A good reputation is an invaluable asset that cannot be reflected in the balance sheets, yet has the power to influence the masses. It only takes a single moment in time for a reputation to be tainted and for ethical codes to be broken; but when mistakes are made time and time again, the damages are virtually irreversible. From scandals to blunders to PR disasters, Uber has experienced a plethora of blows to its company reputation and has learnt the hard way the negative repercussions of functioning with questionable business ethics.
Uber’s cascading reputation lies within its multiple accusations of mistreatment of employees, harassment claims, and overall image of a company invested solely in profits and ignorant of ethical responsibilities. The infamous Susan Fowler sexual harassment claims catapulted Uber’s public image into the limelight, highlighting the company’s faults in dismissing an employees complaint as “treading on thin ice” and that she would be fired should she file another report. Uber senior management not only asked “if [Susan] had ever considered that [she] might be the problem and even claimed to have no prior knowledge of the issue. Fowler stressed the lack of responsibility taken by not only HR and upper management, but by Kalanick the company’s CEO. Following Fowler’s emergence, it was revealed that her case was not an isolated incident- Uber “simply brushed it aside and swept it under the carpet of collective Uber suffering”, says former Uber software engineer Keala Lusk.
Uber’s annus horibilis didn’t stop there- the company’s plummeting reputation continued apace as allegations of using secret illegal software surfaced. According toThe New York Times Uber had been using a took called Greyball to systematically deceive law enforcement officials in areas that the company practiced illegally. Using stolen intellectual property such as credit card information and geolocation data, the company strategically identified suspects to carry out sting operations. Was Uber protecting its drivers from harm from traffic citation, or did they violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, thereby intentionally obstructing justice in the process?
It’s often difficult for corporations to juggle both ethics and ambitions but it is crucial nonetheless. When ulterior motives of corporate leaders stronghold the company’s beliefs, the entire company’s reputation deteriorates like a piece of fine jewellery ,which, without proper care, is easily tarnished.Uber serves as an excellent example of the backlash a company must face in the wake of questionable ethical practices.
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