Investigating Ethical Issues: A Case Study of Psychological Harassment

This case study presents an ethical dilemma faced by the CEO of an Australian hospital following complaints of workplace bullying and discrimination. Two medical staff members, Nisha and Saher, allege psychological harassment based on their ethnic and religious backgrounds. The complaints involve team leaders and colleagues, citing instances of racial remarks, discouragement, and unfair treatment. The CEO, John, initiates an investigation, holding meetings and requesting evidence to determine the validity of the claims and address the potential damage to the hospital's reputation. The script provides a detailed interaction between the involved parties, highlighting the conflicting perspectives and the complexities of the situation. This assignment will be available on Desklib which provides all the necessary AI based study tools for students.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT
PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note:

1PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT
Scenario:
The situation is based on the ethical dilemma of the CEO of a reputed hospital in Australia. This
person has been complained about the incidents of workplace bullying that took place in his
hospital for presumably six months. The hospital has a long history of successful delivery of
healthcare system and there is no incident of psychological harassment of the medical staffs in
their workplaces. There are five people who are associated with the chain of incidents taking
place in the hospital for more than six months. There are two staffs of the hospital, working in
this hospital has complained about the incidents of bullying and discrumination. Among them,
one is a junior nurse, named Nisha. She has been appointed 5 months ago in this hospital and has
an Indian origin. The other complainant is Saher, an Indonesian Muslim expatriate, employed in
the hospital six months ago. He is the intern healthcare practitioner in this hospital. These two
staffs are responsible to their respective heads of the departments, Games and Martina. This
incident of workplace psychological harassment has been taken to John, the CEO of the hospital,
who is to take judgmental role to understand the actual incident. These two medical staffs have
complained against three other staffs of the hospital. They have allegedly putting pressure on
Saher and Nisha for their different ethnic background.
The incident was of December 24th when the hospital was being decorated for the
Christmas celebration for the next day. These two medical staff have faced the incident of
workplace bullying as they have different cultural and ethnic background. They have complained
that due to their different religion and culture, the team leaders have dissuaded them from taking
part in this celebration. Nisha has also added that her HOD had been truly exploiting her by
constantly changing her roaster to give Nisha the night shifts for a week.

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Moreover, these two staffs have also complaint against some of their colleagues who did
not allow them to do their duties but continuously discourage them from caring the patients.
They continuously remark on the religious background of Saher and associate his with the
terrorist attacks in different parts of the world. Some of the colleagues of Saher have made
racial comments along with his complexion and religious practices. Nisha has also complained
against the sexual harassment by her colleagues for twice. For last 6 months these two medical
staffs are being discriminated in their work places. They are not encouraged or motivated like
others in the workplace the higher authority has not been responding to this issue rather
overlooking the incidents whenever these two are complaining about that.
According to the complaint of these staffs of the hospital some of the patients are also not
ready to take medicines from them. They have their personal problems and experiences in
dealing with the medical persons of another ethnicity. They are continuously asking for
Australian nurses rather than taking help of these two staffs. In this regard, when these two
staffs asked for help two their respective heads, they did not take any measure to solve this
problem.
On the contrary, the departmental heads named Games and Martina, state that both of
these two persons lack professionalism and experience. Therefore, anything they or the other
staffs are telling, they are finding other meanings. They are accusing that other staffs are
remarking about their cultural background but this was not the actual situation. These complaints
are inexperienced in the wok culture and have no desire to learn from the workplace. Due to their
incompetency, the patients are not ready to take help from them.
The ethical dilemma in such situation becomes critical as such incidents are capable to
harm the long-earned reputation of the hospital. In this case, John, the CEO cannot remove one

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of the employees. First these two staffs who have compliant about the others have been selected
by the medical board authority of Victoria so that the hospital can enhance the diversity in the
workforce. Secondly, the other staffs include the departmental heads Games and Martina are
extremely eligible in their positions and have been doing their jobs for more than ten years. In
order to understand the situation more effectively, John has asked for written complaints from
both Saher and Nisha and called a meeting along with their respective department heads. This
incident has to be analysed properly and find out whether there has been any type of such illegal
situation based on which these two staffs of the hospital have been continuously complaining or
there are other incidents detailed by the department heads. John has asked for the proofs like
recording or videos clearly depicting psychological harassment take place in the hospital. Based
on which he can make decision either in support of the complainants or the defendants.

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Script:
John: I am curious about the situation that has led me to arrange this meeting with all of you. In
my experience of working for more than 20 years in this hospital, I have never come across this
type of incident or for that matter complain. Yes, our hospital has been chosen by the Victorian
medical board as the best place to encourage diversity in workplace but whatever you all have
done, I think there will be much problematic situation coming for us. I am equally anxious about
the future of this hospital because the incident of psychological harassment if gets published in
any regional newspaper, will hamper the reputation of this Hospital.
Martina: We are sorry sir. We are unable to keep this situation under control. These two new
joiners have no idea of working with any other organisation before. This is why they have
entangled us through misconception and reached you for support.
John: The situation is completely under enquiry and I am in a dilemma whether any of you have
been telling the truth. I will listen to all of you with all your complaint. Before that I would like
to ask Saher what happened with you that you have directly reach your CEO for support.
Saher: With all due respect sir, I am incapable of working in this situation. I am getting
depressed due to psychological pressure in working in this situation. Yes, it is true that I am a
new joiner and I do not have any experience working with any other hospital before. But I at
least have this understanding that who are supporting me for my job and who are not.
John: You have detailed in your letter that some of your colleagues are passing racial remarks
and accusing you for not doing your duty properly
Saher: Absolutely sir. I can name them and also my department head knows them as I have told
him about this situation also. They openly call me The Muslim guy. They are asking others too
for calling me by that name. They have also asked me whether I have any connection with the

