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Focus on Ethics Critical Thought Case

Last reviewed: October 7, 2013 ~6 min read
Abstract

The document is a discussion of an ethical situation involving Gail Rosenberg, who is faced with an ethical dilemma in her workplace. After being appointed in what she considered her dream job, Gail realized that her company was involved in unethical bidding. The document recommends that Gail handles the situation from as ethical a basis as possible, while also protecting her status as whistleblower.

Ethical issues in business can often be stormy waters to navigate. The reason for this is that the human tendency is towards gaining as much as possible for as little effort as possible. This is so in all areas of life, including weight loss, making money, finding love, and all the major areas in which human beings seek to excel. Because of this fundamental trait in human nature, it is also often the case that those who gain power in a limited amount of time are tempted to maintain or perpetuate this power as much as possible in as little time as possible. In most whistle-blower cases, for example, the wrongdoing is not the result of an original intent to create an ethically difficult situation. For this reason, the first piece of advice I would give to Gail Rosenberg is to communicate with her immediate superiors. If this fails to obtain the desired result, she should consider becoming a whistle blower, but with the understanding that this could hold significant challenges for her personal safety and the safety of those she cares about.

Clearly, Gail's personal ethics compels her to do something about the case of dishonesty she became aware of. A lesser person than herself might have let the dishonesty slide in favor of the presigious position that is her prise, accepting that business honesty was a luxury only to be expected by highly delusional school childrn. However, Gail is clearly of a mindset that is far more concerned with the effecs of business on those associated with that business than with any derogatory comments towards herself in terms of personality or age.

Her first step should be to discuss the situation with her superiors. She should, however, be careful. Many whistleblowers have been subject to significant danger as a result of their activities (Brown and Olse, n.d.). So, my recommendation is that her first step should be careful communication. Since all her supervisors and bosses have shown themselves to be completely in agreement with the unethical practices of the company, she should be very careful about getting all the facts behind it. She might, for example, ask questions such as why they believe that the practice is acceptable. In doing this, she should maintain an air of open understanding and willingness to learn. It is unlikely that Gail would, however, receive a satisfactory response in this way. Hence, her second step should be to seek external help.

According to Weise (2012), there is an increasing tendency towards whistleblowing. This is not only related to the relative notoriety and financial gain that might be accomplished in this way, but also due to the fact that business ethics have become far more important to companies than the case was before. Indeed, not only accounting, but also a care for the environment and involvement with the community have become part and parcel of one's interaction with the community.

For this reason, it is far more likely that Gail's protests would result in a favorable outcome for her individually and the communit in general than would have been the case only twenty years ago.

Even two decades ago, it was generally accepted that business could do no wrong. Today, this is not the case. This fact should encourage Gail to voice her concerns to her company's ombudsman or at least to an exterenal lawyer.

Sadly, his does not necessarily mean that Gail is safe. In order to ensure her safey, Gail has a number of strategiese she can follow. First, she should not create any suspicion as a result of her inquiries. She could disguise her inquiries as a genuine wish to learn the company's status quo and enthical way of handling situaitons. The fact that she was told, in almost so many words, to simply accept the situation, should provide a platform for Gail to continue her charade.

It is therefore recommeneded hat Gail begin her investigation by pretending to be on board with the company's status quo. Clearly, the tone and language of here bosses when explaining that she should simply accept the way thee ecompany dosee things provides her with a platform for clandestine information.

Once she has indisputable evidence in place, Gail will need to involve external authorities. If the company does not have an external ombudsman, which is unlikely to be the case, she will need the services of a lawyer or independent investigator. According to Weise (2012), it is more likely today that external advisers would display a sense of understanding towards whistleblowers.

The main reason for this is that whistleblowers are an increasing phenomenon in the world today. The scandals in business during the 1990s and early part of the new millennium have created a platfrom on which business and business owners are no longer sacrosanct. However, it should also be recognized that an even more recent desire for reward has created a platform for false whistleblowers, which casts a new net of suspicion on such action.

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References
4 sources cited in this paper
  • Brown, A.J. and Olsen, J. (n.d.). Whistleblower Mistreatment: Identifying the Risks. Retrieved from: http://epress.anu.edu.au/anzsog/whistleblowing/mobile_devices/ch06.html
  • Needham, N. (2012, Dec. 11). Whistleblowing – a dangerous choice? Business Management Journal. Retrieved from: http://student.bmj.com/student/view-article.html?id=sbmj.e7870
  • Understanding the Iran-Contra Affairs. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.brown.edu/Research/Understanding_the_Iran_Contra_Affair/h-on-gallery.php
  • Weise, K. (2012). More Financial Whistleblowing is on the Way. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/finance/more-financial-whistleblowing-is-on-the-way-02162012.html
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PaperDue. (2013). Focus on Ethics Critical Thought Case. PaperDue. https://paperdue.com/essay/focus-on-ethics-critical-thought-case-124011

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