How to Restore Your Tainted Reputation: The Case of Volkswagen

5 Pages Posted: 8 Nov 2015 Last revised: 23 Dec 2015

See all articles by Professor Alain Ndedi

Professor Alain Ndedi

International Council for Family Business; YENEPAD; Saint Monica University; University of Johannesburg; University of Pretoria; Charisma University

Polycarpe Feussi

University of Johannesburg; Pearson Institute of Higher Education

Date Written: November 7, 2015

Abstract

The Volkswagen saga with its consequences of the rigged emissions scandal unearthed has stunning implications, namely the probability of potentially affecting people’s health, the environment, the reputation of the industry and even Germany, and more importantly the company image. In fact, Volkswagen wanted to make more profits through deceptive and illegal practices that misrepresented its cars to millions of consumers and regulators, but will be obliged to pay more than US 20 billion in the united Stated alone.

Ndedi, Yota, Mua and Kouwos (2015) recommend that the current Volkswagen situation requires an overhaul of the regulatory structure, business ethics, corporate culture, and also engineering education within Volkswagen and other companies involved in identical unethical behaviours. According to the authors, laws in business ethics and their enforcement need to be tightened so that people have something to fear within Volkswagen. With regard to capacity building, business and corporate ethics programmes are needed to capacitate the company’s workers. These programmes could then more clearly outline consequences of ethics violations, criminal charges and prison sentences; and finally unethical behaviours even when they are hidden will be punished sooner or later. In addition, there is a need for a new leadership with a different way of looking at the reality, different way of thinking and different preferences. According to the authors, this new blood strengthens the overall company gene pool by adding new mindsets and new personalities. What about the image that has been tainted? The current paper is written to answer to this question.

Keywords: Volkswagen, Reputation, Ndedi Alain

Suggested Citation

Ndedi, Alain Aime and Ndedi, Alain Aime and Feussi, Polycarpe, How to Restore Your Tainted Reputation: The Case of Volkswagen (November 7, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2687438 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2687438

Alain Aime Ndedi (Contact Author)

International Council for Family Business ( email )

San Diego
United States

YENEPAD ( email )

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Pretoria, Pretoria 0135
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Saint Monica University ( email )

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University of Johannesburg ( email )

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South Africa

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University of Pretoria ( email )

University of Pretoria,
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Pretoria, Gauteng
South Africa

HOME PAGE: http://www.up.ac.za

Charisma University ( email )

30 Sandcastle Rd
Neptune CT, Grace Bay
Providenciales
Turks and Caicos Islands

Polycarpe Feussi

University of Johannesburg ( email )

South Africa

Pearson Institute of Higher Education ( email )

United States

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