Ethical Dilemmas
Posted by Michelle on July 6th, 2007
A recent thread over at T&S has caused me to reflect on some discussions I had a couple of years ago about the many different ethical dilemmas that people can face in a business situation. Ethical dilemmas certainly are encountered by most people, but I think that our religion can add some twists to some ethical dilemmas that might make things even more complicated.
I thought it might be interesting to discuss some different types of ethical dilemmas that might pop up in the work-a-day world (or even in life in general). Following are some potential ethical dilemmas to reflect on, many from friends who have either seen people making unethical decisions or were faced with situations where they had to make tough choices. (Feel free to add to the list.) What would you do in these situations? Do you find that it’s all black-and-white, or do you find yourself conflicted? How vocal should we be about our standards when in business situations?
I was conflicted as I confronted many items on this list. I’m very interested in your experiences, thoughts, and reactions. (This certainly is by no means an exhaustive list; I’d love to hear more. And I’ve already added to it, so it may be a little longer or different if you are coming back. 
) [Actually, the changes I made didn’t take; my other list was better!]
1. As a manager, you are asked to hint to your direct reports that they might want to get their résumés updated, without directly telling them they will be laid off.
2. Downsizing brings up many challenging questions. What methods/criteria do you use to decide who should be downsized? What if you know the personal situations of some people and you know that a layoff would be devastating to them, but you know nothing of others’ situations? Do you take those into consideration? Or, is it right to downsize to simply fill quotas, diversity criteria, etc.? The list of questions could go on….
3. Is it ethical to say your company can provide services (e.g., consulting) it is not qualified to deliver, to just get the sale (and then scramble to figure out how to deliver after the fact)?
4. You have two clients who are competing for the same opportunity. One client is a trusted, repeat customer. What do you do?
5. It’s end-of-quarter and you have reached your sales quota. Do you push off customer orders until next quarter to get a head start on your next quarter’s sales?
6. Since we just had the 4th of July…(a non-business example): Your friend has invited you to their house for fireworks that you know are illegal. Do you go? Do you say anything to any authorities? (Adding to the hypothetical: Do you say or do anything about the illegal apartment they are renting in their basement?)
7. Your manager asks you to fudge the report for her big meeting with the board next week. (If you don’t, it could threaten her job.) What do you do?
8. Your boss wants to give you and your teammates an unexpected, unscheduled bonus, but doesn’t want to pay taxes on it. Everyone else works with the boss to do what he/she wants to do. What do you do?
9. Your team is thrilled about how well your new label design is working (the product is flying off the shelves!) Two weeks after the launch, you are informed that the logo/picture/whatever actually has a negative/evil/non-politically-correct/whatever connotation.
10. You are asked to go on a business trip alone with a member of the opposite sex. Do you go to dinner with that person every night? Do you do a conference call in his/her hotel room?
11. You are part of a company that works with third parties, trying to bring them together to do business. You stumble upon the knowledge that one of the parties is participating in illegal bribes to fund their business. What do you do?
12. You are part of a web design team that is asked to design a web site for a p*rn company. What do you do?
13. You are taking one of your top clients to dinner. The dinner will be a business expense on the company credit card. Do you buy alcohol for your client? If so, how much will you buy? (In other words, how drunk will you let your client get?)
14. How do you decide what is a reasonable form of (and amount for) entertainment that can be reimbursed as a business expense?
15. You sit on a board that is discussing how to disburse philanthropic funds. An organization is suggested that represents positions counter to our religion’s teachings. Do you speak up?
16. I saw something like this brought up over at T&S: What if you were offered a job at a company whose products include those that are prohibited and/or preached against in our faith? What about companies that are open on Sunday?
17. Do you shop at (or invest in) stores (or companies) that you know violate laws (e.g., labor laws) or moral principles? Do you research every store you frequent or every investment you have to see if you are patronizing or profiting from entities that violate laws or principles you hold to?
18. If you work for such a company (#17), do you report such violations? Do you do something to stop them or quit your job, or do you just ignore it all and just do your work?
19. Do you shop or send money to companies that sell or distribute or support or benefit from p*rn, alcohol or cigarettes? Do you frequent stores that are open on Sunday? Do you ever voice your opinions about stores that violate principles you think are important or negatively impact the well-being of individuals and society? (These questions were also added after mulling over that post a bit.)
20. Do you ever use or copy songs, movies, images, etc. illegally? What about sheet music or other copyrighted material?
Do you have any other situations you have run into? Have you ever found it difficult to separate ethics from beliefs?
This is a long list Michelle. For me, some items are in the ‘none of my business’ (NMB) category, some are of the easy Black & White category (B&W) with an obvious answer, and some are of the ‘it depends’ (D) category where the level of the problem is important to me. Soooo,
1 - B&W. This is something employees should be doing anyway.
2 - B&W. To me downsizing should be objective according to the needs of the company.
3 - B&W. As a company you decide what you sell. The buyer has a responsibility to check things out. Contracts can cover them if you fail. This happens all the time. Engineers frequently must come up with new things.
