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MGT211 Report

A workplace ethical dilemma

Assessment 2

Due date: Yth XXXX 20XX

Prepared by Donata Muntean

Student Number: 12345678

Yth XXXX 2015

Word count (not including references, footnote,table of contents, or cover page): 1996

Table of contents

1. Introduction 3

2. The workplace 3

3. Ethical dilemma 3

3.1 My dilemma 4

3.1.1 My options 4

3.1.2 My resolution 5

4. Kantian theory 5

4.1 Universal law 5

4.2 Good will 5

4.3 Means and ends 6

5. Application of theory 6

5.1 Universal law 6

5.2 Good will 6

5.3 Means and ends 7

6. Analysis 7

7. Criticisms of Kant’s ethics 7

8. Conclusion 8

9. Reference List 9

1. Introduction

This report contains an account of an ethical dilemma that I faced, and how I resolved it. Kantian theory is used to assess whether or not my actions were ethical. The application of theory to my dilemma highlights problems with Kantian ethics, which are discussed in the report.

2. The workplace

I worked as a manager of a guesthouse in the Blue Mountains. It was owned by a Japanese partnership. The owners resided in Japan and operated a separate business there. I was responsible for all aspects of running an 18 bedroom guesthouse. My duties included taking room bookings, preparing accounts, managing the housekeeping team, handling cash, and banking.

Shortly after being engaged, the owners told me that the guesthouse was not making money. The guesthouse was in need of repairs owing to some shoddy building work by a builder that had since gone bankrupt. Three of the rooms could not be let until the repairs had been completed. There was also other maintenance work needed.

The owners did not have a good reputation in the area because they habitually failed to pay bills promptly. They told me that it was good business practice to hold onto money until there was no choice but to pay. Even if this had not been their common practice, they would have been unable to pay bills on time owing to the guesthouse’s poor revenue. Irrespective of the reasons for their late payments to contractors, the fact that they were slow payers had spread through the area, and tradesmen were reluctant to do any work at the guesthouse.

3. Ethical dilemmas

A dilemma occurs when a person is faced with a problem that has no simple resolution. In fact, the individual may have several options but no one option provides a palatable solution. An ethical dilemma is a dilemma that has ethical dimensions: it is likely to affect others. A dilemma can be articulated as a “Should I do X or should I do Y?’ question as I have done in section 3.1.1.

An ethical dilemma should not be confused with a problem that is easily resolved and/or involves an established course of action. For example, if a supervisor sees an employee not complying with a workplace policy, and the usual action taken in this situation is to counsel the employee, a decision to counsel the employee in accordance with the workplace policy is not an ethical dilemma; it is an operational matter and management issue.

3.1 My dilemma

I was instructed to engage the services of tradesmen who were not aware of the guesthouse owners’ bad reputation. Urgent repairs were needed on the three damaged rooms, and I was asked to seek tradesmen from further afield to complete the work. I felt very uncomfortable about following out this order. If we were seeking other tradesmen because we were unsatisfied with local tradesmen’s work, I would not have hesitated. However, the reason that the owners wanted tradesmen that were not locals was in order to engage the services of small businessmen who were unaware of the business’s reputation for failing to pay on time. In effect, this would rob the tradesmen of their ability to make an informed choice. In order to make informed choices, individuals must be provided with all relevant information, be free from coercion, and have time to deliberate (Shaw et al, 2013).

3.1.1 My options

Since I felt uncomfortable about the owners’ instructions, and did not know what to do, I thought about the options available to me:

A) Resign and avoid the dilemma

This was not financially viable. I had a family for whom I was the main provider. Jobs are not always readily available in small towns, and I could not afford to be out of work. Additionally, if I were to leave, my incumbent may not have had the same qualms as I had. If this were the case, my resignation would have served no useful purpose except for absolving me from having to make a difficult decision.

B) Ignore my reservations, and engage the necessary tradespeople

Whilst this went against my personal values, I believed that I owed loyalty to my employer, but was unsure how far that loyalty should go.

