RITIKA SHARMA

1910120028

RELEVANT FACTS:
 Julie is Sunny’s boss
 Julie’s boss Mahesh had asked her to design an innovative and efficient program but
due to the pressure of the job she can’t do this
 Sunny designs a creative software package that addresses major concerns within the
company and shares it with Julie hoping that it would bring her a much needed
promotion and raise
 Julie is thinking of presenting Sunny’s program to her boss showing it her own
 Is Sunny objects she can threaten to lower her performance and if she agrees, she can
even promote or raise her

ETHICAL ISSUES:
 There are a lot of ethical issues here and the main ethical issue is that whether it is
ethical for Julie to take credit for Sunny’s work. Moreover, if the software is
developed within the premises of the company and in office’s time, then whether it
should belong to the company or Sunny. It can also be asked that whether Julie is
stealing by showing Sunny’s program as her own.

PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS:
 The Company
 Julie
 Sunny
 Mahesh

UTILITARIAN THEORY:
1. Identify alternative actions and those affected: The alternatives are to report the
fictitious expenses or not. Those affected include the company, Julie, Sunny and Julie’s boss
Mahesh.
2. Determine benefits and costs for each alternative:
Alternative I: Julie can proceed to take Sunny’s work. There is a high probability that Julie
will benefit in the short run.
Alternative II: Julie and Sunny together as a team can present the work together, sharing the
credit
Alternative III: Julie can give Sunny full credit of her work in front of her boss in such a
way that it makes both of them look good and in this way, Julie did not use her authority to
put her assistant down and hence, Sunny will be rewarded what she deserves based on her
contribution in the company
3. Select the action with the greatest net benefit for all affected: Not taking credit of
Sunny’s work will keep Julie safe and guilt free, will benefit to all the stakeholders but may
get the Julie fired which may harm the company in short run until it hires somebody else in
place of Julie.
4. What if this action became a policy for similar situations? There will be a major loss to
all the hard-working employees in the organization whose work is taken up by their superiors
and their credits are being taken.

Conclusion
Compared to Alternatives (1), (2) and (3), Alternative (3) maximizes the happiness of Julie
and Sunny while reducing harm to the other stakeholders.

RIGHTS THEORY:
1. Identify the right in question. Those whose rights may be violated are Sunny, Mahesh,
other employees, managers, and owners which would take the same credit.
2. Explain why it is a right: Sunny has the right of ownership to showcase her work as her
own in front of the superiors.
3. Identify another right. The owners of that company also have a fundamental right to
information about the resources that are being used without company’s knowledge for the
development of the software.
4. Explain why it is a right. This right is essential for the company’s dignity.
5. Are there conflicts with other rights or the rights of others? None are apparent in this
case.

Conclusion
There is a serious violation of the ownership right of Sunny.

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE THEORY:

1. How are the benefits and burdens distributed? Those who may have benefits and
burdens are Julie, Sunny, other employees, managers, and owners.
2. Is this distribution fair? If Sunny receives the promotion and raise that she wants,
are the benefits being fairly distributed to her if Julie claims authorship of the
program?

Conclusion
Julie will incur considerable professional risk if she claims authorship of the program. It
could damage her career as plagiarism is a serious offense and would destroy the image of the
company.

RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend that Julie should give Sunny full credit of her work in front of her boss
and showcase it in a way that both of them look good and that there is no use of authority by
Julie over sunny. If she goes on with showing Sunny’s program as her own, then she might
risk her professional career. By going on with giving Sunny full credit, Julie will prove that
she works on a professional way and not in a greedy way. Since, as a leader Julie, must also
be a good follower and this would be a fair decision in this problem.