It is 1975, and you are one of the directors of a company that makes transistors.?

Question

It is 1975, and you are one of the directors of a company that makes transistors. Among the many companies with whom your company has a contract is one that makes heart pacemakers.

Pacemaker technology is in its infancy. When doctors implant a pacemaker, the patient's normal heartbeat is disabled, and he or she relies entirely on the device. If it fails, the patient's heart stops. At this time, doctors are not very skilled at installing the extremely delicate pacemakers. There is even a story of a person yawning deeply, pulling the pacemaker wire in his chest, and dying.

After that and many similar incidents, the board of directors begin to reconsider whether your company should sell to the pacemaker company. Members of the board feel this situation is a major lawsuit just waiting to happen and your company, as well as the company to whom you supply the pacemakers, will be liable. In addition, you feel the specs the pacemaker company uses to test the transistors are not very strong.

Several members of the board want the company to get out of the business before it's too late. The rationale presented to the pacemaker company representatives is protection of the company's assets and stakeholders - liability for this product could result in the company's demise. The pacemaker company representatives respond - "You can't stop selling us the transistors. You are the sole remaining supplier for us. Everyone else has backed out for the same reasons you're giving. If you don't sell us the product, we'll go out of business. Pretty soon, no one will be making heart pacemakers, and many people need them. Without the pacemaker, people don't even have a chance."

You take that information back to the board for another round of discussions. Finally, the chair of the board says, "OK. Let's make a decision."

What do you decide and why?

Answer 1

Supply the transistors....pacemakers save a lot of lives and for the record it does not completely stop the beat of the heart. If the pacemaker fails the heart resorts to the irregular beat that the pacemaker was installed to correct. Considering a pacemaker is the only option these patients have I say we supply the manufacturer and raise the price enough to cover the cost the increase in liability insurance. I would also make the patients sign a disclaimer clause releasing the supplier from all future liability.

Answer 2

there's a controversy that asserts the organization became valued on a industry foundation at £X and that's now worth £Y. If £Y is 10% of £X then expectancies of reimbursement programs may well be decrease. The director presiding over the ninety% fall in share value, is extremely possibly to have a £0 uncomplicated revenues from that organization quickly. In different words, the uncomplicated revenues is barely payable jointly as a director serves. while he's no longer serving the uncomplicated revenues is £0.

Answer 3

you are responsible first to your share holders. you sell the s-hit out of the transistors because the FDA hasn't prohibited you from doing so. you hire me to the board of directors because i will explain to you idiots how a pacemaker actually works.

Answer 4

I would only make "twisted" transistors