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terrorist groups. This constant bullying from my colleagues has made me depressed and lonely in
the workplace.
John: Do you think that they are commenting about your religion?
Saher: Yes sir. These are direct remarks on my religious background. They think all of my
Muslim brethren are incompetent with their jobs and I somehow entered this profession as there
is no hospital to work in Indonesia, my home country.
John: James, have you taken any initiative to enquiry about this matter previously?
James: Yes sir, but I did not get any clue if somebody has told him this kind of words. I have
personally asked the members who are being accused by Saher. But they have not accepted these
accuses.
Saher: (To James). Please sir I know you have good connection with other employees who will
not ever support me.
John: Saher you must know that we have policies regarding workplace discrimination and we
never support any illegal actions in our hospital.
Saher: Yes sir, I know. this is why I have come to you because I know my department Head will
take no initiative as I am an intern. More than that I have been working here for only 6 months
and others have 2 to 3 years’ experience in working under him.
John: Why do you think your head will do that with you?
Saher: I doubt he has a special hatred for the people like me. He is completely biased and trying
hard so that I leave this place.
John: No Saher you are completely wrong. I have been working with James for last ten years.
He always tries to encourage his subordinates and give all the resources available for them.

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Saher: In this context sir I would like to add one particular incident where Dr James was to hand
me a file. he was deliberately and systematically dropping that file before I can take it. He
intended me to bend down before him and pick it up.
John: Do you have any witness for this Saher?
Saher: I am extremely sorry sir I do not have any witness at that time because it was my night
shift and others have been doing their own duties. Dr. Jams called me in his room and asked me
to keep that file with me.
James: Sir I guess you are understanding how deliberately he is trying to defame me. How can
we make out such an employee who for nothing is accusing his own departmental head?
John: I am looking into this matter. What about you Nisha?
Nisha: Like Saher, I have also felt the same for me from my colleagues as well as department
head Martina. I am feeling unwanted in this situation by both my co-workers as well as my
patience. Martina, my department head has been threatening me for my trivial mistakes and I am
not being able to protest out loud. She openly shows her grudge before others and I am feeling
belittled and denigrated in the behaviour of my colleagues.
John: You have particularly mentioned about the incident in 24th December 2018. What
happened on that day?
Nisha: Sir on that day I was in the maternity ward and some of my colleagues asked me to join
them in the Christmas decoration. However, Martina did not allow me to join that decoration
though I was free from my responsibility by then.
Martina: (To Nisha) Nisha you are forgetting that you are not responsible for decorating the
wards but taking care of your patients. I have not allowed you because you are to give important
medicines to the patients and if it got late, critical situation would have happened.

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Nisha: (To Martina). Yes mam. I completely agree with this but it is also true that you called me
a fool before my colleagues and also ask me to go back to India and celebrate all the other
customs except Christmas. I do not expect this type of remark from my honourable department
head. (To the CEO) if you ask me whether I have proof for that then yes. The Other co-workers
who came for asking me to join in the decoration, have witnessed the whole situation.
John: If it is true, then Martina I do not expect such a conduct from the experienced employee
like you.
Nisha: Sir, I have told Martina madam that some of the male employees have passed sexist
comments on me but she took no measure rather told me it is quite natural in here. Not only that
sir. I feel that she has been continuously trying to exploit my silence. In her every week’s roaster,
I find I am getting 4 consecutive night shifts rather than getting two. She has every right to set
our duty schedule but she must also think about the capability of the subordinates.
Martina: (To Nisha). In this case I would rather put my faith on the decision and understanding
of our CEO. He knows that I have every right to manage my staff and employ them in the most
important wards according to their capabilities. I can employ the most fit person for the most
critical responsibility. This do not refer to any type of psychological harassment and I do not
need to know your choice. In every job there are some unique criticality. On that week we had
the highest number of critical patients to care so I had to bring changes in the roaster. As you are
not performing well, your patients are asking help from the other nurses rather than you and you
are thinking they are doing as you are from other culture. As a responsible member of this
hospital, you are expected to accept my suggestions for improving the hospital’s procedures.
John: Nisha if you are department head is thinking that the night shifts will be better for you as
you are not so experienced and during night the work pressure gets reduced then you must follow

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your head. Martina is an experienced employee and whatever she decides, I have complete faith
on them. Martina please follow proper communication mode to your subordinate so that no such
complain arise in future.
Martina: I shall definitely work on that matter sir.
John: listening all of you I have understood that there are issues related to psychological
harassment in this organisation. emotional harassment is unnoticeable and also viewed as being
more socially acceptable. However, I cannot take any immediate measure in this matter as I am
in dilemma. I can remove the employees making racial or sexist comments or take other punitive
measures. I can also transfer Nisha and Saher to other hospital so that they do not become
victims of psychological harassment but this will not support the mission of making this
workplace diverse. Therefore, I am instructing the heads to monitor these issues and mitigate
them as early as possible.