RESOLVING ETHICAL DILEMMAS
Analyze the situations below (except the first one we have discussed). Think of what advantages and disadvantages there are of choosing the ‘right’ option and the ‘wrong’ one. You do not need to tell me what your choice is, just discuss what each decision can result in.
You are a research scientist. You have discovered a wonderful new product which could make you dollar millionaires in three years. However, the discovery was made during company time and using company equipment. It states clearly in your contract that all patent rights for new products belong to the company. What are you going to do?
When your boss is calculating your holiday entitlement you discover for your surprise that the three days you had off last August have not been recorded. Your boss has obviously forgotten about them. Are you going to remind you or...?
One of the men in your department has told you that he is applying for another job and that he put your name down as referee on his application. (He apologized for not asking your permission but explained that you were on holiday at the time). As it happens you want him to get a different job as you feel he is incompetent and you have to waste a lot of time checking his work. What reference will you give him when asked?
You are the owners of a small company. You have just bought some very expensive carpets for your homes and some much cheaper carpets for your offices. It would be very easy to swap the receipts and charge the company for the more expensive carpets. You don’t think the tax man would catch you. Will you swap the receipts to charge the higher price to your business?
Your company is going to build a new factory in the and you are responsible for examining the tenders from all the contractors interested in building the new plant. The two best tenders are of equal merits and you were intending to recommend them both and let the Board decide. But this morning you received a phone call from one of the two contractors. They indicated that a large sum of money had been deposited in a Swiss bank account, to be withdrawn by you if they get the contract. Who are you going to recommend to the Board now?