Respond To Two W8D1

Discussion: Handling Tough Decisions in the Workplace

Managers make numerous decisions on a daily basis. For some, the best choice is easy or straightforward to determine. If a machine breaks down, you either need to repair it or replace it. In an increasingly interconnected and complex world, however, the best decisions can often be unclear. Consider where you would stand on the following scenario:

A company has developed a new product for which there is a great demand. The consensus of the leadership team is that the company should capitalize on this opportunity and hike up the price to generate a 300% return on each sale. They feel that, as long as the marketplace is willing to pay for it, then there is no problem, especially since this would help solve recent discussions of layoffs due to declining sales. Only one person in the leadership team voices disapproval of this approach, saying that this is a greedy action that would rip off customers and go against the company’s values. The person feels that—despite what it would mean for the business—the product should be priced to generate a 40% return, which is an average return for the company’s products.

Assignment:

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts “See below” in one or more of the following ways:

· Relate your own experiences to those of your colleague, including similar or different approaches you took to address your own situation and your reasoning for your decision.

· Provide an alternative viewpoint on your colleague’s situation or on how your colleague might approach the situation in the future. Include a rationale to support your response.

· 3 – 4 paragraphs

· No plagiarism

· APA citing

1st Colleague - Natasha Mills 

Natasha Mills

Handling Tough Decisions in the Workplace

Top of Form

Whereas society in general and individual organizations have ethical codes that guide the behaviors and actions of people within these contexts, the concept of ethics still largely depends on one’s personal values and moral principles. When individuals lack these, their behavior is always subject to manipulation, and they may easily compromise their ethical beliefs in different situations. one of the psychological dynamics that precede the crossing of ethical lines is justified neglect. “When people don’t speak up about ethical breaches because they are thinking of more immediate rewards such as staying on a good footing with the powerful” (Wedell-Wedellsborg, 2019). Justified neglect is the most predominant psychological dynamic, followed by cultural numbness and omnipotence when it comes to crossing ethical lines.

The ethical situation that I have experienced involved the psychological dynamic of justified neglect. I was part of a panel tasked with hiring a candidate that would fill a certain position that had been left by an employee who had just retired. After conducting interviews, my colleagues in the hiring panel and I had identified a candidate that was a perfect fit for the position. Not only was the candidate the best in the interviews, but he also had good work experience, a glowing resume, and innovative ideas that would positively impact the organization, particularly since he had worked for a competitor. However, the candidate’s salary demands were higher than that which the organization was offering its employees in the same cadre. The candidate refused to accept anything less than what he was demanding, which made the hiring process complex.

On the one hand, the candidate was good for the organization and there was no doubt that he would bring new perspectives that would enhance the competitive advantage of the company. Thus, hiring him was unquestionable. On the other hand, hiring the candidate translated to the company’s acceptance of his salary demands. This, however, required the company to increase the salaries of employees in the same cadre, which it was not ready to do. The result was an ethical dilemma that involved deciding between hiring the candidate and keeping his salary a secret from the other employees, or leaving out the candidate and doing right by the other employees.

Ethical situations are always challenging no matter how much you prepare for them. “Even if you’ve planned for an ethical career and established safeguards, it can be difficult to face moral challenges in the moment” (Kouchaki & Smith, 2020, p.5). The situation was challenging and prompted the panel to agree to hiring the candidate and keeping his salary a secret. However, I strongly disapproved their decision. I was relying on my core principles and values of fairness, integrity, and equity during the situation, which I told them openly. In addition, I outlined to them the potential repercussions of the decision if any of the employees found out about the secret. This led them to ponder on the situation instead of opting for the easy way out that was unethical. In the end, they decided to hire the second-best candidate who accepted the salary that the organization was offering.

Looking back, I would have made the same decision if the situation happened again. Nei & Nei (2018) talk about balancing analysis plus action, which involves keeping in mind the context and possible impact of a decision. My ability to analyze the situation helped me to outline the potential impacts of either decisions to the rest of the panel, causing them to make the right choice. This balance of analysis and action also confirms the concept of the power of one. Eyrich et al. (2019) posit that an individual with the willingness to speak and a clarity of conscience has the power to make a difference. In the situation described above, the rest of the panel hastily made the decision to hire the candidate while ignoring its possible subsequent implications. However, by disagreeing with them, as well as my willingness to let them know of that fact, I convinced them to make the right decision, thereby proving the power of one. 

