Ethical dilemmas

Redundancies and confidential information

Administrator — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:48:44 +0000

September 2009

The company for which you are working is about to be restructured. Everyone knows that there will be some redundancies. You work for the director of human resources and have access to confidential information about the restructure, including the names of those scheduled to be made redundant.

One day at lunch a colleague mentions that he is about to arrange a large mortgage in order buy a new house. He tells you that his family needs the space as his wife is due to have a third child in a few months’ time.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

Learn more about different ways you can work to resolve ethical dilemmas. You can also find out about Ethi-Call, our free Ethics Counselling service, which can assist you to make ethical decisions when faced with real life ethical dilemmas.

A terrorism-related kidnapping

Administrator — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:33:27 +0000

October 2009

A shady group of apparent extremists has struck in the heart of Australia’s capital, Canberra, by kidnapping a group of innocent people.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

The ethics of past mistakes

Administrator — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:58:03 +0000

November 2009

You are attending a social function with a number of colleagues, many of whom report to you.

In an unguarded moment, one of your colleagues (who has had a little too much to drink) takes you aside. In a clear attempt at confidentiality, he reveals that he made a fairly serious error of judgement in his previous job within the company. However, in a remarkable stroke of good fortune for him, his manager was blamed for his mistake.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

Workplace budgets and festive season parties

Administrator — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:11:50 +0000

December 2009

You are the Manager of a branch office which is part of a large multi-national company.

You are responsible for maintaining the various cost centre budgets for your region and these budgets are established at the start of each calendar year. If you do not spend the full amount in your budget areas then the under-spent amount is deducted from the following year's budget allocation.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

Consent & organ donations – implied or explicit?

Administrator — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:10:52 +0000

January 2010

You are the Minister for Health and are currently faced with a major shortage of organ donations in your country.

This results in many deaths, including of young children, which could easily be prevented if organ donation was more widespread.

A delegation from a peak medical body is lobbying you to put forward a change in the law to help increase the supply of donor organs for transplants.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

Profit, downsizing & the corporate conscience

Administrator — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:39:36 +0000

February 2010

You are the Chief Executive Officer of a wholly owned subsidiary of a multi-national corporation.

The price of shares of the parent company has been depressed because of market fears concerning the profitability of the group. With an eye to boosting earnings and profitability - and therefore the share price - head office instructs you to reduce the size of your workforce by at least 10%.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

The ethics of reporting bad behaviour

Administrator — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:04:55 +0000

March 2010

Your neighbour's house doesn't have a driveway or a garage and, like you, she parks on the street. You have seen her routinely washing her new car using a hose without a nozzle in the street. This is in breach of the local rules for the conservation of water during what has been a severe drought.

When approached by you about this matter, your neighbour is dismissive of your concerns and asks you to mind your own business.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

When money for a good cause comes from a disreputable source

Administrator — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:36:12 +0000

April 2010

A collegue under your supervision and working as a representative of your not-for-profit organisation has been working closely with the police and community to better establish links with and an understanding of the local youth in your area.

As a result they have mounted a major initiative to build a new community centre, with the main emphasis on youth entertainment and interaction. Local police have agreed to donate their labour and members of your organisation have agreed to help raise funds through several raffles, benefit nights, etc..

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

The ethics of conflicting allegiances

Administrator — Sun, 02 May 2010 14:34:52 +0000

May 2010

You have served loyally as the deputy to the leader of your political party for a number of years. You are are very committed to the success of your party and strongly believe in all that it stands for.

The leader is your mentor and a friend of many years. He is a person nearing retirement, but who has a burning desire to 'go with dignity'.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.

Unions and conflict of interest

Administrator — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:47:19 +0000

June 2010

You are a union official. One of your members is discovered to have a history of mental illness is going to be dismissed by his employer on that basis, which you feel clear is unfair. He has appealed to you in your union role to help him protect his job.

However, the other union members at the workplace share their employer's prejudices and do not want to work with this man because of his mental illness.

They hold an informal meeting where they vote strongly not to support their fellow worker and convey this opinion to the union.

Ethical questions:

What are the issues?
Who are the stakeholders?
What should you do?
What would you do?

Leave your comments below.