MY Considering Managerial Ethics in the Workplace DISCUSSION-
Before starting your discussion, read the Forbes article How to make an ethical difference in your business (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. In the article, Zwilling (2013) stated,
Many people seem to have the sense that ethics are spiraling downward in business, yet most business professionals and entrepreneurs I know don’t believe they can make a difference. They don’t realize that if they don’t take an active role in the solution, they really become part of the problem. (para. 1
Review the five solutions to ethical problems described by Zwilling. Select one of the five solutions. Put yourself into the role of leader and evaluate how your chosen solution could be applied to an organizational ethical dilemma.
Your response must be a minimum of 300 words.
Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7 of the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies early during the week to promote more meaningful interactive discourse in the discussion. Review your classmates’ solutions. In your response, share additional ideas that could make the solution more viable for the organization.
REPLY TO JEFFEREYS DISCUSSION:
Stand in the shoes of affected parties
I chose this solution because I just recently had a discussion with my manager where he actually suggested this technique. I had brought up a concern where a coworker seemed to keep giving really high work estimates for things that should be easy or trivial. The other person wasn’t as seasoned as me and my boss suggested I try standing in that person’s shoes to see it from their perspective. As Zwilling (2013) suggested, try to overcome the distance between you and them and try to understand things from the other persons perspective.
At a larger scale, I’ll use Facebook as an example due to their recent data privacy issues. Mark Zuckerberg recently testified before Congress that Facebook was taking appropriate measures to protect customer data and information. As the role of a leader, I would be looking out for the good of the company and its shareholders. However, it’s also important to take a step back and see things from the customers perspective.
Social media and social network sites are built around the idea of sharing information. However, there should still be limits and proper security measures in place so that consumers can decide what they want to share and with whom. In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook should have done more to protect customer information. It may sometimes take consumer backlash or a scandal to force a leader to see things from the other perspective. However, there may be a considerable amount of damage done by that point.
Gonzalez-Padron (2015) mentioned that companies are looking for employees that have ethical decision-making and leadership skills and who understand how ethics relate to business. As a leader, determine how you would want your data and information handled. Would you be upset if you trusted a company with personal information and they broke that trust by not having proper security measures in place? As the leader of a company that had a data breach, would you feel as though you took all the reasonable security measures to help protect customer information? Before answering these questions, be sure to stand in the shoes of the affected parties; it might just change your answer.
References:
Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business ethics and social responsibility for managers [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Zwilling, M. (2013, November 11). How to make an ethical difference in your business. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/11/17/how-to-make-an-ethical-difference-in-your-business/
REPLY TO EDWARD:
I would choose the global benefit approach to rate possible outcomes to resolve an ethical dilemma within an organization because which can be connected to the utilitarianism theory because it seeks the most notable good for the highest number of individuals. Determining what route of activity “produces the greatest balance of benefit over harm for all concerned. Who counts, then what counts, as a benefit or harm in considering the possible outcomes. Any action with great benefits without violating ground rules could be the right one” (Zwilling, 2013). Take for instance all the concerns that people have with putting health food in their bodies while being able to do so on a budget.
A lot of people within the United States live on a tight budget when payday comes around and that means extra money can’t be spent on a regular basis to feed an entire family. Healthy food items from a grocery store or restaurant are usually more expensive than an unhealthy item which would be difficult for a financially stricken family to eat on a consistent basis. ‘“An ad for a $4 “deal” from Hardee’s, which includes a cheeseburger, fried chicken sandwich, soda and fries, clocks in at 1,420 calories — comprised of 61 grams of fat, 43 grams of protein and 187 grams of carbohydrates” (Sharma, 2017). While these items are very unhealthy including the high sodium, which can lead to multiple obesity related diseases, they are affordable.
McDonalds can resolve this dilemma by lowering the price of their healthier items and creating more to put on the menu board and send promotions to customers in the mail and on their smart phone as well. This will cause McDonalds to lose money, which would cause disputes amongst their shareholders and investors who are looking for a financial gain. The global benefit approach in this situation would be to put a higher priority on their customers’ health instead of a monetary gain. As a leader, I would reach out to shareholders and investors who have a concern for investing and promoting menu items that are not processed which would benefit human health and the environment.
References
Sharma, S. (2017, Apr. 27). Are fast food ads killing us? Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/27/opinions/overeating-the-new-tobacco-opinion-sharma/index.html
Zwilling, M. (2013, Nov. 17). How to make an ethical difference in your business. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/11/17/how-to-make-an-ethical-difference-in-your-business/#7df4d0b5bed9 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
