Examples of ethical dilemmas in business situations.
Respond as though being consulted before the decision.
What do you think of it?
A- legality B- Moral viewpoint C- Long term solution strategy
A disgruntled employee of your major competitor mails top secret information or new product samples to you. Do you begin to do a dance on your desktop or do you immediately mail the information back to your competitor? What would you do?
1. A-Throw the plans or secrets away
a) Legal.
b) I guess it would not challenge the competition
c) Ehhh, inadvisable. If the disgruntled employee turns on you, the traceable information that the letter was sent to you is out there.
B- Send them to the research department for analysis
a) Legal?
b) Depends on the tone of the companies.
c) I wouldn’t tout to the public that you’re doing this, but this is a known stratagem.
defining-STRATAGEM
1. a plan, scheme, or trick for surprising or deceiving an enemy.
2. any artifice, ruse, or trick devised or used to attain a goal or to gain an advantage over an adversary or competitor: business stratagems.
Ah, feel the edge of natural competition.
C- Notify your competitor about what is going on
a) Legal
b) Would create good sentiments between the head of the two companies, most likely. Perhaps not, considering on how your competition views the whole idea of competition. Some would consider it a shot in your own foot because they expect the implementation of these stratagem.
c) Depends. Depends on the tone of the disgruntled employee- are they unhealthily dangerous in their methods? Depends on the tone of the company. Use own judgement.
D- Call the FBI
a) Sure is legal.
b) Overreaction, but, being a “whistleblower” to lily white moral ethics
c) Unnecessary. As soon as you call them the power of the situation goes to them, and you’ll be dealing with egos and badges in a third party group. Third party…or….Third wheel.
