Case on Executive Integrity
Ann Skeet
Below is an example of a CEO whose leadership of his firm has been called into question over
matters of his
... [Show More] personal integrity and behavior. Issues have included their personal political
positions and contributions & and illegal and inappropriate behavior in college.
Mozilla
“Mozilla was built on the mission to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web.
Every day, we bring together over half a billion users and thousands of contributors from more
than 80 countries to advance the cause outlined in the Mozilla Manifesto. The web is a vital
public resource and Mozilla exists to protect it. That is what we do at Mozilla, our singular point
of focus.” --From Mozilla’s blog Q and A regarding the resignation of Brendan Eich
Brendan Eich was a co-founder of Mozilla, an organization set up as a nonprofit foundation,
passionate about its purpose. Eich’s previous political support for the Defense of Marriage Act,
which prior to 2015 defined marriage on the federal level as the union between one man and one
woman, was well known by the board and employees prior to his appointment as CEO. What
wasn’t known was how strongly employees and outsiders would react to a perceived disconnect
between Eich’s personal values and the values of the company. In spite of posting about his
commitment to continuing the organization’s support of the LGBTQ+ community through
various policies and benefits and apology for “causing pain,” the issue did not die down. Eich
made his own decision to resign as CEO and declined the board’s offer to take another C-level
position in the company.
Some questions to consider:
1. Are there ethical issues involved in this case? Which ones and why?
Yes there are ethical issues such as discrimination in the workplace. Business owners should not
hold certain people under different circumstances than others. In this case an apology was sent
out in a means to help resolve the issue however, Eich’s previous political support should have
been considered by investors before investing. Proper research could have avoided this situation. [Show Less]