Eyrich, N. W., Quinn, R. E., & Fessell, D. P. (2019, December 27). How one person can change the conscience of an organization. Harvard Business Review.  https://hbr.org/2019/12/how-one-person-can-change-the-conscience-of-an-organization

Kouchaki, M., & Smith, I. H. (2020). Building an ethical career a three-stage approach to navigating moral challenges at work. Harvard business review, 2020(January-February), 1-6.

Nei, K., & Nei, D. (2018, September 10). Don’t try to be the “Fun boss” — and other lessons in ethical leadership. Harvard Business Review.  https://hbr.org/2018/09/dont-try-to-be-the-fun-boss-and-other-lessons-in-ethical-leadership

Wedell-Wedellsborg, M. (2019). The psychology behind unethical behavior. Harvard Business Review.

Bottom of Form

2nd Colleague - Sandra Patterson 

Sandra Patterson

RE: Discussion - Week 8Bottom of Form

Handling tough decisions in the workplace

When I worked in a residential facility a few years ago, there was a tough decision involving working overnight on a part-time because they were short-staffed. There were understaffing, underpay, and over-work issues for the overnight shift. My options were to work overnight temporarily, replace an overnight shift worker, or switch my morning shift to overnight. After all, the residents were sleeping at the time. What almost appealed to me was that since there was less to do after changing them and writing their reports, I could even do homework while they were sleeping. At the time, I was still finishing my bachelor’s degree. My child was still finishing high school. I did not want to be unavailable during that vulnerable part of his life in the evening. I also always sleep early.  That shift would not have been convenient for me at all.

The guidelines, rules, and values of the facility influenced my decision. First, I knew that the residential facility had guidelines for all workers that gave them the option to accept or refuse to do the overnight shift. I also knew that the residential facility had rules that could either reduce the overnight hours or ask workers from other facilities to come and assist. I knew that the residential facility respected the workers’ values for their preference for working hours (Seidman, 2017). As a single Mom, I did not feel comfortable with the overnight shift. My son was going to be unattended at home. I felt vulnerable working overnight with single male colleagues. Based on those facts, I politely contacted the manager on site who had posted the offer. They told me to go to the office in person. Or I could go to the office with a written note explaining my reasons. I sent an explanation to the manager early enough.  I wanted them to have enough time to choose other workers for the overnight shift. Then I followed through to make sure they received my note. I was able to bypass working overnight that way.

I would still approach the situation the same way if it happened again. That is why it is necessary to be humble to build trust with my team. By building trust with my team early before the circumstance occurred, I was able to gain their respect when I voiced my opinion about the overnight shift. Many of my colleagues even said that they knew that I slept early. They knew that the overnight shift would not be comfortable for me. I need to be steady and dependable. It will show my team that I am suited for the morning shift. I did show that I was willing to work until the early evening hours on a few occasions when they needed help with the second shift. I also need to be reliable, rule-following, and responsible. My dependable, rule-following, and organized character traits prompted me to follow through by sending a note to the manager (Kuligowski, 2020). I explained my non-availability for overnights. I did emphasize that I was available for occasional shifts in the second shift because it ended early in the evening. It was evident to them that I exercised caution. They also saw that I could take calculated risks. In addition, I showed that I could adhere to organizational principles. I gained their trust. Finally, modesty is always the best option to choose. Professionalism is necessary when at work. I should remember to balance analysis with action. I need to be vigilant. My interactions have an impact on others (Nei, 2018).

 

References:

Kuligowski, K. (2020) How to be an ethical leader: 7 tips for success. Business News Daily. Retrieved from  https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5537-how-to-be

Nei, K. (2018) Don’t try to be the “fun boss “ – and other lessons in ethical leadership. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 2-4. Retrieved from  http://hbr.org

Seidman, D. (2017) The four pillars of moral leadership. Fortune, 176(4), pp. 90-92.