Intro to Speech Comm: Ethical Dilemma Presentation Analysis

This presentation analyzes an ethical dilemma in a bank setting, where a bank teller's colleague commits fraud to pay for her daughter's surgery. The presentation explores the dilemma of whether to report the colleague's actions, considering the potential consequences for the family and the organization. It presents two main issues: the suffering the family will face versus the violation of company policies and the criminal offense. The presentation outlines the actions informed by the chosen decision to report the fraudulent action to higher authorities, emphasizing the importance of moral integrity, honesty, and justice. Guiding principles, including virtue ethics and the NCA Credo for Ethical Communication, are discussed. The presentation also weighs the negative and positive consequences of the decision and concludes with a list of cited works.

ETHICAL DILEMMA IN COMMUNICATION
NAME:
COURSE NAME:
DATE:

SUMMARY OF THE ETHICAL DILEMMA
 One of the colleague at the workplace informs that her daughter is very ill and requires
surgery.
 The colleague had no insurance and the surgery would require $10,000.00.
 After some time she reports that her daughter is fine, and she paid the surgery by taking
money from a dormant account in the bank.
 She also reports that she has started paying back to the account little by little.
 The ethical dilemma– whether or not I should report her fraudulent action to higher
authorities.

MAIN ISSUE:1
 Reporting her action will cause suffering for her family as they are already in economic
crisis.
 The money taken from the account eventually served for the ultimate good of the family.
 She has also promised to return the money gradually, which means there will ultimately be
no harm for the organization or the depositor.

MAIN ISSUE:2
 The action should ideally be reported as it is criminal offence clearly as well as violates the
company policies.
 Obtaining money from a depositor’s account without his/her knowledge and consent is evidently
bank fraud and is a criminal offence.
 As a responsible citizen, it is my duty to abide by the laws and regulations and also inform the
relevant authorities any discrepancies that come to my attention.
 Banks or other financial institutions guarantee their customers the safety and security of their
money and assets, which has potentially been violated by the colleague’s action.
 As an employee, I should abide by all the regulations and policies of the organization, and help to
maintain them.
 Letting her go scot-free may lead her to engage in such fraudulent activity in future, which is a risk
to the organization.

ACTION INFORMED BY THE CHOSEN DECISION
 I should communicate to my other higher authorities about her fraudulent action.
 To be a good human being, it is imperative for me to maintain moral character and good
habits.
 To this end, maintaining moral integrity, honesty, fairness, justice and truthfulness is
essential.
 If I suppress this information, I shall be aiding in an fraudulent action, which is morally
corrupt.
 Also, not communicating the instance is essentially contrary to honest and truthful
behaviours.
 The action in itself is unfair and unjust to the depositor, which should not be the case.
 Reporting the action may restrict future occurrences of such fraudulent actions, which will
eventually contribute to the greater good.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE ETHICAL DESICION
 Virtue: According to the theories of virtue ethics, individual character traits are the key
elements of moral judgment, rather than the consequences (Utilitarianism) or the moral
rules for the act itself (Deontology). Therefore, to be a good person, or to be ethically right,
I shall adhere to virtues such as honesty, truthfulness, justice, fairness etc. (Sison, Beabout
and Ferrero 18)
 Integrity of the communication: The NCA Credo for Ethical Communication advocates for
truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as the essential element of public
communication. (Natcom.org.)
 Courageous expression of personal convictions: NCA also commits to express the personal
conviction in pursuit of justice and fairness. (Natcom.org.)

CONSEQUENCES
Negative consequences:
 The organization may penalize or even suspend my colleague upon my reporting.
 She could also be released with a warning or fine.
 If she is suspended, her family will be put in a financial crisis.
 She will have a grievance against me for reporting her, breaching her trust.
Positive consequences:
 The organization will not face any reputational loss or legal complication, in case someone else
finds out prior to the organization.
 The depositor will not be deprived of his/her financial security.
 My moral integrity will not be compromised.

WORKS CITED
 Sison, A.J.G., Beabout, G.R. and Ferrero, I. eds., 2017. Handbook of virtue ethics in business
and management. New York: Springer.
 Natcom.org. "Public Statements NCA Credo For Ethical Communication". Natcom.Org,
1999,
https://www.natcom.org/sites/default/files/pages/1999_Public_Statements_NCA_Credo_for_E
thical_Communication_November.pdf.