Betty's Right-Versus-Right Situation

Betty is confronted with a situation that Badaracco (2002) refers to as a being compelled to do the right thing based on her personality and the integrity she must possess.  Betty must, therefore, comply with the request for records and have an honest conversation with the HR department to clarify her situation.  She should be forthcoming, take responsibility and accept all consequences.  Her actions have somewhat related to the Ethical Leaders Decision Tree; as it was not an illegal act, it may have affected improving shareholder equity as she was an outstanding performer.  Her actions would not be considered ethical, as it was wrong to misrepresent herself.  Therefore, the framework from Badaracco seems to fit his situation a bit better.

How should Human Resources handle this situation?

Human resources has a few particular points to work through in this situation.  First, she misrepresented herself and her credentials, an act that was not necessary. HR should change the behavior as irrelevant and dishonest.  Next, Senior VP’s have to possess an MBA.  Some current SVP’s do not have it but may fall into a situation that does not affect Betty.  She has been a great performer and earned her opportunity based on her merits on the job.  If she earned her most recent promotion based on merit as well as having her MBA, there should be a decision made.  The decision should be to disqualify her from the position. She should be considered if she meets the requirement for having an MBA. 

 As described by Badaracco about a right-versus-right situation, Betty has been a great asset to the company and earned all of her accomplishments. However, the company was misinformed and must establish a lasting solution to the issue. Ultimately Betty could have had a lapse in her judgment without malice and now has the opportunity to correct. 

Badaracco, J. L. (2002). Harvard FSS: Defining Moments: A Framework for Moral Decisions. Video. Harvard Business.

Loose Lips Bring Pink Slips: Fired For Gossip at the Office

1. Is Sharkey's behavior ethical? Does it make a difference if the allegation of the affair between his boss and Sheila Sharpe is true or false?

Based on Badarraco’s standpoint, it is not easy to establish if Sharkey acted unethically.  According to Christensen & Boneck (2010), when faced with this dilemma and deciding who was going to benefit or lose from his actions should have given him a clarity that there would be no a real winner. On the one hand, it is not right to gossip and spread rumors with the intention of getting a promotion.  On the contrary, Sharkey was correct to question the integrity of his boss and the alleged relationship with Sheila. In case their behavior went against the organization’s rules, then Sharkey acts ethically. The response could, however, be influenced by emotions, especially anger and frustrations.  However, his conversations with competitors would be considered unethical based on the Badarraco idea that Sharkey is violating the confidentiality of his company. 

Sharkey’s decision does not create any difference.  In case the company has no policy regarding workplace relationships, then Sam was right to have an affair with Sheila. Thus, any complaints should not affect her chance of getting a promotion. However, if the allegations are true, then Sheila should not be promoted. The PR manager should follow the recommended recruitment and promotion procedures.

2. Sam Cypher finds out that Sharkey has been gossiping about him and Sheila Sharpe. Assume the gossip about Sam and Sheila is not true, and Sam wants to fire Sharkey. Should the Human Resources Office support his decision?

The HR office should first establish if the two have a positive working relationship. The department should then develop measures to resolve the conflict and ensure each part is satisfied.  However, if Sharkey’s gossip had an impact on the workplace productivity of the affected employees, then the office must support Sam’s decision to fire him. The HR should also establish if Sam broke any organization’s code of conduct, especially with respect towards the leadership and other employees.  

Christensen, D. S., & Boneck, R. (2010). Four questions for analyzing the right-versus-right dilemmas of managers. Journal of Business Case Studies, 6(3), 53.

Ethical Issues in the Workplace

In the workplace, managers or employees mistreat others. The universal ethical issue I have witnessed is discrimination against some employees who do not support a wrong idea. For instance, some co-workers prefer their teammates to share similar behaviors such as binge drinking. The effect is a high peer pressure such that whenever one tries to oppose any decisions or demands, he or she is considered a traitor.  The impact is significant to the extent of some workers being denied the right to enjoy their happy hour either. While responding to such requests, it is recommended not to say no until one is sure and the assessment undertaken should be a solo endeavor. This ethical issue leads to poor performance at the workplace as many employees are demoralized. According to Hunt & Hansen (2007), organizations should embrace ethical diversity and respect the lifestyle selected by all employees. Another unethical issue is assigning heavy workloads to new employees. Either senior workers or some bosses misuse the junior staff and require them to complete their tasks. Heavy work does not only demoralize workers, but contributes to mental disorders such as depression.

References

Badaracco, J. L. (2002). Harvard FSS: Defining Moments: A Framework for Moral Decisions. Video. Harvard Business.

Christensen, D. S., & Boneck, R. (2010). Four questions for analyzing the right-versus-right dilemmas of managers. Journal of Business Case Studies, 6(3), 53.

Hunt, S. D., & Hansen, J. M. (2007). Understanding ethical diversity in organizations. Organizational dynamics, 36(2), 202-216.