Values, Ethics, and Action: Reflecting on Ethical Decision-Making

This essay presents a student's reflection on their values and ethics through two distinct experiences. The first part details a situation during a summer internship where the company changed the terms of the agreement, requiring students to meet targets to receive their certificates. The student, guided by virtue ethics, organized a protest to fight for the students' rights and successfully pressured the company to honor its original commitment. The second part discusses an instance where the student observed a colleague engaging in unethical behavior by working for other companies during office hours. The student, fearing job loss and conflict, failed to report the misconduct, leading to feelings of guilt and dissatisfaction. The essay concludes with a reflection on the importance of taking ethical action and maintaining integrity, suggesting that the student should have reported the misconduct despite personal fears. Desklib offers a platform for students to access similar essays and study resources.

Values and
Ethics
Student’s Name

Values and Ethics ` 1
Self-Reflection
Part 1
For completion of my post-graduation programme, I have experienced two months summer
internship programme in which I want to learn and have the experience of the corporate
world. Prior to starting of the programme the company informed that they will be providing
the certificate for summer internship programme after the competition of two months but in
the middle of the programme they set the targets to be achieved.
The company put the condition to achieve the set targets for receiving the summer internship
certificate. This act was against the condition laid by the company before the starting of the
programme. The company did not perform with fairness and integrity and did not provide a
certificate before the completion of the set target.
According to my beliefs, as is resonated in virtue ethics, the person must perform all its
activities with all the integrity and honesty I was not able to tolerate such false conditions and
undertake action for the same (Sison, Gregory R. Beabout, and Ignacio Ferrero 2017). For
taking the action, I tried to convince all the students to participate and raise their voice
against the false condition laid down by the company.
I prepared the speech, protested against the company to fight for the truth, and was able to
convince all the students to participate in the protest. To protect the interest of all the students
I laid down the importance of receiving the certificate and the implications of not receiving it.
I make them understand that the company is adopting the false approach to attract more
participants and get their work done without providing benefit to the students.
I formed the team of students to protest against the company and the qualities like caring,
teamwork, loyalty, professionalism motivated me to take action against the wrong and
provide justice to all the students.
I am satisfied with my actions and it would be more efficient if the number of participants
would be more in the protest. I tried to involve the employees in the protest but they have the
fear of job loss and did not participate in the event. The impact was positive for the students
as the company was under pressure to provide certificate without the completion of the target
and was a force to not take such actions in the future.
Actions of the company were not in my control but the efforts for taking the action towards
wrong was in my hands. I was able to control the actions of the students by convincing them
to support the protest. I was successful in applying my ethical values and taking the right
action.
Part 2
I have worked for 6 months to get the experience of the corporate world and analysed that the
employee in the organization is working for the other companies in the office hours. The aim
of the employee, as is the case with majority, was to generate higher incomes and improve
the standard of living (Ferrell 2016, pp.15-25).

Values and Ethics ` 2
The employee adopted the false method and tried to fool the company. I was not able to take
action and apply my ethical values to a particular situation. I did not inform the company
about the misconduct of the employee because I have the fear of job loss and will create
conflicts among the employees.
I was not able to create a balance of my ethical values because of the self-interest and the fear
of job loss. I was not satisfied with my action because it will lead to negative implications for
the company and create the guilty for not taking action, which is morally wrong. If there was
a secret assessment tool to present the inside, information without the name involved I would
have provided the information to the company but then I had the fear of the wrong behaviour
of the employees towards me.
The other employees controlled the actions of mine as they created the fear of job loss and
conducting the wrong behaviour towards me. The company must focus on applying the secret
methods to get the inside information and must analyse the attitudes and behaviour of the
employees.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is concluded that I would have to take the right action toward
the misconduct conducted by the employee by being loyal to the company and providing the
secret information. I should have maintained the integrity and be honest to myself and to the
company. In part 1, I was able to speak and take the right action to protect the interest of all
the students can bring positive results for the company.
References
Ferrell, Oliver C. "A framework for understanding organizational ethics." In Business ethics:
New challenges for business schools and corporate leaders, pp. 15-29. Routledge, 2016.
Sison, Alejo José G., Gregory R. Beabout, and Ignacio Ferrero, eds. Handbook of virtue
ethics in business and management. Netherlands: Springer, 2017.