Question

Descriptions for seven guidelines for judging ethical communication are provided in the text:

Utilitarian approach

Rights approach

Fairness or justice approach

Common-good approach

Virtue approach

Professional ethic

Publicity test

Outline the range of ways you could handle each of the following situations. Use two or more of the ethical guidelines to compare courses of action, and then decide on a course of action you believe to be both principled and realistic. Justify your decision.

1. A coworker tells you he is about to buy an expensive car that will strain his budget to the maximum. You recently learned he is slated to be laid off at the end of the month but were told to keep this information in strictest confidence. What do you do?

2. Your friend is applying for a job and has given you as a reference. A questionnaire sent by the employer asks if there is any reason you cannot recommend the applicant. You know that your friend is struggling with an alcohol problem, which led to dismissal from a previous job. Do you mention this problem on the reference form? If so, how?

3. Your manager calls you into her office and praises you for doing excellent work on a recent project. She suggests that this level of performance is likely to earn you a promotion and a raise. In truth, a colleague made a far greater contribution to the project. How do you respond to your manager’s praise?

4. As part of your job, you learn that some damaged equipment can be repaired for $15,000. Your supervisor tells you to claim the damage is much greater so the insurance company will pay closer to $100,000. What do you do?

5. While you are entertaining a customer, he makes a blatantly offensive joke. How do you respond?

Answer 1

1. In this case, if I use the ethical guideline of professional ethics, I must keep this information confidential as I was told so at my work. Or, using an utilitarian approach I could my coworker about his upcoming lay off which will stop him from spending his money in the car and it will help him to save that money and he can use it during the time he is laid off.

From these two choices, I will decide on going with the utilitarian approach because, if I stop my coworker from spending all his money, it would help him as well as his family to have the financial support whereas there would be no significant loss to the company when I let this information out. So, I believe it will be the good for the greatest when I opt for telling my worker regarding his upcoming lay off.

2. If I use the professional ethics approach, I would surely tell the company regarding my friend's alcohol problem because I am responsible to provide the true information as I was asked for his reference. Or, according to the virtue approach I could deny telling the company regarding my friend's problem and help him get the job.  

In this case, I will go with virtue approach and not tell the company about my friend's problem because, I value friendship and I want to help my friend to get a job so that he can support his living. I will also make sure that I tell him not to get in to alcohol problems again so that the company does not experience any trouble from my friend's side.

3. If I use the professional ethics approach I must tell my manager the truth, or Using the rights approach I will not tell her the truth regarding my colleagues contribution because I deserve to get the promotion as I have also worked for it.

From these two options, I will chose the rights approach because it will help me get a promotion but I will also mention that my colleague had also contributed to my work and had helped me with it so that I don't feel bad denying his efforts.

4. Using the professional ethics approach I could either accept and do what my supervisor had asked me to do because it is my job to take his orders. Or using the virtue approach I could deny doing it because I feel it is not honest to provide a false claim.

Though I do not want to make a false claim, I would still follow my supervisor's orders because, in reality I must do what my work demands from me and what I am ordered to do.

5. Using the professional ethics approach I must stay calm and deal the situation patiently because my work is to deal with the customer and help them. Or using the rights approach I can express my disappointment regarding his inappropriate behavior.

In this case, I would use both these approaches by telling him not to make offensive comments and then carry on with my work and deal with customer.