Exploring an Ethical Dilemma: Balancing Morals and Work in Business Organizations

In this essay we will discuss about ethical dilemma and below are the summaries point:- Introduction: The essay explores an ethical dilemma encountered in a past project involving technical modifications in mobile phones. Ethical Dilemma: The dilemma arose when a team member lacking necessary qualifications was included in the project due to their connection to the company's CEO. Ethical Solution: The essay evaluates the author's choices and alternative actions that could have been taken to address the ethical dilemma.

Ethical Dilemma

Contents
Part A...............................................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Ethical Dilemma..............................................................................................................................3
Justification of Ethical Dilemma.....................................................................................................4
Ethical Solution...............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
Part B...............................................................................................................................................8
Appendix A......................................................................................................................................8
Appendix B - Boris’s Case............................................................................................................10
Appendix C....................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................12

Part A
Introduction
All the human beings are driven by some kind of morals that they have either established for
themselves or are expected out of them, being a social animal (Fernando, 2010). Similar is the
case with people working in business organizations. All the people who work in an organization,
be it the managers or the subordinates face a complex issue, which usually results in a decision to
be taken which are against morals of a person. In other words, it can be termed as a moral
dilemma that a person faces while at work and he has to choose from two situations in which
either of the chosen situation might have an adverse impact on the parties involved (Casselbury,
2018). The main objective behind this essay is to elaborate one situation that happened in the
past, which landed me in an ethical dilemma. Also, this essay evaluates the solutions that I took
in the past to overcome the situation of an ethical dilemma and the other alternatives that could
have been taken by me in the given situation.
Ethical Dilemma
This essay discusses a situation that happened with me in the past, where I had been subjected to
a moral dilemma. The situation arose when I had been working on a project that involved some
sort of technical modifications in the mobile phones. The significance of the project was quite
high, as after the accomplishment of the project successfully, a promotion was promised to any
one of us working in the project team. The team had three members including me. Out of the
other two members, one of them possessed the actual qualifications that were necessary for the
purpose of completing the project successfully. The other member of the team did not have any
experience of handling projects which were undertaken on a large scale previously. He was there

on the team only because he was a close relative of the company’s CEO. He was proving to be a
hurdle than help in successful completion of the project because he was not able to provide any
inputs and kept on dominating us based on his terms with the CEO.
He also asked me separately to give him equal credits in the success of the project even though
there was no fruitful input from his side, and in return, he told me that he would ask the CEO
directly to promote me. Hence, this situation subjected me to the ethical dilemma that whether I
should tell the other member as well as the CEO of the company about the offer he has given me
or remain silent about the entire issue and accept the deal that he is offering me.
Both the situations possessed their own advantages as well as disadvantages for me. One
situation involved the decision of accepting the offer made by the relative of the CEO and the
decision ensured that I would get the promotion on the successful completion of the project. The
other decision involved reporting about this offer to the CEO of the company, as this type of
behavior by the other team member was unethical. Not reporting the matter to the CEO would
make me unprofessional and this would be unethical on my part(Bottoni, 2010). However, if I
did not accept the offer, the chance of getting a promotion would be half and there is also a
possibility that he being at a powerful position might create a negative image of me in the eyes of
the CEO. Also, if I keep the ethics as a top priority, I would gain appreciation from the seniors
and management and this would increase the chances of me getting a promotion.
Justification of Ethical Dilemma
This particular situation that was faced by me can be said to be a consequentialist ethical
dilemma that is required to be evaluated based on the future consequences of the decisions that I
take in this matter(Driver, 2011). There can be two possible ways in which the situation can be

dealt with as per the consequentialist theory. The first one is the Utilitarianism Concept. Under
this concept, “greatest good for the greatest number” is usually taken into consideration(Mill,
2017).If I followed this concept, I was required to tell the CEO about the offer made by his
relative to me, which can be construed as unethical behavior. The other concept is called the
concept of Hedonism. Under this concept, the decision is usually taken for the benefit of
self(Hodder Education, 2018). Another theory which can be applied in this context is the theory
of psychological egoism. This is because for some period of time I did consider the benefit of
self more important than the loss it would cause to the other member of the team(Shafer-Landau,
2013).
The decision that I took had some consequences, as it would have affected the other employees
who are working in the company and this scenario which I had been subjected to would occur in
front of any other employee in the future. This particular perspective about the situation can be
compared to the theory of moral intensity. This is the theory that helped me in taking a decision
which was ethical. This is because as per this theory, accepting the offer of promotion would
make me wrong in perspective of other team member who is putting in all the efforts and skills
so that he gets a promotion and is also ensuring successful completion of the project(Donaldson
& Preston, 2010). Thus, the decision that I take could influence the other stakeholders as well,
which in this case, are the management as well as the employees of the organization. This
decision would also be in line with the stakeholder theory which requires value creation for all
the stakeholders. I was feeling responsible for taking care of organizational ethics. Making a
choice which is based on ethics would be positive for my professional career and in this manner,
I would be able gain more trust and faith of the co-workers and management of the company.
This choice would also help in boosting my self-belief(Holder, 2013).

