News Analysis Of UBER Cab Service

Uber Technologies Inc, an American international Technology company, is

the subject of ongoing protests and legal action from taxi drivers, taxi
companies, and governments around the world. Those who oppose Uber
argue that the company creates unfair competition to taxis because the
company does not pay taxes or licensing fees; that it endangers
passengers; that drivers are untrained, unlicensed and uninsured; and in
general, that the company breaks the law. Uber is involved in at least 173
lawsuits. As of 2015, protests had been staged in Germany, Spain, France,
and the United Kingdom, among other nations, and dangerous incidents
involving passengers have been documented. Uber executives were
arrested in France in June 2015. In December 2014, Uber was banned in
Spain and in two cities in India. Governments have been largely unable to
stop Uber's operations in their jurisdictions because its operations are
conducted primarily over the Internet. In addition, Uber is said to use
extremely aggressive tactics such as bullying and hiring investigators to
dig up dirt on journalists who criticize them.
As a start-up that has a net worth of over $3 billion dollars, the
company developed a business model when the venture began,
preparing a Code of Conduct, companies policies and an effective
ethics and compliance training program should have been one of the
next steps in launching the company. Uber employees participated in
unethical behaviour that could harm the companys reputation, longterm profitability, and growth goals. After all, Uber already faces
plenty of trouble whenever they try to enter a new city, ethical
compliances are the first thing they need during this stage of
expansion.

 Uber should design ethics and compliance program, a two-pronged

approach, one set of training for Uber Corporate and one for the
drivers.
For Uber Corporate, a full ethics and compliance training program,
with an overview of regulations the company is subject to in different
areas/countries it set ups its operations and ethical guidelines that
everyone should follow. All employees should be subject to this
training, from the highest executive to the most junior staff
members. The Code of Conduct, should be a solid resource for both
corporate employees and drivers in regards to ethical situations.
Everything should be available via a web portal, so that employees
could check in for regular updates.
Uber should arrange a driver orientation that would include a course
on ethics and compliance module, as well as a copy of the Code of
Conduct. This should convey the behaviour expected of drivers and
the requirements for maintaining driver status at Uber. It should
define unethical behaviour and consequences for both the individual
and company at large when drivers engage in unethical practices.
Uber also faced various regulatory issues in many countries. These
countries saw Uber as a taxi company and wanted it to adhere to
taxi industry norms. Uber, however, saw itself as a technology
company. Thus being unethical in not following law of the land in
which they operate.
Several Uber drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting
passengers, there is an accountability factor with traditional, heavilyregulated cab services that does not seem to be the case with
privately owned companies like Uber.
Uber has faced criticism and ethical dilemma along at least six
dimensions: First, that it is unfairly competing with taxi drivers by
entering their market without following regulations or fare
schedules; second, that it aspires to become a monopoly; third, that
its cars or drivers are unsafe or underinsured; fourth, that it may
invade customers privacy; fifth, that it enables discrimination by

drivers and passengers; and sixth, that it is undermining working

standards for taxi drivers and compensating its own drivers poorly.
Thus, to succeed in long run and to increase its loyal customers Uber
should look into above discussed ethical and moral issues so that it
can function better in all geographical areas around the globe
without undermining state laws as well as without diluting the
importance of being ethical in todays corporate environment.