PHIL DB5

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Ethical Dilemma
Part One
The deontological perspective basis morality and conforms to the rule of law established in
society. In other words it is not the product of the action but characteristics of the action that
make an action moral or ethical (Devlin, 2006). In the case of David he should have discussed
the conflict of interest with his boss. Most organizations are hierarchal and have a clear chain of
command. David would be required to first report the discrepancy to his boss. Since the relative
is an ex sister in law his boss could simply explain there was no real ethical dilemma or would
have told him he could no longer vouch for the company.
The monthly general finance meeting is the perfect place for David to mention his concerns
especially since the question concerning any potential conflict of interest according to company
policies was asked by finance manager William Young. The potential ramifications include first
David could anger his boss by revealing the connection or he can be praised for finding the
potential ethical complication so it can be properly addressed. An ethical organization would
choose the latter. David is in charge of researching suppliers and vendors for Echo Industries to
ensure compliance with their ethics department. This includes confronting potential ethical
violations no matter the consequences even if David could potentially lose his promotion or even
his job.
In research conducted by Ishmael Akaah (1997) it was discovered that marketing
professionals form research ethics judgments based primarily on deontological considerations.
What this means is the right or wrong of the situation will heavily influence their decision. If it is
wrong for David to be less than candid with the finance manager about the potential ethical
conflict concerning the ex sister-in-law then David must reveal what he has learned. The point of
view of the research is correct.
Part Two
In the workplace there are continuous ethical situations that arise requiring good ethical
decision making. As a manager I have been confronted with many situations requiring a decision
being made despite the potential negative ramifications. In one ethical situation I had to address
the bad behavior of a friend who was also a subordinate. I had to make a choice to reveal the bad
behavior or keep it quiet. In the end, despite the consequences, I had to report the bad behavior.
These actions benefited no one but where absolutely necessary because it was the moral course
of action.









References
Akaah, I. (1997). Influence of Deontological and Teleological Factors on Research Ethics
Evaluations. Journal of Business Research, 39(2): 71-80
Devlin, B. & Magill, G. (2006). The Process of Ethical Decision Making. Best Practice &
Research Clinical Anaesthesiology, 20(4): 493-506