Pizza Delivery Position Paper
“I’m damned if I do, and I’m damned if I don’t,” (proverb). Life is filled with hard choices. In fact, the line between right and wrong action can be so blurred at times, that the morally correct action can truly be a mystery. This is why ethics is so important; because it allows one to sharpen their intellect and be able to discern right action from wrong. However, one piece which even gives ethical reasoning a run for its money, is a decision where both outcomes are, by all estimations, equally as bad. In summation, Domino’s pizza has started a practice with one of its branches which disallows drivers to deliver pizzas to certain bad neighborhoods in their ...view middle of the document...
However, at the same time they also have an overwhelming duty to treat every customer fairly and justly, not only in a moral sense, but also in a very serious legal sense. And while the zoning policy may be still technically be legal, it conjures up images of pre 1960’s America where other (non-Caucasian) races were very openly and actively discriminated against on a daily basis. After this dark period of history, certain rights were then perfected to ensure that the maltreatment would stop, which leads us into the rights of the individual parties involved in the case. Domino’s employees have the right to work and thrive in a safe environment. In the same vein, however the disenfranchised customers are entitled to fair and equal treatment morally and legally, as stipulated by Title VII ( The Non-Discrimination Act). Again this causes an interesting dilemma, as both primary sides have certain rights, duties, and interests, which must be thoroughly understood. After taking all of this into account, the question now becomes is there any possible solution that will allow for both parties to be adequately satisfied?
Looking towards the future, Domino’s is faced with a severe problem, which at the end of the day puts their very identity at risk. As alluded to before, there may be no perfect solution but rather varying degrees of potentially acceptable solutions. In keeping with this thought, there are four different solutions which could be considered possibilities. The first being, Domino’s simply proceeds as usual, and disregards the ethical implications a practice such as the “zoning map” might have on its very large and diverse customer base. Option two, in an effort to bridge the gap between the two sides, would consist of creating “drop off points” near the vicinity of dangerous areas but outside the specific “bad” parts. This option would allow for some of the convenience of delivery, but also an adequate level of safety for employees, thus making the only caveat whether or not this policy is entirely practical and implementable. The third option would be to destroy the mapping system and allow drivers to make delivers anywhere, which would please the customer but could have ultimately devastating effects to Domino’s and their employees if any more employees were harmed. In the last option, this particular Domino’s branch could effectively stop its delivery service, and while this would obviously have negative ramifications on the financial bottom line, in the end both the employees and the customers'...
