Shivani Patel 1/5/13 GB 590: Ethics in Business and Society Professor Carol Hancock Unit 1 Assignment

The moral dilemma that was identified in the journal entry was a right verses right dilemma. In this situation the dilemma was whether to do the right thing for the company, or do the right thing for the employee. If I were to do the right thing for the company that would involve firing an employee due to the fact that she works slow and does not always complete all the tasks she is supposed to. This would be good for the company, as we could hire someone else that would be able to complete the tasks required in a timely manor and be paid for actually working hard. The other dilemma is if I were to fire the employee she would be out of a job and she is a single mother who was trying to attend school while working to provide all she could to her daughter. It made it a very difficult situation, as I believed both ways of handling the situation were right but they both had such strong conclusions. This is a moral dilemma as I believed strongly that this employee was doing all she really could. I also believed that as a manger I was in charge and it was my job to let her go for not completing the work she needed to. The model from this weeks reading that I used to make a decision would be the view that states, the test of right and wrong should come from some sort of community consensus (Goodpaster, 1983). I believe that this is the best method to use in this situation as I was torn between two dilemmas. I like this method, as I am not jut going with my gut feeling but going with what is really in the best interest for everyone. Using this method can help you understand the situation more by going to others that have opinions worth value. This method also helps you look at other things that may be of concern when it comes to making a big decision.

The decision I made for this employee was to let her go. I came to this decision as I realized it was best for the company, which overall, I was working for. I realized it was my job to do so and got the help of other mangers who agreed that this was the best decision. It took me a long time to realize that even though she may not see it as helping her, it was the best answer for the company. I also realized that maybe this would help her in the long run. Maybe making this decision would show here that it takes a lot of work to get to where you need to be. If you dont put in the work you cant expect to just ride along. This was one of the toughest situations I have ever been in, but realized if I did not let her go, someone would have, and at least I was able to be the one to talk to her and explain it. This weeks learning has really brought up some great situations where I have not known what to do, as they both seem right. As one case study mentioned In business, the process is more difficult because economic goals and exigencies often appear to override other considerations (Werhane, 1994). This point is very true. When it comes to making morally or ethically right decisions our views are sometimes blurred by what we want to accomplish goal wise. In my job we are so focused on reaching our goals that sometimes we do push aside what we really believe is right. There are many times where we do what we are supposed to for work but really dont believe it is the right thing to do. My job consists of processing loans for mortgages. I luckily currently work for an amazing company that always wants to do what is right for the member, not necessarily what is right for the company. USAA wants to ensure we are helping our members and not pushing them into a loan just to make money. This makes my decisions easier as I can tell a

member that you may be better off using another bank for your mortgage. Most other companies will want to keep their members in order to earn money. This always used to pose a great issue for me when I knew that it was not in the best interest of the customer to continue the loan. At the same time if I were to say anything I could potentially loose my job. One of the best quotes I read in all the reading was as follows dirty hands situations are sometimes the inescapable lot of men and women with real responsibilities in life (Badaracco, 2009). This statement really stood out to me throughout all the reading and this weeks learning. This statement made me realize that in my personal and work life there will always be something that I have to work on. Every individual, once they grow up, will always have an issue or situation in their life that will cause them some stress. If we can learn to deal with the situation in the best way possible, and realize that we are not the only ones going through that situation, it would make our stress levels decrease. What I have taken from this week will always help me in the future. There are many times when you will have to make a decision and if you can look at it ethically and morally and take the time to really look into it, you may be able to come to a conclusion that can help you in the long run.

References: Badaracco, Jr., J.L. (2009). Right versus right: When managers are faced with tough ethical choices. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Publishing. [3052BC] Goodpaster, K.E. (1983). Ethical frameworks for management. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Publishing. [384105] Werhane, P. (1994). A note on five traditional theories of moral reasoning. Charlottesville, VA: Darden Publishing. [UV0385]