Ethics are moral principles that create a level playing field for human
beings. In every organization or institution, there are ethical codes that
people must abide. These codes enhance morality and equality. Nonetheless,
breaking moral codes often has fewer or less severe repercussions as compared
to ignoring the law. While standard ethics are significantly more important
than legal restrictions, a person cannot face reprimand for some ethical
misconduct such as cutting line. This paper analyses different types of ethical
dilemmas, their impacts on third parties and the use of Jennings ethical models
in making life choices.
Ethical Dilemmas and their Impacts
on People or Entities
- Hiding
essential information or divulging it to unauthorized parties in exchange for
favors is an ethical dilemma. Jennings (2012) states that an employee in a
medical company may fail to disclose information about the ineffectiveness of
their drugs to ensure sales and profitability. Such an ethical dilemma affects
one’s consciousness since they are taking advantage of purchasers. Also, an
employee who divulges secret information to competitor organizations breaches
moral codes. The dilemma significantly impacts the person’s integrity,
customers, and the entire organization. Not only would the person risk their
morality, but the company may also face litigation and closure, leading to
unemployment.
- Companies
are often very competitive. In cases of intense rivalry, organizations may take
advantage of its customers by increasing prices or interest rates as a way to
offset competition. Although these consumers may not charge for litigation,
such companies face moral decadence. Such a dilemma may cause a consumer uproar
and demand for fairness or the complete loss of customer trust.
- Leaders
or managers in organizations often feel entitled to everything they want while
overlooking the needs or rights of their employees. Taking part in any form of
interpersonal abuse is, therefore, an ethical dilemma. Jennings (2012) states
that although the law may protect employees from such harassment, unfair
treatment is still very evident in business institutions. In cases of extreme
abuse such as sexual harassment or harmful verbal abuse, the employees may
suffer from psychological problems such as depression, appetite loss, truancy,
and low self-esteem. These problems would also affect the organization’s
general productivity, leading to small profits. Moreover, the perpetrators of
these forms of interpersonal abuse may suffer from feelings of guilt and
regret.
4.
Condoning any unethical behavior in an organization
leads to ethical dilemmas. While people may choose to overlook their fellow
employees’ or supervisors’ unethical conduct to ‘avoid trouble’ they would
still be breaching moral laws. Jennings (2012, 41) avers that “a winking
tolerance of other’s unethical behaviors is in itself unethical.” For
instance, if an employee keeps quiet about issues such as embezzlement, the
company may experience bankruptcy, thus affecting all employee earnings. In some
cases, the employee may get laid off due to reduced revenue.
Specific Dilemmas
Hiding essential
information about a product has enormous impacts on third party users
(Jennings, 2012). In my example, an employee failed to divulge information
about the ineffectiveness of a drug after its trial. Although this employee may
have thought that his or her silence would not lead to adverse effects, selling
ineffective drugs to patients may inadvertently lead to side effects. Some
buyer’s bodies may not agree with the medications leading to worsened
conditions or even death.
A person who buys
these rugs, hoping that they would alleviate the symptoms of a loved one or
patient will have feelings of guilt if the medication worsens one’s conditions.
More than guilt, such a person would want justice for their loved one, and
thus, sue the company for unethical conduct. In such cases, the affected third
party would post these incidences on social media platforms and reduce the
credibility of a company. Also, litigation costs for harming a person’s life
would cause a lump sum of loss towards the company as the third party would
require compensation. Although such cases often favor the affected party, such
a person may need substantial financial support to sue a company. Nevertheless,
the party would act out of guilt and love to ensure justice for the
misdiagnosed patient.
Interpersonal Abuse
The most significant
type of interpersonal abuse in an organizational setting revolves around sexual
assault. Finding employment in the current world is highly challenging because
almost every job seeker is educated and skilled. With such stiff competition, a
person who acquires a job would try their best to keep it. Therefore, I such
people feel sexually harassed by their seniors or fellow employees; they may
decide to avoid speaking up for various reasons. First, such a person may fear
punishment, such as getting fired from their seniors. Second, the person would
worry that no one would take the side of a junior worker, thus write them off
as liars. Finally, if the sexually harassed person is a man, he may feel
ashamed to report the matter.
Denying sexual
harassment issues may significantly affect these employees’ life partners who
would try to seek justice. These partners would also feel disconnected as their
spouses refuse their physical affections. If the abuse perpetrator is highly
influential, the partners may opt for revenge and not justice, leading to moral
decadence. Such instances would lead to crimes of passion, such as murder.
The Blanchard and Peale Model
Jennings (2012),
states that the model offers straightforward methods of resolving ethical
dilemmas. The model asks there questions: “Is it legal? Is it balanced?
How does it make me feel?”(Jennings et al. 2012, 42). The model offers a
conscientious approach to individuals who wish to work diligently and live by
ethical codes.
In the case study,
the baby walkers had legal production methods before the CPSC ban in 1994.
However, these products injured many infants and were, thus unsafe. Although
these products, with sufficient advertisement, could be passed off as legal in
any country, I would feel ethically inclined to fight the exportation of these
baby walkers. Moreover, analyzing the product’s impact from the perspectives of
parents, shareholders, and the community would show that only the shareholders
in the production company support its exportation for profit purposes, hence
causing an imbalance of its demand. Therefore, I would deny the job as the
product’s exporter.
The Front-Page-of-the-Newspaper
Test
The model requires
that a person envisions how a critical and well-informed reporter would
describe the ethical dilemmas on the front page of a magazine. If the
description that comes to mind is detrimental, then the decision is unethical.
A person must consider the opinions of their spouses, children, and friends
after they read such an article in the Newspaper. Such visualization ensures
that a person makes a decision that won’t receive criticism from the general
public and family members. The heading that comes to mind if I accept the job
as an exporting agent for the baby walkers is “Baby walkers or
cripplers?” Such a title would not only destroy my credibility in the
business industry but would also make my loved-ones doubt my integrity.
Additionally, I would have subconscious feelings of guilt and shame for
breaching personal ethical codes and beliefs.
The world functions
through ethics and the art of “waiting your turn.” Although
State-imposed laws prevent criminal activities, codes of ethics facilitate
social interactions in people from all walks of life. Without ethical codes
that ensure morality and accountability, human beings would succumb to their
insatiable nature, leading to social disruption.