C) Voice my concerns to my employers

I thought about explaining to my employers that I felt uncomfortable in acquiescing to their demand and asking them to ensure that they topped up the guesthouse’s cash reserves so that I could pay the tradesmen.

D) Refuse to do as I was instructed

This was not really an option that I seriously considered because the outcome would probably have been dismissal without a reference and I could not afford to be unemployed.

E) Order the work but be honest with the tradesmen.

To me, this seemed to be the most palatable option because I would be carrying out my employers’ instructions whilst, at the same time, upholding my own personal values.

Given that options A and D were quickly dismissed, my dilemma could be articulated as, “Should I ignore my reservations, voice my concerns to my employers, or order the work but tell the tradespeople that they were unlikely to be paid promptly?”

I tried explaining my reservations to the owners but they reminded me of their cash flow problems, told me that this was their normal business practice and that, if I looked hard enough, I would find someone to carry out the work.

3.1.2 My resolution

Since the owners’ response did not provide me with a satisfactory solution, I still had two options: to ignore my reservations and do as I was told, or order the work and advise tradesmen of the likelihood of not getting paid for some time. I chose to be honest with the tradesmen.

4. Kantian theory

Kantian ethics is based upon respect for others, with a focus on reason, motives, and duty rather than on the consequences of an action (Shaw, Barry, Issa & Catley, 2013). Kant believed that that there is one command that is binding on all rational beings. He called this the ‘categorical imperative’ (Shaw et al, 2013).Kant’s theory can be broken down into their concepts: universal law, good will, and treating people as ends in themselves rather than as a means to an end.

4.1 Universal law

For an action to be ethical, Kant posited that it could be willed a law that any rational person would accept as a law by which he or she should live. He called this concept universability. To assess whether an action is ethical, the underlying principle should be scrutinised to determine whether it would be a principle or law which all rational people would accept

4.2 Good will

Kant also claimed that no action is ethical unless it is done out of a sense of duty. We could do something that has good consequences but if we are not doing it because we feel that it is our duty to do it, then the action has no moral worth.

4.3 Means and ends

Treating others as an end involves not using people to achieve our own objectives. We should deal with them fairly and transparently.

5. Application of theory

For the purposes of this report, I have applied Kantian theory to my actions. In order to assess whether my actions were ethical, I will test them according to Kant’s concepts of universability, good will, and treating others as an end. I have chosen to apply the theory to my action of telling the truth, and not withholding information from the tradesmen.

5.1 Universal law

The principle that underpins my action could be articulated as, “It is acceptable to tell the truth and not lie by omission.” Withholding information that would affect a tradesman’s decision about whether or not to accept the work is lying by omission. Rational people would accept a principle such as truth telling since if they were in the tradesmen’s position, they would want to know all relevant information before taking on any work. Many tradespeople are self employed and rely on prompt payment to remain solvent. If their customers withhold payment, this could adversely affect the tradespeople’s ability to keep their businesses going. Rational people would not accept an environment in which tradespeople’s livelihoods were threatened since they would use reason to determine how they would feel if they were the tradespeople in question.

Furthermore, rational people would want everyone to have sufficient information to make an informed choice. If it was acceptable to not provide all relevant information, no-one could rely on anyone’s word because we could not be sure that we had enough information to judge a situation accurately. This could lead to one party (those with information) to manipulate those who did not have the information, and no rational person would accept this.

5.2 Good will

Since my core values include not cheating others, and I felt that engaging people when I knew that they were unlikely to be paid promptly was tantamount to cheating them, I felt a duty to not act in a way that might cause the tradesmen financial hardship. I also felt that withholding information about the owners’ poor payment history was lying by omission.

Since I believed it my duty to tell the truth, and not withhold relevant information, my actions were done out of a sense of duty. Consequently, my actions would be judged ethical according to Kant’s concept of good will.

