Running Head: Gender selection and ethical marketing

Gender Selection and Ethical Marketing
Unit 4 Assignment
MT330 International Marketing
Kaplan University
Christina Olson
October 16, 2011

Soft glow of the skin, feelings of butterflies in the stomach, and countless days of pampering and love; this is what pregnancy should be like. Expecting mothers should be joyous about the wonderful life that they are caring. Medical technology advancement has made the ability of planning for new born babies easier by the use of ultrasound machines. Currently ultrasound machines are produced by many different companies, one of them being General Electric. Ultrasound machines were first used to test the distance between two areas. During the 1950s these machines were used by doctors to identify masses in the human body such as tumors (Barfee.net, 2011). General Electric designs their ultrasound machines with the women’s body in mind, to be with her every step of the way from pre to post pregnancy (GE, 2011). This company is taking strides to ensure that all women are being looked after with the best technological advancements possible (GE, 2011). They have developed portable ultrasound systems which help to provide medical capabilities to all those in need at any location imaginable. In China the easy accessibility of GE’s ultra sound machines has become more of a negative effect than a positive one. Since the pass of China’s One-Child Policy, many women wanted only male babies. The Chinese government did not create the One-Child policy to ensure that only boys were being born, in fact they are discouraging families to think that raising sons are better than raising girls (Schorn, 2009). The government did require that the females to get ultra sounds to ensure that they were using birthcontrol or other sterlizations to help control the population and reduce birthing rates (Schorn, 2009). Chinese women used ultrasound machines to identify if the fetus that they were carrying was a girl or boy (Schorn, 2009). In discovering if that they would have a girl, Chinese women were aborting the babies (Schorn, 2009). By aborting girl babies, women were able to conceive another baby, hopefully a boy. GE should be concerned with how it could be perceived in the medical technology industry. This company produced many of the ultrasound machines which were mandated by China to use to ensure that women were following the policies in place. Unfortunately, like anything else, people find a way to use something that will help people and turn it into a negative tool. Board members should create provisions that state that the products the company produces are to only be used for medical advancements and not to end the life of an unborn fetus. Government of countries such as China and Korea, should place legal restrictions on the purchase and sales of medical equipment. By having both legal provisions from the companies and the government, it will make illegal use of the machines harder.
General Electric marketing department should focus on the positive effects of the machine when marketing to companies in China and Korea. This company needs to identify that their mission is to better diagnose and treat medical conditions at an early state. GE management will maintain creditability and ethical standards by ensuring that they produce equipment for the freedom of portability. This company only wants market to the doctors who want to use its products for the best and not to end a life even before it has begun.

References:
Barfree.net (2011). History of Ultrasound Machines. Retrieved from http://ultrasound machines.bafree.net/
General Electric (2011). General Electric Healthcare. Retrieved form http://www.gehealthcare.com/usen/about/about.html Schorn, D. (February 11, 2009). China: Too Many Men. CBS 60 Minutes Retrieved from
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/13/60minutes/main1496589.shtml?tag=contentMan;contentBody