Wal-Mart Ethical Issue Paper
Running head: ETHICAL ISSUE IN BUSINESS
Ethical Issue in Business (Wal-Mart’s Ethical Controversy)
Michael J. Charley, Deniqua Jackson, Beatina Marshall, Tom Pletzke
University of Phoenix
Instructor: ROBERT OXLEY
Course: ETHICS IN MANAGEMENT PHL/323
Date: May 21, 2008
This paper will obtain information about a researched issue that deals with business ethics. The paper will include a summary of the Article and issue. This paper will also touch on the following topics, what seems to be the basis of the issue, what ethical change, deficiency, or conflict brought it about, and how did the organizational leadership come into play. The paper will conclude by proposing a plan for revising the ethical standards and communication of these standards in order to resolve the ethical issue. “Chalace Epley Lowry started working at Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) as an administrative assistant in the communications department, on Jan. 2 of the year 2008; she went through a day-long orientation with a heavy emphasis on ethics. Chalace stated that, "We were told that even if we see something that has the appearance of something unethical we should report it”. “Now, two weeks after filing a complaint against a more senior executive, the 50-year-old mother of two finds herself looking for another job”. The article states that, “Chalace did not know for a fact that Wal-Mart executive was doing anything wrong”. “Wal-Mart says Lowry is simply confused. The company says she mistook a deferred compensation form for an options exercise request and that Williams did nothing wrong. "The Ethics Office determined the same day the complaint was filed that the document that created Ms. Lowry’s [sic] concerns had nothing to do with stock trading and that there was no violation of Wal-Mart's ethics policy," said David Tovar, a Wal-Mart spokesman, in a statement”. Soon after Lowry filed the complaint, her identity was disclosed to Williams. Wal-Mart says Lowry agreed to
Ethical Issue in Business (Wal-Mart’s Ethical Controversy)
Michael J. Charley, Deniqua Jackson, Beatina Marshall, Tom Pletzke
University of Phoenix
Instructor: ROBERT OXLEY
Course: ETHICS IN MANAGEMENT PHL/323
Date: May 21, 2008
This paper will obtain information about a researched issue that deals with business ethics. The paper will include a summary of the Article and issue. This paper will also touch on the following topics, what seems to be the basis of the issue, what ethical change, deficiency, or conflict brought it about, and how did the organizational leadership come into play. The paper will conclude by proposing a plan for revising the ethical standards and communication of these standards in order to resolve the ethical issue. “Chalace Epley Lowry started working at Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) as an administrative assistant in the communications department, on Jan. 2 of the year 2008; she went through a day-long orientation with a heavy emphasis on ethics. Chalace stated that, "We were told that even if we see something that has the appearance of something unethical we should report it”. “Now, two weeks after filing a complaint against a more senior executive, the 50-year-old mother of two finds herself looking for another job”. The article states that, “Chalace did not know for a fact that Wal-Mart executive was doing anything wrong”. “Wal-Mart says Lowry is simply confused. The company says she mistook a deferred compensation form for an options exercise request and that Williams did nothing wrong. "The Ethics Office determined the same day the complaint was filed that the document that created Ms. Lowry’s [sic] concerns had nothing to do with stock trading and that there was no violation of Wal-Mart's ethics policy," said David Tovar, a Wal-Mart spokesman, in a statement”. Soon after Lowry filed the complaint, her identity was disclosed to Williams. Wal-Mart says Lowry agreed to
References: Gogoi, P., et al. Wal-Mart 's Latest Ethics Controversy. BusinessWeek. Retrieved May 16, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/ Top News June 13, 2007, 12:01AM EST Wal-Mart 's Latest Ethics Controversy