5.3 Means and ends

In this case, my end was to engage tradesmen to perform repairs and maintenance on the guesthouse. I had been instructed to arrange tradesmen and, since the maintenance of the property was a part of my role as manager of the guesthouse, I had a duty to ensure that rooms were comfortable and safe for our guests.

Since I provided the tradesmen with all of the necessary information for them to make informed decisions, I was not treating them as a means to my end.

6. Analysis

My action, to tell the truth and not withhold information, could be willed a universal law. Rational people would accept this as a law with which all should comply. I acted out of a sense of duty, and I did not treat tradesmen as a means to my end. An application of Kantian theory, therefore, finds my actions to be ethical.

7. Criticisms of Kant’s ethics

One of the criticisms of Kant’s theory is that it does not provide us with resolutions when we are faced with competing interests. My dilemma could be analysed from several perspectives. In the scenario described, there were several competing interests: self-interest, my employers’ interests, and the tradesmen’s interests.

If I were to analyse my actions from another perspective, I might reach a different conclusion: that my actions were unethical. For example, were I to use “It is acceptable to ignore an employer’s instructions” I would have to conclude that I was not acting out of a sense of duty to my employer, that I was using my employer as a means to my ends, my end being to be paid an income, and I was not acting out of a sense of duty to my employer.

8. Conclusion

I was faced with an ethical dilemma in my workplace. In order to resolve my problem, I reflected upon the options available to me and chose the option with which I felt most comfortable at the time. Looking back, and having a greater understanding of ethics, I believe I would act the same if I faced the dilemma today. An application of Kantian ethics found my actions to be ethical but applying the theory from a different perspective gave a different answer. This highlights one of the criticisms of Kantian theory. Nevertheless, it is a theory which prompts us to reflect upon the humanity of others, and requires us to treat others respectfully and thus can be helpful when thinking about ethical problems.

9. Reference List

Shaw, W., Barry, V., Issa, T., & Catley, B. (2013) Moral Issues in Business 2nd Asia-Pacific ed., Cengage Learning. Melbourne, Australia

Students please note:

Please provide some feedback in the text box above for the ‘student’ who wrote this report. Think about what sort of feedback you would like and what would benefit you the most. (E.g. if you have performed poorly, you would probably benefit from some constructive criticism and suggestions about how you could improve your work. If you have performed well, you would still benefit from knowing what was done well and if there is anything that you could do to improve future assignments).

You should also highlight the appropriate cells in the marking rubric below in order to calculate a mark for the student. I have completed the cell that relates to application of theory to demonstrate how to complete the cells - and because you are not expected to discern how well the student has applied theory yet.

You will not be marked on the mark you give (markers are not looking for a mark that ágrees’ with theirs) but on the quality of the feedback you provide.