My agreement to accept the proposal of the relative of CEO would have let me following the
deontological normative theory, which is said to have prioritizing the self-interest of a person
instead of good that might be done to the stakeholders(Abend, 2014). Through this decision, I
will definitely get the promotion and I could ask people to help me in other future aspects as
well(Hooker, 2012).However, if I exhibit ethical consideration to the organization and the
partner who has been dedicated towards the project in order to get promoted, I would be
following the utilitarianism normative theory(Kagan, 2018). Furthermore, I am completely aware
of the fact that in case of failure of project or failure to the company because of project, the
person will blame only us and as he is relative of the CEO, he would escape the situation
smoothly and we will have to bear all the consequences(Hodges & Steinholtz, 2018). Above all,
in case of anyone going to know about this deal, I will have to lose my job so keeping all these
aspects under consideration, this situation created a dilemma for me and it was essential that I
should take appropriate decision.
Ethical Solution
The situation experienced by me clarified the ethical dilemma that I experienced during the
project. The dilemma was one hand regarding my promotion and holding higher authority in the
organization, while on other hand, it could have been unfair for my project partner who was
working with dedication in the project. It would have been considered as the breach of ethical
principles of organization that promotes prudent use of power and fairness in business practices.
In such a situation, one of the measures I could have taken is the disclosure of deal offered to me
to my project partner. In this way, he would be aware of all the faces of consequences that could
occur.It would be his decision to consider whatever he would prefer. If I would have done it, I

could have followed the principles of normative ethical theory as it would have been fair with
my partner(Timmons, 2017). Other measure I could have opted for would be to disclose the truth
in front of the CEO. It would have been in line with the stakeholder’s theory as it would have
presented an example among all the employees that they would have known what to do if such a
situation arises in future. It would also be a life lesson for the relative of CEO that hard work and
success has no shortcuts which would be in line with the normative theory principles(Duff,
2012).
If I would have taken decision in accordance with deontological normative theory, I could have
agreed to the proposal and have got promotion and have kept personal interest above all. It
would have been a harm to my self-esteem even if I could have got higher position, more salary
and success.
This ethical dilemma can be considered as low scale impact as outcomes of my decision would
have impacted few people involved in the project. However, it could have large scale impact on
my career as I would have got success without hard work.
Conclusion
This report is related to the ethical dilemma experienced by me during a project when I was
offered a deal by a relative of CEO to give equal credits to him for project success despite his
non-involvement in the project, in exchange of which, I was offered promotion. The ethical
dilemma and solutions involved the use of some ethical theories such as egoism,
consequentialism, normative theory etc.

Part B
Appendix A
Mike
Mike has always believed in ethical principles throughout his life and recommended the
utilization of business ethics, to the students. for their entire life. However, he appeared to be
extremely sad because of his daughter, who do not believe much in ethical principles and instead
keeps money on priority while undertaking business practices. On the other hand, he could not
disagree to the fact that in shareholder-focused businesses, overall practice of ethical principles is
not generally possible. Due to empathy towards others and because of being a dignified person,
Mike can be put in Maxim-2 of the business ethics(Bowie, 2013). Still, according to my opinion,
he can also be considered an egoistic person because he had been involved in the strike against
his daughter’s company and it is the reason because of which, he can be put in Stage 2. As he
prefers to keep ethics on priority which exhibits his strong loci of control, he can be placed in
Stage 6 i.e. Universal ethical principles(Schwartz, 2017). It has also been found that he is in
support of ethical leadership and believes that non-practicing of ethical leadership might lead to
various issues in future and thus, recommends that leaders as well as staff members should
practice ethical principles in their business.
Jane
Jane Edwards, who is the CEO of Clean Solution of Inc. is an ethical leader practicing ethical
leadership in shareholder-focused economy. He has followed business code of ethics throughout
his life and believes in serving the community. He is in favor of the concept of helping the poor
and disadvantaged people. That is why, he can be said to be practicing Maxim 2 of human
dignity i.e. also known as Kan’s categorical imperatives(Atwell, 2012). He can be put in Stage 4

