ETHICAL DILEMMA

Management Ethics and Corporate Leadership

Source: Business Ethics, A Real World Approach, 2nd Edition

Andrew W. Ghillyer
 ETHICAL DILEMMA
• A situation in which there is no obvious right or wrong decision, but rather a
right or right answer.
• Involves a situation that requires selecting between conflicting values that are
important to the employee or the organization.
 Case in Ethical Dilemma
You have worked at the same company with your best friend for the last 10 years – in
fact, he told you about the job and got you the interview. He works in the marketing
department and is up for a promotion to marketing director – a position he has been
wanting for a long time.
You worked in sales, and on your weekly conference call, the new marketing director –
someone recruited from outside the company – joins you.
Your boss explains that although the formal announcement hasn’t been made yet, the
company felt it was important to get the new director up to speed as quickly as
possible.
 Case in Ethical Dilemma
He will be joining the company in two weeks, after completing his 30 day
notice with his current employer.
Should you tell you friend what happened?
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: Type of Conflict

• Truth versus Loyalty: Do you tell the truth or remain loyal to the person or
organization that is asking you not to reveal that truth?
• Short-term versus Long-term: Does your decision have a short-term
consequence or a longer-term consequence?
• Justice versus Mercy: Do you perceive the issue as a question of dispensing
justice or mercy? (Which one are you more comfortable with?)
• Individual versus Community: Will your choice impact one individual or a wider
group or community?
 Resolution Principles in Solving Ethical
Dilemmas
• Ends-based: Which decision would provide the greatest good for the greatest
number of people?
• Rules-based: What would happen if everyone made the same decision as you?
• The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you.