4 - B&W. Choose who you feel is best suited.
5 - B&W. Quotas, schmotas. You are better off scheduling things in reasonable, logical, systematic ways. Putting customers off can loose sales.
6 - NMB. These are minor laws, some of which I may even disagree with. Call me passive-agressive if you want, but I am not going to go out of my way to help enforce minor laws. I’m not going to report people going slightly over the speed limit either.
7 - B&W. Engineers are in the position to do this all the time. I decided long ago it is not worth it. I have chosen to be brutally honest as I see it, even if I have to say that I was responsible for mistakes made that caused failures.
8 - B&W. I probably tell the boss that I don’t know much about tax laws (which is true) and that he can do what he wants, but I will do what I understand I should do for my own taxes. I might suggest that if this is a problem not to give me a bonus.
9 - D.
10 - B&W. I would try to treat her like I would a male coworker. But in some ways I would fail. I would go out of my way to make sure everything was WAY appropriate. Probably to the point of being awkward.
11 - D. How good is the information, and how illegal? If I had my doubts about the quality of the information, or nuances in legal interpretation, I would take a NMB approach. If I was sure of the information I would be tempted to confront leaders of the company about it.
12 - B&W.
13 - NMB. I might ask company leaders what they would recommend, and represent them.
14 - D. I would seek company guidlines for this.
15 - B&W. I think our religious teachings are reasonable considerations when choosing a client.
16 - D. There are various levels of this.
17 - D. I’m not going to do much research on this.
18 - D. I would seek explanations from company leaders.
19 - D. Some of these things can hardly be avoided by many stores. Many of these things are commitment we make but others do not.
20 - D. I have at times, but am reforming.
Comment # 1 left by Eric Nielson on July 7th, 2007
Many of these come back to the question of, “Do I allow other people (of or not of my faith) to break the commandments? Am I or am I not my brother’s/friend’s/parent’s keeper?”
Being a teenage convert in a house with very worldly non-members, I’ve had to deal with this a lot; explaining to them why I don’t work on Sunday, why I wear modest clothes to work when compromising that would surely get me more tips, paying tithing on my wages, etc. I try to be as proactive as I can with sharing the gospel, but there’s a difference between sharing principles with someone and forcing them to uphold them. I don’t expect my family to accomodate me with their actions. They swear, my mom smokes and both my parents drink sometimes, but I can’t be responsible for something they don’t want me to change. The same question comes of one of my really close friends, who smokes pot. According to the seminary answer, I shouldn’t even be her friend, but that’s my decision to make, not my seminary teacher’s. I’ve said my prayers about it, and knowing what I know about my friend’s life AND her mental instabilities, I prefer her in a state of mind where she isn’t going to kill herself, and if pot can do what her medications haven’t been able to do, then who am I to judge? Business really shouldn’t be any different. We’re a respecter of all religions or lack thereof. Sometimes, it just isn’t our place to tell people what to do. And I would say that if you feel called to go the extra mile, go for it. But don’t condemn those who don’t either.
Then there are the questions that deal specifically with “Should I be doing this?” The seminary answer would be to “pray about it,” and that’s really the best thing to do to know what YOU should do in a particular situation. If you get an answer that you feel may be outside of a the law, I would say to be open to the counsel all the same; just because something is a law doesn’t make it right. I’ve sheltered quite a few runaways in my short time on the earth, and even though there were times when we crossed the line into something I’m sure wasn’t legal, it was in order to protect someone’s safety. To me, there’s no question there, and I’d do it again if I had to.
And if you don’t get a clear answer, know that He’s watching especially close to see what you’re going to do. Those are the moments that really count. I’ve always been a firm believer of doing the right thing for the right reasons. I do what I can to get as close as I can to having both action and motivation the “right” thing. But no one else can really be that judge except me, and you know something? I have no problem trusting myself with that kind of responsibility, no matter where it takes me, and even if it’s unorthodox.
Cheers?
Comment # 2 left by Paradox on July 7th, 2007
Very good post, Michelle, and the comments so far are also very interesting.
I find myself mostly agreeing with Eric on the business questions, and sympathizing a lot with Paradox on dealing with others not of our faith, and not trying to obligate them to live by the standards we have covenanted to obey.
I tend to be a “rule-keeper” by personality. I’ve had to learn to distinguish between commandments and man-made rules which may or may not conflict with those commandments.
Paradox brought up the question of sheltering runaways in order to protect them from harm. In that context, I have often wondered if I would have sheltered Jews from the Nazis, had I been a German in the 1940’s.
Would I have been willing to break unjust laws, and risk imprisonment (or death) to do something that I believed was morally right? Or would I have been convinced by the prevailing zeitgeist that they deserved their fate, and felt turning Jews in was the truly moral act?
Hindsight can clarify things that may seem ambiguous at the time. Would I have sided with the Loyalists at the time of the American Revolution because of my desire to obey my sovereign?
