GlaxoSmithKline China Bribery Scandal
What Happened?
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is a multinational pharmaceutical company. It is headquartered in Brentford, London. One of their branches is located in Shanghai, China. GSK was caught having executives in their Chinese branch illegally bribing hospitals, doctors and healthcare professionals to prescribe their drugs. Five employees, one British and four Chinese, were sentenced to jail for two years while the company was under investigation for a year. Mark Reilly, the British man who was the main executive for GSK in china, was the one who oversaw the bribery on behalf of GSK. GSK hired investigators, Peter Humphrey and his wife Yu Yingzeng, to find out who the whistle-blower was. They were both …show more content…
First and foremost, GlaxoSmithKline gained more market share in China by moving more product than they would have without this bribery scheme. The doctors benefitted by getting incentives to prescribe the drugs. Part of the bribery scheme was they offered free vacations and various valuable electronic products. For example, they accepted the free paid vacations and the money for their vacation expenses, along with IPads, laptops etc. The traveling agency C.C.T bribed Mark Reilly with sex to acquire more business to gain (Barboza, New York Times, 2016). Since the whistleblower kept sending out emails, the company sent out people to give money and gifts to the regulators. The regulators were receiving these bribes from many employees. A Shanghai investigator was offered an IPad and a dinner from a middle man in the …show more content…
Certain things are right to do and some things are simply wrong to do. If one does something wrong there will be consequences. The philosopher Immanuel Kant mentions the words Categorical Imperative which determines what is right and wrong or what is moral or immoral. It’s the motivation that comes within the person not the consequences of the actions. Kant states “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (Rachels p.121). Do what is a normative and what is acceptable to be done to the general public. Think about the rule before doing and ask yourself “is this the maxim” should this be a universal law? For example, lying is a wrong doing; therefore there will be consequences that come along with it. Lying should not be an act that people should normally do. If it was a universal law to lie then there won’t be such a thing as truth and everyone can say what they desire. When one lies with the intention and motivation of lying to someone then that is immoral. There can be some exceptions some lies can do harm or seem bad and some lies can be good. Every action comes with a motivation, but even when you have a good reason to lie there may be
What Happened?
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is a multinational pharmaceutical company. It is headquartered in Brentford, London. One of their branches is located in Shanghai, China. GSK was caught having executives in their Chinese branch illegally bribing hospitals, doctors and healthcare professionals to prescribe their drugs. Five employees, one British and four Chinese, were sentenced to jail for two years while the company was under investigation for a year. Mark Reilly, the British man who was the main executive for GSK in china, was the one who oversaw the bribery on behalf of GSK. GSK hired investigators, Peter Humphrey and his wife Yu Yingzeng, to find out who the whistle-blower was. They were both …show more content…
First and foremost, GlaxoSmithKline gained more market share in China by moving more product than they would have without this bribery scheme. The doctors benefitted by getting incentives to prescribe the drugs. Part of the bribery scheme was they offered free vacations and various valuable electronic products. For example, they accepted the free paid vacations and the money for their vacation expenses, along with IPads, laptops etc. The traveling agency C.C.T bribed Mark Reilly with sex to acquire more business to gain (Barboza, New York Times, 2016). Since the whistleblower kept sending out emails, the company sent out people to give money and gifts to the regulators. The regulators were receiving these bribes from many employees. A Shanghai investigator was offered an IPad and a dinner from a middle man in the …show more content…
Certain things are right to do and some things are simply wrong to do. If one does something wrong there will be consequences. The philosopher Immanuel Kant mentions the words Categorical Imperative which determines what is right and wrong or what is moral or immoral. It’s the motivation that comes within the person not the consequences of the actions. Kant states “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (Rachels p.121). Do what is a normative and what is acceptable to be done to the general public. Think about the rule before doing and ask yourself “is this the maxim” should this be a universal law? For example, lying is a wrong doing; therefore there will be consequences that come along with it. Lying should not be an act that people should normally do. If it was a universal law to lie then there won’t be such a thing as truth and everyone can say what they desire. When one lies with the intention and motivation of lying to someone then that is immoral. There can be some exceptions some lies can do harm or seem bad and some lies can be good. Every action comes with a motivation, but even when you have a good reason to lie there may be