Business Ethics: Case Study on Ethical Dilemma in Restaurant Industry

This report presents a business ethics case study set in a restaurant environment. The case revolves around an employee who witnesses his manager engaging in unethical practices, specifically inflating expense reports for personal gain. The employee grapples with the moral implications of his manager's actions, contrasting it with the company's generosity and the manager's family's reliance on the job. The employee eventually reports the unethical behavior to a supervisor, resulting in disciplinary action against the manager. The report analyzes the ethical dilemma faced by the employee, the importance of upholding ethical standards within a company, and the consequences of unethical behavior. The case highlights the significance of personal integrity and the impact of unethical actions on both the individual and the organization.

Running Head: Business Ethics
Business Ethics

Business Ethics
Business Ethics
I joined as a crew member in a reputed restaurant. Since it was my first job so I
was really excited to serve the customers and give the best in me. Also, it was
the best opportunity for me to grow professionally as well as financially. In the
initial days, I was really happy with the behaviour of my manager and I was
totally indulged in learning about the whole working process. Later on when I
got well versed with all the process and workings of the restaurant then I
realised that my immediate boss was not purely ethical in his behaviour. His job
role required him to travel a lot throughout the city for advertising and
promotion purposes. One day he asked me to assist him during the travel so that
I could also learn the ways to attract customers and do the advertising. We
drove for the promotion related works by his car. In the mid of the way he
stopped at the petrol pump, he got his tank filled up with 3litres of petrol and
got the bill made up for six litres. Since, I was really shocked by his behaviour
and it was clearly visible through my facial expression, my boss responded it
with a clever laugh. He explained me that he has got the facility from the
company of getting the travel and other such expenses reimbursed after showing
up the bills. I understood that he use to take extra money from the company by
showing the overestimated bills.
Next day, I collected enough strength to talk about all my thoughts and make
him understand what should be our attitude towards company. I wanted to make
him understand that we should treat the company and its resources as our own.
Our attitude should be the same towards our company and its customers as we
have towards our own family members. I tried my best to make him realise the
fact but he ignored me completely by saying that I am not experienced enough
to guide him for the ways he should accomplish his work.
I really did not like his unethical behaviour. I could not appreciate his behaviour
of cheating the company which was doing so much for him and his family. It
was the company which was providing him and his family with a good standard
of living along with many other facilities like home, housemaid, car etc. I was
continuously thinking that how could he be so greedy for money that he forgets
his ethics and moral values of life. Also, I was not happy that he could be so
immoral and rude to break the trust of the company.

Business Ethics
Since, my mind and heart completely disagree with such an unethical
behaviour, I reached to the supervisor of my boss and explained him about all
his acts and behaviour. He was decent and ethical too as a result he immediately
took the action and suspended him from the work for the next three months.