It scares me sometimes to think that I might have been on the morally wrong side during some historical events. But I fall back on the advice Paradox gave: when in doubt, pray, “and that’s really the best thing to do to know what YOU should do in a particular situation. If you get an answer that you feel may be outside of a the law, I would say to be open to the counsel all the same; just because something is a law doesn’t make it right.”
This can be a very, very slippery slope, of course. How easily we can we be led astray because we think we are above the law, or that our situation is an exception. It’s easy to rationalize and be deceived into thinking that we are getting “inspiration,” when we are really being tempted by Satan’s suggestions.
However, if we are trying our best to be obedient to the commandments, the counsel of our Church leaders, and the laws our particular country, it is to be hoped that we’ll be able to discern if the promptings to disobey a particular rule or law are coming from God, or not.
By extension, I would depend on prayer to help me deal with all the ethical dilemmas you listed. Depending on where we live, the answers may be different for different people. For example, confronting a company (#18), or changing jobs in the U.S. might be a viable option. In some very corrupt countries, however, “illegal” bribes are simply a way of life, and it might be very difficult to find employment where that was not part of the way business was conducted.
Comment # 3 left by RoAnn on July 7th, 2007
BTW, folks, I probably should have mentioned that I’m not expecting everyone to respond to the entire list. Some of the purpose of this was to provoke personal thought and reflection, and also discussion as desired. I’m certainly not against anyone going through the list as Eric did, but wanted to at least say that anyway.
And I’m enjoying the discussion and your thoughts as well. I especially like the comments about prayer, because obviously there will be different kinds of situations that will pop up.
One of the things I struggle with is how much is my business when I’ve been invited to participate in something that is wrong. I’m still not convinced, either, that looking the other way when we know someone is doing the wrong thing is always the best option. But I also don’t think that sticking our nose in others’ lives is a good thing, either. Just some thoughts that bounce around in my head….
Comment # 4 left by Michelle on July 8th, 2007
I skimmed a little. My mind tends to work overtime with ethical dillemmas wondering what I would do in a situation. I find ethics very interesting. I just don’t want to be personally conflicted! I worked for a company once that switched the pens that customers ordered. I felt like it was wrong. People told me it was normal business practice, but that did not seem right as they did it in a way to trick the people as the name brand was not available and they sent a knock off. To make matters worse for me, the boss was a friend of my dad and that is how I got the job in the first place. I kept my mouth shut. I don’t feel good about it. I went to a different company when I was laid off from there that I believed to have more ethical standards of conduct.
There was a short-lived t.v. show by a radio talk show host. I don’t like to name who it was. I know some people really like her. She would always say, “Do the right thing” or something on those lines. If only it were so easy! Also, I do think there are constants in morality. However, the right thing may not always be so defined in some stituations. She was so opinionated in a way that she always knew the right way.
I did read the part about going to a Fourth of July party where there would be known illegal fireworks. Eeek! I am glad that I was not wracked with such guilt when I went to such parties. Practically everything is illegal here. But people buy it by the boxes and set it off. It’s not like I am going to buy it or encourage them to buy it. I feel like custom seems to be more important than the law though as it is so widely broken and seldom enforced. I think only black snakes and sparklers are about the only things allowed here.
Comment # 5 left by Barb on July 9th, 2007
In a business, I think the business concerns should drive the decisions - as long as there is no dishonesty involved. In those cases, I will not support the dishonesty - no matter what the form it takes.
I quit a very good job years ago because I was ordered to facilitate the acquisition of a large contract by overlooking false documentation created to help land the contract. I had four kids and no immediate job prospect. My resignation precipitated two very difficult years financially - two very humbling and painful years. I don’t regret it a bit.
If my initial reaction is concern or uneasiness, I tend to slow down and re-evaluate with thought and prayer and consultation. Usually, I end up not doing it.
Comment # 6 left by Ray on August 3rd, 2007
Regarding #6:
We buy a large number of illegal fireworks every year, and have a huge block party and a firework “contest” with the cop who lives half a mile away. When dh was put in the bishopric, his mom was deeply unhappy with us for continuing our tradition; the only times we capitulate is when the Fourth falls on a Sunday. As I am generally one to look for things to feel guilty about, it surprises me that my overactive conscience is dull to this infraction–perhaps it is because the Fourth was always as big a holiday to my family of origin as Christmas, celebrated with fireworks bought out of the back of the Sunday School president’s stationwagon (and covered discreetly with a quilt). Sins of the fathers, you see, are being visited on my head. Blame my dad.
Comment # 7 left by Idahospud on August 4th, 2007
Ray,
Thanks for sharing your story. Sometimes what is right isn’t easy.
Idahospud,
A contest with the cop, eh? I think different states might have different degrees of enforcement on this. ??
Part of the reason I put that in there is because we have neighbors who do the same thing, and we have sometimes enjoyed the show. I still feel a bit uneasy about it all, though, but haven’t made it my business to do anything about it.
This year we didn’t participate and I was bugged that they went so long cuz they kept my kids awake.
Comment # 8 left by Michelle on August 4th, 2007