Marking rubric

Assessment 2 - Report
	High Distinction (HD)	Distinction (DI)	Credit (CD)	Pass (PS)	Fail (FL)
Criterion 1	9-10	8	7	5-6	<5
Written expression, referencing, and editing (10 marks)	Use of academic writing which is formal, and cautiously phrased. Work contains distinct readily graspable statements with no errors References in text and in reference list comply to APA standards.	Use of academic writing which is formal, and cautiously phrased. Work contains distinct readily graspable statements with very few errors. References in text and in reference list comply to APA standards.	Appropriate academic/professional writing. Minor spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Work shows evidence of proofreading. References in text and in reference list comply to APA standards.	Appropriate academic/professional writing. Some spelling, grammar and punctuation errors found but the work is readable. Others’ work has been acknowledged, although it does not always comply with APA referencing standards	Writing is not of academic standard in that it contains spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. The work of other’s is not credited and no attempt at APA referencing is evident
Criterion 2	9-10	8	7	5-6	<5
Organisation and structure (10 marks)	Extremely well organised. Work contains well-structured paragraphs with appropriate headings used. Content is structured in a manner that facilitates reader understanding.	Logical structure aids reader’s understanding. One main argument/idea introduced per paragraph, supported by appropriate headings and relevant points.	Well-structured with one main idea or argument provided per paragraph. It is logically structured so that the reader can follow the arguments/ideas.	Reader can follow the author’s meaning, although work may include too many ideas in one paragraph.	Writing does not demonstrate properly formed sentences or paragraphs.
Criterion 3	17-20	15-16	13-14	10-12	<10
Definition of an ethical dilemma, and explanation of ethical dilemma faced (20 marks)	Definition of dilemma provided that is accurate and clear. Description of an ethical dilemma that the student experienced that allows the reader to understand the nature of the dilemma. It clearly explains why the issue was a dilemma and why the dilemma had ethical dimensions. The description shows a clear understanding of why some issues have ethical dimensions whilst others do not.	Definition of dilemma provided that is accurate and clear. Description of an ethical dilemma that the student experienced that allows the reader to understand the nature of the dilemma. It clearly explains why the issue was a dilemma and why the dilemma had ethical dimensions. The description shows a clear understanding of why some issues have ethical dimensions	Definition of dilemma provided that is clear. Description of an ethical dilemma that the student experienced that allows the reader to understand the nature of the dilemma. It clearly explains why the issue was a dilemma and why the dilemma had ethical dimensions.	Definition of dilemma provided that may not be very clear. Description that allows the reader to understand the nature of the dilemma that the student experienced.	A definition of dilemma is not provided. An unclear or no description of an ethical dilemma experienced by the student is given.
Criterion 4	9-10	8	7	5-6	<5
*Fulfilling the presentation requirements - see not below (10 marks)	All parts of the question have been addressed comprehensively. Each part of the task has been completed in detail.	All parts of the task have been addressed adequately.	All parts of the task have been addressed but there is room for further elaboration of some of the points/inclusions.	Most parts of the task have been addressed, but there are some minor omissions.	Less than half of the required task has been attempted.
Criterion 5	9-10	8	7	5-6	<5
Description of ethical theory (10 marks)	The main points, and the criticisms of the theory, have been discussed in a manner that shows evidence of clear understanding, and provides a strong rationale for why the theory could facilitate ethical decision making.	The main points, and the criticisms of the theory, have been discussed in a manner that shows evidence of clear understanding	The main points have been discussed with an attempt made to explain the rationale/logic underpinning the theory.	The main points of the theory (from Shaw et al. Ch 2 and/or MGT230 learning resources) have been reiterated but the work does not show evidence of student understanding.	Main points of the theory have not been reiterated and there is no evidence of understanding
Criterion 6	34-40	30-33	26-29	20-25	<20
Application of theory, development of logical arguments, and reflection on how stakeholders could be affected by student's actions. (40 marks) Mark achieved:37	Ethical theory has been applied to assess actions. The application is logical, contains no flaws, and is comprehensive. Provides relevant and coherent arguments, and uses appropriate ethical principles to support them. Critical thinking used to present a compelling and persuasive argument. Evidence of objective reflection.	Ethical theory has been applied to assess actions. The application is logical and contains no flaws. Provides relevant and coherent arguments, and uses appropriate ethical principles to support them. Additionally, critical thinking has been used to group ideas and to make strong arguments.	Ethical theory has been applied well. Some minor inconsistencies may be present. Provides relevant and coherent arguments, and uses appropriate ethical principles to support them. Reasoning based on facts rather than on unfounded opinions	An attempt has been made to apply theory to assess student's actions, but the application has some flaws and is relatively superficial. The student provides somewhat relevant and coherent arguments, although not all are properly supported. There may be some reliance on unfounded opinions or assumptions rather than on facts.	No attempt has been made to apply theory to assess student’s actions. Either no argument or an incoherent one is provided.

* The instructions used to assess criterion 4 are:

·Report format used

·Legible presentation

·Arial 10pt or TNR 12pt used

·Student’s name and page numbers in footnotes

·Work NOT converted into pdf

- All requested sections of the report are provided

- At least 1.5 spacing between lines of text

Add up all the marks you have awarded (including the 37 marks that I’ve awarded for criterion 6) and record it in the feedback box on page 9.

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