A Discussion of Ethics

At a Crossroads with Management: A Discussion of Ethics
Copyright © DeShawn Ducksworth
Eight Star Diamond Factory

While it may be a truism to say that most of us would like to either be independently wealthy or
work four ourselves, building our own brand of business, the reality of the situation is that few of
us, statistically speaking, will ever achieve that dream. This leaves us with the necessity of playing
the office politics game, getting on the good side of management, and trying not to rock the boat
too much. Of course, there may come a time when you are presented with an ethical dilemma
when it comes to your relationship with your boss. There may come a time when your boss asks
you to do something that is slightly off the path, ethically and morally speaking. And at that time,
you will have to make a choice: go with the flow and do as they say, breaking your own code of
ethics in the process, or go against the grain, stand up for yourself and your beliefs, and risk losing
favor with management, or even risk losing your job.

Of course, much of the decision making power will have to do with the specific situation
involved. If you boss asks you to do something clearly illegal, which could cost you much more
than your job, the choice will be a lot easier than something on a smaller, subtler scale. Say for
instance your boss wants you to begin a surveillance program, keeping track of everyone’s
internet activity in the office. You may feel this is an invasion of privacy, even if you are not
breaking any laws. Your friends and coworkers in the office would lose respect for you if they
found out about your surveillance, and it may even be a case where if you won’t do it, someone
else will. This is where you will have to decide where and what you want to stand for. If you
agree to the task, you might be breaking your personal code of ethics; if you deny it, you may risk
losing your job or, more likely, be passed over for that next promotion.

Situations like the one described above are never easy. There are many considerations to take
under advisement, and it would behoove anyone in such a situation to consult with their family
and the people they trust for counsel before proceeding. In the end, of course, you must make the
decision that feels right to you. If you feel, for instance, like perusing the internet activity of that
girl in accounting is a light transgression, it may be easy to decide to go with the flow in this
instance. On the other hand, if you feel strongly that management has no right to invade their
employees privacy in this way, it may be a situation where it is worth the penalty to stand up for
your beliefs.

With many ethical considerations, there are no clear cut answers. There is only your personal set
of beliefs, staged against another’s. These situations can be the most difficult to conquer, as they
may come down to nothing more than personal disagreements. Neither of you may have an
objective stance of right or wrong, but both of you may feel just as strongly about your opinion.
In the end, it will fall to you to make the decision you can live with.

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