Ethical Dilemma Analysis: Fabio Inc. Case Study - Leadership

This case study analyzes an ethical dilemma at Fabio Inc., focusing on the challenges faced by its manager, Brockley. The scenario involves Harry, a talented network programmer, and his antivirus program, which was initially rejected by his manager, Jill. Harry later uses his skills under the alias Lock Smith, gaining recognition. The owner, Iris Bigg, then asks Brockley to hire Lock Smith, revealing the dilemma: hire Harry, damaging his reputation, or refuse and potentially lose his job. The analysis explores ethical frameworks such as consequentialism, rights and duties, and Kant's categorical imperative to guide decision-making. The suggested solution involves hiring Harry, outlining the steps for implementing the decision, and considering the potential consequences.

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INTRODUCTION
An ethical dilemma is a situation whereby a person is faced with only two options for which they
have to choose the best cause of action from the two of them. Therefore, ethical dilemma is
referred to as a situation where an individual is presented with causes of action to choose from
but with a guarantee that no matter the choice they make, there is always some ethical principle
being exercised (Burtonet al, 2017).
QUESTION 1
From the case study information, yes there is an ethical dilemma. There are around three ethical
dilemma scenarios in the case study.
Harry the network programmer in Fabio Inc. is faced with an ethical dilemma. When he finished
developing his antivirus program, he presented it to Jill his manager at Fabio Inc., but she did not
accept his deal for selling the program to the business in discount. Later on, Harry was faced
with a dilemma on whether to continue with his dreams of developing the program to be even
better and sell it or give up. The dilemma was between choosing to continue developing the
program which would mean time, career and skill wastage or just sell the program which would
mean him being realized by Jill and maybe being sucked from Fabio.
The other dilemma is faced by Brockley, the overall manager for Fabio. When he received an
email from Iris Bigg (Fabio’s owner) asking him to look for Lock smith (apparently Harry whom
he had fired) and hire him. He argued that Lock Smith’s skills and expertise would help Fabio a
great deal. The dilemma was to choose between contacting harry and rehiring him once more,
which would destroy his reputation in the business or not contact or rehire Harry and be fired by
Iris.
QUESTION 2
Understanding the Situation
In this scenario, it is clear that Fabio Inc. has serious problems and challenges when it comes to
protecting its Information Technology (IT) devices, software systems and programs. On the other
hand, Harry the business’s network developer is very talented and skilled in fields that related to
security protection especially those that relate to computers, IT devices, software systems and

other computer programs. He has developed an antivirus program which seems to be very
effective for any device or machine. However, when he offers it to Fabio, his manager, Jill does
not approve of its effectiveness or efficiency, and instead, she thinks that it is a danger to any
system rather than a help to any organization’s security systems. Harry gives up his idea of
developing the antivirus program further but still uses his skills to help people through the
internet by using a fake name, Lock Smith. Lock Smith becomes a very popular and famous
individual in the field of system securities and network programming. Later he is recognized by
some associates of Fabio’s owner. Iris Bigg sees an opportunity and asks Brockley (Fabio
Manager) to hire Lock Smith. This becomes a big dilemma for Brockley because he is the person
who entertained Harry’s firing in the first place and now he has to hire him back to offer the
same services that he was offering before he was fired.
Isolation of Major Ethical Dilemma
The major dilemma in this case study is the dilemma faced by Brockley when he is asked to hire
the famous and popular Lock Smith. Brockley knows clearly that Lock Smith is Harry whom he
fired. The dilemma is between choosing whether to hire Harry back and get his image destroyed
or to ignore Iris’s order and lose his job in Fabio as the manager. No matter what the choice he
makes, he will screw with business ethics of the other choice.
Ethical Analysis
Consequentialism- In an ethical dilemma, it states that whatever choice an individual makes, the
best choice will be one with the most overall consequences accompanying it (Babalola et al.,
2012). For this case, the choice for Brockley is to hire Harry back. His image will be damaged,
but the business will be able to get solutions to its security problems.
Right and Duties
A right refers to a something that is morally correct, legal and honorable. A duty is a
responsibility or an activity that should be performed by a specific person at a certain time. Right
and duties in ethics are the responsibility of an individual to perform a certain right or ensure that
those rights are followed (Goold et al., 2009). In this case study, it is the duty of Fabio’s owner
(Iris) to ask Brockley to hire Lock Smith. Also, it is right to hire Lock Smith because he seems to
be very skilled and experienced in the field of system security.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative
It is a moral statement that encourages people to carry out themselves as if they were role models
and example to everybody else around them, or rather to act the way they would wish everybody
should act. In this scenario, it seems like a piece of advice to Brockley, who failed to conduct an
investigation when Jill presented him with information on Harry. He should have looked deeper
and found that his opinion on Harry was valid and a possible cause for termination of Harry’s
contract of employment.
Discussion
This scenario is addressing Brockley on his dilemma. He should obviously choose the choice
that he thinks is the best for him, the business and his career. However, he should be in a position
to identify and understand all consequences that follow every choice. He should also ensure that
the employee and business owner’s rights are adhered to and respected. He should make sure that
the right thing is done no matter the scenario and no matter who comes with the idea, e.g.,
investigating to confirm situations. This should, therefore, lead to him treating others in the right
manner and behaving like he would want others to act.
Making a Decision
If I were Brockley, I would choose to hire Harry back to Fabio. The positive effects of this
choice are more manageable than that of choosing to ignore Iris’s request.
Steps for implementing the Decision
 State the dilemma
 Determine the facts
 Identify possible alternatives or options
 Test the options
 Identify possible consequences
 Make a choice
 Monitor and modifying

REFERENCES
Babalola, O., Grant-Kels, J. M., & Parish, L. C. (2012). Ethical dilemmas in journal
publication. Clinics in dermatology, 30(2), 231-236.
Burton, E., Goldsmith, J., Koenig, S., Kuipers, B., Mattei, N., & Walsh, T. (2017). Ethical
considerations in artificial intelligence courses. arXiv preprint arXiv:1701.07769
Goold, B. J., Lazarus, L., Desai, R., & Rasheed, Q. (2009). The relationship between rights and
responsibilities.