Question

Assume that you are the chairman of the Department of Accountancy at Central Manitoba University. One of the accounting professors in your department, Dr. Smith, has been uniformly regarded by students as an awful teacher for more than 10 years. Other accounting professors within your department have observed Dr. Smith's classroom teaching and they concur that his teaching skills are very poor. However, Dr. Smith was granted tenure 15 years ago, thereby ensuring him life-long job security at Central Manitoba University Much to your surprise, today you received a phone call from an accounting professor at B.C. University During this phone call you are informed that B.C. University is on the verge of making a job offer to Dr Smith. However, before extending the job offer, the faculty at B.C. University wants your input regarding Dr Smith's teaching effectiveness while at Central Manitoba University Required: How would you respond to the professor from B.C. University? What would you say about Dr. Smith's teaching ability? Would you describe your answer to this inquiry as being ethical? Why?

Answer 1

I would respond to the professor from B.C. University in a truthful manner and in a transparent manner. I will apprise the professor from B.C University about the poor teaching skills of Dr. Smith and how over the last 10 years he has been regarded as a sub-standard teacher by our students.

I will answer this enquiry in an ethical manner and will not mislead the professor from B.C. University for my own personal gain. By misleading the professor from B.C. University and by informing him that Dr. Smith has excellent teaching ability (when in fact he does not have) I will be misleading the professor and hence will encourage him to extend the job offer to Dr. Smith. In doing so I will ensure that my university has been able to get rid of Dr. Smith before his term comes to an end. But doing so would be unethical and I will, in my capacity as a Chairman, will not take any actions that are unethical and provide any information that is false and misleading.

Hence by telling the truth to the professor from B.C. University I will ensure that I am answering to the inquiry in an ethical manner.