of Moral development because it has been found that he has always been prepared to take social
responsibilities. Furthermore, he represents virtue ethics also, as he always helps the poor people
sitting outside the church. He possesses high external locus of control because of being aware
about the existing trends prevalent among the fresh graduates who turn out to be profit seeking
personalities. He is appropriate for Stage 5 of moral development as well because of his
inclination towards the concept of utilitarianism i.e. “greatest amount of good for the greatest of
people”(Gledhill, 2010). He is a definitive stakeholder also. However, he personally believes that
he suits Stage 6 of moral development which states that an individual do not get influenced by
external forces, my opinion is entirely opposite because he gets easily influenced by external
forces instead.
Mei Hua
Mei Hua can be considered to have a unique character and a confused personality because she is
in favor of ethical practices in company at one time and performs tax evasion on another front,
which cannot be considered as ethical. She can be put in the Maxim 1 of the normative ethical
practices in business emphasizing more on consistency. She always keeps trying to be consistent
in her ways of conducting business but, she gets easily influenced by the eternal factors. She
believes in following concept of utilitarianism as she keeps on doing well for others and follows
the rules and regulations of the company (De Lazari-Radek & Singer, 2017). She can also be put
into Stage 4 of descriptive ethics i.e. law and social order because she believes in happiness of
others and follows ethical principles and practices in company as well(Harris, Pritchard, Rabins,
James, & Englehardt, 2013). In my opinion, her approach can be considered to be a great
equilibrium between shareholder theory and stakeholder theory and she makes efforts to
maintain that balance. She follows ethical principles in business practices in order to keep the

stakeholders satisfied but, she performs tax evasions which are not ethical, however, it keeps
clients satisfied.
Deshi
Deshi does not provide much consideration to business ethics but, she is an honest student. Her
one and only motive is to obtain college degree at all costs. It is the condition that puts her in
egoistic situation and she does not pay heed to ethical consideration in business practices. It
cannot be denied that the motive of Deshi is good, as her intention to get the degree is to get a
decent job in order to support her family (Österberg, 2012). That is why, she can be put into
Maxim 2 of human dignity because she wants a job through her hard work and she is empathetic
towards her family also. As per her opinion, it should be the sole motive of an organization as
well as a leader to earn profits as it is the profits only that can support an organization in
satisfying the expectations of their stakeholders. That is why she considers it to be essential to
earn profits at all costs even if one has to compromise with ethical practices in business. My
perception regarding it is that her thoughts are similar to the daughter of Mike as she is following
the codes of Corporate Governance. So, in my opinion, she should be put into Stage 2 which is
simply egoistic because she believes in ethics at one hand, and on the other hand, she attends
classes on regular basis to get the degree from college. She can also be put in Stage 4 because
she follows all the rules and regulations imposed by the university. She is a dependent
stakeholder because of holding her own position and she also follow others having high locus of
control(Lefcourt, 2014).
Appendix B- Boris’s Case
The case study has been reviewed cautiously in order to understand the dilemmas experienced by
the major characters within the case study. This section of the assignment also discusses about

the decision taken by other characters of the case study regarding dilemma. To start with the
discussion, the manager was found to be in a situation of dilemma where, he was confused
whether he should allow holidays to Boris or should bring him back to work. The manager was
authorized to take such a decision as he can call Boris back for work and attending the clients. If
he did not bring Boris back to work, he might lose some potential clients. On the other hand, the
dilemma being faced by Boris was whether to continue holidays or to take follow-ups of the
clients. The authority was provided to Boris by manager to take the decision whatever he feels
right. However, he decided to take follow-up of the clients.
Marcus and Friends were experiencing the dilemma because of the decision taken by Boris. They
were unhappy due to the decision of Boris as they believed that they might have to face similar
situation in future and the same will be expected from them by the company as Boris did. Swee
Lan, girlfriend of Boris was facing the dilemma that whether to understand the decision taken by
Boris to work on holidays and should support him or to blame him for not spending time with
her. She felt that Boris does not understand her feelings and she is not amongst his priorities
anymore and also felt that he does not value her.
The dilemma experienced by Boris in the case study can be explained as follows;
There was an extreme situation of dilemma in front of Boris and it might have negative impact
on his career as well as on the organization. He should have gone for holidaying with his parents
and girlfriend in order to spend family time with them as well as to flourish relationships even if
being aware of the consequences of his decisions upon the organization in the form of loss of an
important client or clients. The situation of Boris can be classified under moral intensity theory
(Jeffrey, 2010). He can be put in the Stage 4 of Law and social order i.e. descriptive ethics
because he opted to do what he felt right on moral grounds and decided to take follow-up of the

clients during holidays with parents and girlfriend. However, he could also be placed in Maxim 2
of human dignity because he exhibited actual empathy for the company and clients. It does not
appear to be correct anyways because he has been following the work of his manager.
Appendix C
This discussion can be considered to be as the most effective means to strengthen knowledge and
learn something new from it. This discussion specifically was based upon business ethics and it
helped us a lot in having better understanding of ethical principles in business practices and
improving interpersonal skills as well. Through this case study, it has been realized that we all
face some sort of ethical dilemmas at some point of time. This discussion revealed that different
people have varying point of view regarding similar topic along with supporting arguments and
resolving such problems with different perspectives. We have learnt team skills and cooperation
with each other being in a team and to support each other in order to resolve any kind of issues
(Beckerman, 2017). It helped us in developing our own moral views in different situations and
made us aware of the instincts with which we can take decisions in situation of dilemma. All the
team members had conflict of opinions but ultimately, we agreed on common grounds and learnt
the significance of ethical principles.
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