Ethical Dilemma and Decision-Making Case Study

Ethical Dilemma and Decision-Making Case Study

Ethical Dilemma

Without a doubt, we all have instances where we have to decide whether the choices that we make are right or wrong. When we seek to practice ethical behaviors in the work setting, it facilitates the management to have all employees treated fairly and as equals and think from the employees’ point of view to get a general perspective. Ethical practices form a vital part of developing bolstered productivity and teamwork within the organization, as it aids in the shaping of values in the business setup. In this case, the setting is a motor vehicle tire factory, and after a day’s work, employee A sees employee C stealing some of the car tires. Employee A knows his colleague very well and has been working together for a long time now. In this incident, the management has constantly complained and raised concerns about the company’s persistent theft, which is bringing losses. Having known Employee C for a long term, employee A is aware that C has a family undergoing some fiscal difficulties, and his salary alone is inadequate to alleviate his problems. The ethical dilemma in this instance is that Employee A feels the urge to overlook what he has just witnessed and report the theft to the security officials within the factory. His actions would potentially save other factory workers from a mandatory and strict routine that they go through every day and even save the company’s revenues. All the employees are placed under surveillance, and stringent security checks are conducted on them each day they come and leave work. Do you need urgent assignment help ? Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com.

It is essential to point out that some boundaries entail management boundaries, which entails the necessity of a business to ensure that the factory has devices that conduct surveillance, such as CCTVs that ensure that all employees are monitored within the confines of the factory (Miller, n.d.). Conversely, it is crucial that while doing this, the management should be keen not to invade the privacy of the employees’ personal space. It can be through the management’s efficacious communication to the employees, informing them of the management’s intention to ensure that the security of the products in the firm is secure and that the progress is up to standard amongst all the employees.

According to Miller (n.d.), “…upholding ethics and boundaries in the workplace provides a comfortable working environment that boosts productivity.” As such, this implies that management boundaries guarantee that all employees within the factory’s bounds are aware of their rights in the workplace and what is right and wrong. For instance, if caught on the CCTV footage, Employee C’s theft would lay him bare and have him exposed. The management boundary would also ensure that roles are strictly adhered to. The security personnel would be able to know that it is expected of them to bolster security within their areas of patrol through the use of CCTVs and other security measures and not engage in other activities that do need their input within the organization. Besides, it would also guarantee the creation of order within the spheres of the company. Management boundaries would, in effect, ensure that losses generated from within the company are tremendously diminished.

Also, reinforcing the ramifications of behaviors that are unethical is an efficacious ethical boundary. “…Accountability is a fundamental element of all societies and the organizations that operate within them” (Hall et al., 2017). In this regard, Hall posits that when an employee engages in theft of the factory’s property, the employee is held accountable fully when they unethically act in such a situation. With an aim to curtail the blooming of this trait, new workers are given a set of rules, be it on leaflets or the notice boards of the company, during the orientation period (Brookins, 2019). In this case, it implies that the incoming workers are fully in the know when it comes to breaching the laid down rules in the factory.

Doubtless, it is essential to reinforce the ramifications of unethical behaviors because the reverberations that they bring to the factory are of great adversity to the company as a whole and the individual self. For instance, condoning unethical traits such as stealing car wheels from the factory might cause the employee to lose his job and reputation. Furthermore, it can lead to the loss of the credibility of the company. Fiscal losses can demoralize the efforts of other hardworking employees in the organization. It is vital that reinforcing the effects of unethical behaviors is enhanced for the betterment of the organization and the individual workers therein.

Moreover, when it comes to decision-making in the ethical essence, there are various steps to follow to curtail the manifestation of theft behaviors in the organization. They include;

1. Identification of the problem.  In this sense, the professional is expected to have a fundamental realization that the situation at hand is ethical because it entails the theft of the company’s wheels. This would thus enable the professional to address the issue from an ethical perspective.
2. Identification of the possible issues involved. At this point, it is vital that the likelihood that someone else who might have witnessed the crime being committed could suffer harm from the perpetrator in an attempt to cover his tracks. Also, the main issue is how the company will be affected by the theft.
3. Reviewing of the admissible ethical guidelines.At this point, the professional should confirm whether there are policies in the company stipulated to address the problem at hand. For instance, given that Employee C has stolen the property belonging to the company, there have to be measures against such behavior.
4. Being aware of the laws pertinent to the crime committed. at this juncture, the professional should be mindful of the areas in the law and see if the company has a rule against it and whether it could be addressed as not legal in any way.
5. Gaining consultation. Here, the professional would seek another opinion from friends and other ethical professionals.

1. Making Considerations on the possible courses of action. At this stage, the concern is on how the theft case would be handled. This stage concerns itself with coming up with various solutions for the same single problem a hand.
2. Prepare a list of the reverberations of the probable action courses. at this juncture, the professional will explore the repercussions of the solutions provided.
3. Making a decision on the most potent action to take. Here, the professional can tell and chose the most viable course of action to be meted on employee C for his theft from the analysis.

In conclusion, engaging in ethical practices works every time for the betterment of the company and that of the individual. For employee C, should he have taken the initiative and informed the management of his financial woes, they might have been able to help out in some way rather than stealing and risking his reputation and that of the company. With this in mind, it suffices to say that ethical practices should be practiced at all levels

References

Brookins, M. (2019). Ways to Prevent Unethical Behavior in the Workplace. Retrieved 9 May 2021, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ways-prevent-unethical-behavior-workplace-21344.html

Hall, A. T., Frink, D. D., & Buckley, M. R. (2017). An accountability account: A review and synthesis of the theoretical and empirical research on felt accountability. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(2), 204-224.

Miller, F. Information on Ethics & Boundaries in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/information-ethics-boundaries-workplace-14706.html

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