessary for these apologies to be carefully examined through the analysis of felicity conditions, elements of interpersonal apologies, and persuasion strategies. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused the globally recognized corporation, Volkswagen, for utilizing a manipulative software in their automobiles to trick emission tests.1 Since 2009, the software enabled their cars to emit less pollution during the emission tests than they did on the road.1 Approximately 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with this device.1 Additionally, cars marketed as clean diesel technology promoted high sales and
Winterkorn failed to take personal fault and attempted to shift the mess onto a few individuals. This was later confirmed by his resignation letter where he stated it was for the best of the company and he did not commit any wrongdoings.6 Also, I believe Winterkorn was dishonest because it is difficult to believe such a respectable company would be ignorant enough to overlook a severe system malfunction for nearly 7 years. Thus, the apology seemed forced in order to protect Volkswagen and Winterkorn’s own reputation. Additionally, in the video, Winterkorn lacked emotion in his facial expressions and tone of voice.4 This made him appear insincere and detached to his apology. Also, it seemed very rehearsed or as if there was a script behind cameras, making Winterkorn appear almost robotic and non-human like. Furthermore, the severity of the issue itself contributes to my unwillingness to accept his apology. They deceived and placed people's lives at risk for the sake of making profit. Overall, it is difficult to accept an apology coming from a top-selling company because at the end of the day, what truly matters is money and brand