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Personal Can Ethics Get' Shakira J Matthews Strayer University BUS520 October 10, 2011 Certification of Authorship: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have cited and sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Signature Shakira Matthews * * * * * Grade on assignment: __________________ Instructor’s comments: Introduction We are going to attempt to discuss how personal difference and preferences can impact organizational ethics. How organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics. The ethical dilemmas that Valerie is facing and recommend what Valerie should do. How Personal Differences and Personal Preference Can Impact Organizational Ethics Every human being has a personal difference and preference. What a person values the most and how that single decision will impact their life, can determine the action the person will take. For example; if it is a choice between self preservation and right and wrong it is natural for a person to choose self preservation over what is right or what is wrong. When people own and manage a business, we presume that they will act in their own self-interest, making managerial decisions to support the achievement of their own short- and long-term goals (Colley,2003).The only way to survive is to be the one to come out on top. Whether it’s fair or unfair human first interest is to try to get away with as much as humanly possible with out getting caught. This is where the ethical dilemma comes in to play. Ethical dilemma is the difference between personal difference and personal preference. The choice of doing something that benefits your personal scope compared to your moral values. Although, doing the right thing may have a slow result it always pays off in the long-run. The idea of having such a heavy burden lifted off your chest should be satisfying enough, though it is not always satisfying at the time it is happening. With that in mind, personal difference and personal preference impact on organizational ethics is so great that it can have a negative or a positive impact on a business. The impact on a business can affect everyone involved in the company form the customer to the lower level employee all the way to the shareholder. Companies place these codes of ethics to help the organization run smoothly. Imagine if everyone decided to put their preferences first, what do you think would happen to the company' Without a doubt the company will go belly-up then personal preference will not be the issue. Whether it’s the Chief Executive Operator (CEO) of the company or the janitor of the company, the notion of taking a company down makes it harder on all people involved. How Organizational Policies and Procedures Can Impact Ethics Organizations set up structure by implementing policies and procedures. By setting up policies and procedures the organization shows. All occupations have a certain degree of what is acceptable in the field. For example: the doctor has to have a nurse present in the room with them to be a witness to the conduct of the doctor. This polices keeps the doctor from lawsuits and helps to maintain ethics on the doctor visit. Organizational policies show the organization as an entity with integrity and will be held in high regards. Companies have procedure in effect to help the company run smoothly. This gives the company guidelines and structure. For example: A company like McDonalds has a procedure on how the food is processed before the customer receives their order. The process of how the company wants to handle customers is standard to that organization. Imagine if the organization does not enforce their policies and procedure. The organization would have a bunch of employees processing orders any way they see fit. When employees go against the company policies and procedures, they leave the company venerable. When the company see that a employee is not following their standard it is grounds for firing and can be a possibility for Valerie Young of the fragrance company in Chicago. The rules are there for a reason, to help the organization perform at its peak level without error. Ethical Dilemmas That Valerie is Facing Valerie’s dilemma is one of ethical proportions and one that can happen to anyone in an office environment. Valerie has come into contact with contracts belonging to her boss at the fragrance company in Chicago. The information contained in the documents is shocking and an eye-opener for Valerie. Valerie has discovered that her boss, Mr. Water is receiving kickbacks from two major perfumers supplies (Hellriegel, 2011). Valerie’s discovery comes at a really bad time for Valerie and for the team Valerie works with at the fragrance company. Here is where Valerie’s real dilemma manifests itself. Valerie is working for the company on a work visa that can be revoked, if the company is found to be fraudulent and Valerie is not working in the field of expertise (Hellriegel, 2011). This could pose very problematic as this will send her back to her country with no job. When Valerie post that she worked for this company and other employment opportunities arise. Other companies can be bias this type of information and deny her employment based on current employment history. The other dilemma that Valerie faces is, Valerie had been excepted to enroll in a major university in the Chicago area and the company has a compensation package that reimburse for returning to school (Hellriegel, 2011). Considering all of the material involved in this case, Valerie ultimately has to choose between her career and education being taken away. The job lost of her colleges and financial burden this can create for them and the lost of her relationship to her boyfriend. Compared to having someone finding out later, this in turn makes her now a co- conspirator to the criminal activity. Simply knowing of a crime and not informing the proper authorities considered a crime by the court of law and is also punishable by the organization and is grounds for termination. Recommendations for Valerie There are a number of different ways one can go about this situation. When given a solution to Valerie’s drama you have to consider all the consequences associated with the dilemma. Scenario one, Valerie could inform the boss of the discovery she found in the printer. In doing this, Valerie is opening a line of communication with Lionel Waters. This line of communication could have a positive or negative affect for Valerie. Given the positive side, Valerie might learn that her personal perception of the event is a misunderstanding. Keeping in mind that Valerie is from another country, Lionel Waters could persuade Valerie that their culture difference is the reason for her suspicions. The second scenario Valerie could do is what is called whistle blowing. Valerie could and probably should go to higher authorities with the discovery. The only thing wrong with this scenario is, Valerie can fact retaliation from Mr. Waters, there are laws that protect people who are whistle blowers. The whistle blowing statue protects whistleblowers from subsequent retaliation on the part of employer. This act was placed in effect in 1989 (Clarkson, 2001). The third scenario is the route that Valerie took which is not to tell what she has discovered. If Valerie keeps the information to herself she does not have the risk of loosing her job until after she gain the valuable things the company is offering. Valerie will gain a college education at the companies expense. College is very costly and is the best way to go to school. With regards to Valerie visa status, Valerie does get to stay in the United States on her work visa. Valerie could get married to also protect her visa. Conclusion Companies set up policies and procedure that should be followed to maintain the company’s ethics. When these procedures are not followed the culture of the company is thrown away. Employees always have their best interest at heart instead of the company. This has a serious impact on the organizations ethics. The company should be first when making a ethical decision. That is not always what is logical. The company has the organization’s best interest in their plan and when that interest is challenge the company loose. Valerie Young has her best interest at heart and the company may be loosing money due to this fact Reference Clarkson, K.W., Cross, F.B., Jentz, G.A., & Miller, R.L. (2001). West’s business law. Colley, J. L., Doyle, J.L., Logan, G.W., & Stettinius, W. (2003). Corporate governance. New York, NY: McGraw- Hill. Hellriegel, D., Slocum, J. W. (2011). Organizational behavior (13 ed). Mason, OH: Cengage learning