In the summer of 2007, Mattel voluntarily recalled 19.6 million toys globally (Thottam, 2007). There were two major recalls between August and September that combined to make the biggest recall of the company’s history (Story & Barboza, 2007). One reason for the recall was defective magnets, a result of Mattel’s design flaw; they placed industrial strength magnets that could easily come loose and pose a threat to any child or infant (Story & Barboza, 2007). The magnets could be swallowed and fuse together, tearing the child’s intestine (Palmeri, 2007). 17.4 million toys were recalled due to faulty magnets (Thottam, 2007). The other reason for the recall was high levels of lead based paint, a result of Mattel’s poor management of their supply
