EDU10011 Learning for Future Careers: Identify An Ethical Dilemma

Dilemmas are common in the workplace, and most people can attest to having encountered one or several of them at any given time. However, the most intriguing one are those that involve ethics. Employees and even employers are bound to follow certain codes of conduct. However, there reaches a point where one finds himself or herself in a difficult situation in regards to upholding such codes of conducts, rules or regulations (DeVito, 2007). Several factors that are revolving the lifestyle and living conditions of a person have the potential to influence a person to behave in an unethical manner. Thus, putting a person in a dilemma in regards to weighing between good or bad, or rather, ethical or unethical code of conduct. In this essay, therefore, I intend to discuss an ethical dilemma in a workplace, values that arise in regards to it and the possible solution that any person can follow to solve the dilemma.

Description of the dilemma

As a person working in data entry, having free time in which there are no data to enter in the company database is common, as it is for other workmates. One day, I realized that one of my workmates was operating his online business during working hours. However, according to the workplace ethics, one is not supposed to use company resources for personal use.  This is a dilemma because the workmate is a close friend of mine who is obviously violating company policy. I had to make the choice of reporting him to our supervisor or keeping mum about it.

Ethical Values

Several ethical values can ignite my response to the question of using company resources for personal use, specifically, in regards to the case study or question under discussion. The following values determine my response to the question;

• Corporate Citizenship, this entails taking care of the welfare of the company and how it operates, not only inside the company but all that the company encompasses (Bowie, 2005). In regards to the dilemma under study, the value compels me to act in an attempt to protect the company resources from being misused or used in a bad light. Additionally, the value embraces the idea that a good corporate citizen has to report any mischievous activities that happen within the company or those that do not conform to the codes of conduct as stipulated within the organization.
• Leadership value; This value ensures that I take the responsibility of not only guiding myself in the obligations of the workplace, but also ensure that I guide others, or upholds ethical values and be a man of integrity. This compels me not to sit back and watch codes of conducts being violated but act as a leader. In addition to that, a leader ought to market his or her values in the same case that I ought to inspire my workmates (Becker, 2002).

Ethical questions

• Integrity; it denotes a quality of a person or people being honest, having strong moral values and principles. In the workplace, not only the employer but also employees need to uphold such standards to be considered as people of integrity (Crane, & Matten, 2016). As far as the dilemma in the case study is concerned, the employees raise the question of whether they are people of integrity. It is as a result of doing something that they are unable to explain to their boss or to openly share as it violates the ethical tenets of the company. Additionally, their integrity is questionable as a result of them appearing to lack moral principles that can guide them in not using the company resources for their personal undertakings or businesses.
• Accountable; this value emphasizes an obligation for all employees to take account all his or her activities in regards to the company, take charge of the responsibility and can openly disclose the results in a transparent way (Rossouw, Prozesky, du Plessis, & Prinsloo, 2010). As far as the dilemma is concerned, it is hard to imagine that the employees can disclose that they operate the online business using the company’s resources, that is, time and computer. Additionally, they are not in a position to share their activities with their boss. Their work contains some unethical undertakings. Thus, this raises the question of whether their actions can be described as accountable, which is one of the core ethical values in almost all workplaces.
• Lastly, the dilemma brings into question whether the employees can be trusted. In every workplace, trust is essential to run activities involving people. It forms part of codes of conduct in most workplaces (Combs, 2002). The employee who uses company resources to operate his online business raises the question of whether they can be trusted. Suppose the boss finds out what they have been doing, can they be trusted ever again. It raises a very pertinent ethical question.

Solutions

There are numerous to tackle such dilemma, in this one, one way is to consult the boss whether it is appropriate to use the free time to log in to an online account for personal reasons. Another way is to consult other employees in a different company without giving them specific details on what is going on in our company (Cuban, 2001). Additionally, another possible solution is to consider how people with a similar problem dealt with the problem to determine the best way possible.

Conclusion

It is clear therefore that workplace dilemma as a result of the violation of the ethical code of conduct can be hectic especially if it involves a question of observing their violation. Some of these values include but are not limited to trust, integrity, and accountability. However, there exist various avenues that can generate a solution to each dilemma.

References

Bowie, N. E. (2005). Management ethics.

Becker, F. (2002). Organizational dilemmas and workplace solutions. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 4(2), 129-149.

Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business Ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.

Cuban, L. (2001). How can I fix it?: Finding solutions and managing dilemmas: An educator's  road map. Teachers College Press.

Combs, G. M. (2002). Meeting the leadership challenge of a diverse and pluralistic workplace: Implications of self-efficacy for diversity training. Journal of Leadership &      Organizational Studies, 8(4), 1-16.

Decorey, H. (2013). Code of conduct in business. Docs. school Publications.

DeVito, J. A. (2007). Interpersonal Communication Book, The, 13/E. New York, NY: Pearson  International.

Rossouw, D., Prozesky, M., du Plessis, C., & Prinsloo, F. (2010). Ethics for Accountants &  Auditors. OUP Catalogue.