Paraphrasing and furnishings Case and SLP answers - DUE 9 PM Eastern Standard Time

Extent to which this scenario is pushing the limits, or exceeding them

According to De Cremer, 2013 anything is acceptable if it legally allowed. The determination of whether an activity should be done in the workplace has been in the negative. That is to determine whether law prohibits it and if it is not, then it is acceptable.

Allowing the sewage repair crew into a trench that is seven feet deep without a trench box contrary to the requirements by the municipality’s safety rules is not prohibited since OSHA does not have jurisdiction over the municipalities. It goes against the rules but it is not against the law since that law cannot be applied over the municipal. When we look at the events leading to this, we realize that before the rules were introduced, it was an acceptable practice and besides it would save the fuss brought by one of the city council members served by the sewer. We also learn that the officer who could enforce the city’s safety acts was out for the day. The trench is also only two feet deeper than the requirements and the time that will be taken will only be thirty minutes. Besides, they also confirm that the soil is cohesive enough. The alternative to this would be waiting for the trench box for six hours and not completing the repair on the same day as had been promised

This is thus pushing the limits, but not exceeding them. Businesses thrive on pragmatism as this saves them time, costs and unnecessary procedures that would have had to be followed (De Cremer &De Bettignies, 2013).

Ethical Grey Areas

As long as our actions can be justified, then we will not feel we are crossing the boundaries. The main grey area in this case is that the while repairing the sewage is a good thing and which will ease the pain of the residents of the municipality, it has not been done according to the rules set out by the city council. The line has been repaired but by risking the safety and health of the repair crew. The other grey area is that the trench is only seven feet deep, only two more than the requirement by the council rules. It would likely not have dire consequences. The dilemma is whether to wait for the trench box for six hours and end up not doing the finishing the repair on that day on an exercise that would have otherwise taken thirty minutes.

Right Thing

The right thing to do in this case is to wait for the trench box to arrive. Though it will delay the fixing of the sewage line, it will help avoid creating control failures in the system. A continuation of pushing and exceeding the limits leads to ultimate collapse of ethics. Thus, while going into the trench without the box would the easiest thing to do, it will create a culture of ignorance of the control systems.

Value of an Ethics Program and Role of Leaders and Workers

An ethics program guides the actions of both the leaders and workers. When ethics are followed in a business, morale of the both the employees and the leader is improved. This brings about efficiency in the firm and ultimately profitability.

Ethical programs also help an organization run within the confines, increase transparency, create good reputation and win admiration from outsiders.

The leaders have a role in formulating the ethical guidelines for the organization and ensuring that they are followed by communicating, controlling and correcting the juniors whenever they go astray. The workers on their part have a role to follow, to be transparent and to communicate with their leaders.

What is the value of having an ethics program (and related programs like safety programs) and what are the responsibilities of front line leaders/supervisors and the workers when they face dilemmas such as the one described?

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