Current Ethical Issues Paper
Current Ethical Issues Paper Heidi L. Hinckley XMGT/216 December 16, 2012 Dan Mitchell In creating this paper I have decided to use the Kudler Fine Foods organization, due to the fact that I enjoy trying new flavors from around the world. Kudler Find Foods is “a local upscale specialty food store” (Kudler website) located in California. Kudler Fine Foods currently has three locations in the state of California. There focus is to bring the finest foods and finest team members they can to their potential customers.
They offer a wine steward at each location, as well as monthly classes for customers to lean about various wines in the store. Kudler Fine Foods wants to promote the best in food and service. The Kudler Fine Foods organization first opened their doors on June 18, 1998. The owner and creator, Kathy Kudler, decided to take her passion for gourmet cooking and turn it into a business that she could be successful at as well as enjoy doing. That success has been proven in the opening of two additional stores one in 2000 and another in 2003.
Kudler Fine Foods offers a variety of ingredients, fresh baked goods, meats, local seafood, cheeses and wines. Kudler Fine Foods is a one stop shop for any gourmet cook or even want to be gourmet cook in the family. One large ethical issue is the lack of leadership on the part of the owner Kathy Kudler. She lacks interaction with her customers as well, spending most of her time doing all of the ordering for all three of her stores. This can create large ethical issues in that she is not in touch with what her customers really want.
There is also the ethical issue of using family to when referring to legal issues. First is the issue of nepotism and secondly there is the advice to always settle on customer accidents. This action makes the business appear as if they are always at fault and not taking the customers safety into consideration. Another issue that jumped right out is in the wording of certain areas of her website. If she truly wants to bring the best to everyone, then she needs to remove statements from her website that list herself as upscale.
I understand that she is trying to create an atmosphere, but in that statement it would seem that she only want to work with certain kinds of customers. This could lead some consumers to think that they are not welcome in her stores. .Kathy Kudler has a moral and ethical obligation as a business owner to promote an atmosphere that is open and welcoming to all. There is also the questionable promotion on Kudler Fine Foods website on how they only hire the best employees.
Although I personally understand the statement, it can be considered unethical in the terminology. There is an insinuation that in that way that terminology is presented. There should be a change there in that all Kudler Fine Foods employees are trained to assist customers with any questions they may have on the products that are available in the store. There is also an ethical issue in the description of the stores themselves. The website promotes the locations as “8,000 square feet of retail space in a fashionable shopping center” (Kudler Fine Foods).
Again the terminology in that statement may be perceived as condescending as if certain individuals would not be welcomed within the locations. With a store like this it is important that if you are promoting the flavors of the world they you would also represent the people of those regions. A diverse workforce that is familiar with these ingredients and foods would also show that the owner take a strong diverse attitude with her business. This would also bring a welcoming atmosphere to all in the neighborhoods around these store locations.
If Kathy Kudler makes that type of promotion that her store is diverse and open then her stores will be considered a gem in their neighborhoods and she will continue see more growth, and it may even be faster than she planned. Offering top services to her customers, by offering the best training and information for her employees, will help to lead to a business that Kathy Kudler can not only be successful at but that she can also enjoy doing. Reference: https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/index. html https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Kudler2/internet/index. asp
