Julia Tomeo Stakeholder Org. Paper 2 11/26/14 The Ethics Behind the Chick-Fil-A Controversy Introduction: In the progressive society that we live in today, it is a challenge to sustain a business with conservative values. When attempting to accommodate all stakeholders, taking a conservative approach can be very limiting. As conservative companies expand nationally and internationally, they face the challenge of needing to please a wide range of stakeholders with different values. Along these lines, Chick-Fil-A has become a very controversial company in the past years with questionable ethical decisions regarding gay rights. In 2012, Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-Fil-A, expressed his opinion on the issue publically, emphasizing his family values and therefore biblical values. Throughout this essay we will uncover the facts regarding the controversy, and analyze how ethics play a role in Cathy’s actions. More specifically, we will compare two interpretations of utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism that focuses on creating the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. Chick-Fil-A History: In 1946 Truett Cathy, opened a restaurant called “Dwarf Grill” in Hapeville, Georgia. Truett Cathy was the inventor of the original chicken sandwich. In the early 1960’s, Truett founded the first Chick-Fil-A and began opening locations in shopping malls. Since then, it expanded rapidly and now has over 1,850 locations with sales reaching $5 billion in 2013. Chick-Fil-A has expanded into 41 states and
Julia Tomeo Stakeholder Org. Paper 2 11/26/14 The Ethics Behind the Chick-Fil-A Controversy Introduction: In the progressive society that we live in today, it is a challenge to sustain a business with conservative values. When attempting to accommodate all stakeholders, taking a conservative approach can be very limiting. As conservative companies expand nationally and internationally, they face the challenge of needing to please a wide range of stakeholders with different values. Along these lines, Chick-Fil-A has become a very controversial company in the past years with questionable ethical decisions regarding gay rights. In 2012, Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-Fil-A, expressed his opinion on the issue publically, emphasizing his family values and therefore biblical values. Throughout this essay we will uncover the facts regarding the controversy, and analyze how ethics play a role in Cathy’s actions. More specifically, we will compare two interpretations of utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism that focuses on creating the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. Chick-Fil-A History: In 1946 Truett Cathy, opened a restaurant called “Dwarf Grill” in Hapeville, Georgia. Truett Cathy was the inventor of the original chicken sandwich. In the early 1960’s, Truett founded the first Chick-Fil-A and began opening locations in shopping malls. Since then, it expanded rapidly and now has over 1,850 locations with sales reaching $5 billion in 2013. Chick-Fil-A has expanded into 41 states and