public believe that industry generally does a good job with respect to product safety (Steiner, and Steiner, 1988). Thus, one serious incident can result in a rapid erosion of public confidence. Thus, cases involving the issue of product safety are of critical importance to corporations generally, and the Tylenol cases were particularly critical for Johnson & Johnson.
The Tylenol cases created situations in which Johnson & Johnson management was required to act against a threat to the company which was present in the organization's external environment. To retain public confidence, Johnson & Johnson had to act (or, at least, be perceived to be acting) in a socially responsible manner. A perception of socially responsible action on the part of the company was required, if the company was to survive. The action taken, however, was also required to be consistent with the company's corporate and marketing objectives, if the company was to remain a financially viable organization, and if Johnson & Johnson management was to retain
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