Ethiss Case Study

Karen faces an ethical dilemma at work. She had “protested” an initial decision made by Judy, her superior, and this event “threatened to destroy all of her contentment”. This case study will attempt to identify the ethical issues involved and the implications for the different stakeholders, as well as coming out alternative actions and choosing the best one for Karen.

Ethical Issues

Karen is critically aware that there is an ethical dilemma, most likely because she feels that it is not fair for customers to buy defective goods. Her struggle to find the best course of action shows that she has developed a certain level of moral awareness and sensitivity. However, she has to decide now whether she should follow Judy’s decision or not, as both will bring about different implications and consequences. While her moral judgment process is taking place, her current work setting is depressing her ability to do so, as she is “exceptionally happy” with her current conditions and thus she has more to lose. Judy’s words as a leader she admires and respects may also influence her moral judgment as well. Following Judy’s decision corresponds with the ethical principle of individual rights, as she is able to maintain her current satisfaction in life, while disregarding that it may be unethical to the customers buying defective goods without prior knowledge.

Another ethical issue is the presence Judy herself, who come across as an amoral manager (Buchholtz and Carroll, 2008). An amoral manager is one who is “driven primarily by profitability or a bottom-line ethos, which regards economic success as the exclusive barometer of organizational and personal achievement.” As Judy adopts a narrow view on accepting stakeholder thinking, she feels that she only has to consider the welfare of the company. Hence she is obligated to maximize her company’s profits and cut all losses. In a sense, she applied her ethical principle of utilitarian, only that the greater good here... [continues]

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