1

ETHICS CASE STUDY: HUMAN RESOURCES

Marlina A. Savini-Boggs

Arizona State University

OGL 345: Organizational Ethics

August 26, 2021

 2

Section 1: What is Ethics?

According to Northouse (2018), “Ethics is concerned with the kinds of values and morals

an individual or society finds desirable or appropriate” (p. 336). Based on philosophical views,

ethics is more about the person’s character, their intentions (good or bad), and the

consequences of their actions (positive or negative), thereby varying from person to location,

background, and culture. Values, beliefs, and traditions are common to those who share the

same views. Ethics is more than just shared values and beliefs, but also ethical standings and

principles. “Based on the writing of Aristotle, a moral person demonstrates the virtues of

courage, temperance, generosity, self-control, honesty, sociability, modesty, fairness, and

justice (Velasquez, 1992). For Aristotle, virtues allowed people to live well in communities. In

essence, virtue-based ethics is being and becoming a good, worthy human being (Northouse,

2018, p. 341).”

I feel that Aristotle’s philosophical views on ethics resonated with me most. I associate

ethics with morals. Morals correlate with doing what is right or being a good human being. The

values, principles, and beliefs that ensures the well-being of not just individual but a community

as a whole can be seen as ethical. When used in problem-solving or handling conflicts, it then

becomes ethical decision-making. I believe every decision we make in life (whether we know it

or not) ethics play a part in. Otherwise, we have completely lost our humanity.

Section 2: What is your Chosen Profession?

As a Human Resources Specialist, we often have to make the difficult decisions when

handling organizational, employee/employer, or even customer issues. I have been an HR

professional for over 16 years; and as such, I have found meaning in helping others through

customer service, training, development, and providing leadership. The profession goes far

beyond assisting staff and organizational members. Like most, HR professionals are guided not
 3

only by laws, rules, regulations, etc., but also by code of ethics. Since HR departments are

designed to protect companies and employees as well as maximizing productivity, ethics play

an important role in their decision making.

In the HR world, when it comes to ethical dilemmas or decision making it can be difficult

to separate an issue from personal to professional standpoint. Due to the nature of the

profession, often times merging the two can leave you questioning your duties as well as your

ethics. That is, should you get involved? Is this an HR issue? Does it have possible legal

implications? Will it affect the organization or employees? These questions and more can

assist with making a professional judgement and acting accordingly. However, when that

professional judgement deems it not appropriate to become involved, you are then left to

question your ethics and what you feel is the right thing to do. Nonetheless, HR professionals

face multitude of ethical dilemmas in their line of work such as unfair hiring practices, misuse of

personal information, overuse of employee referral practices, equal opportunity and

discrimination, compensation and skills, etc. All of these are governed by rules, regulations,

and laws but it is the HR’s duty (be it ethical or professional) to ensure it is properly handled or

dealt with.

Section 3: Case Study 1

Target, a family-run department store turned major merchandise retailer in the nation by

1962 has more than 1,850 stores with locations in all 50 U.S. states and over 350,000

employees. Even with its success, the corporation has been under scrutiny for its hiring

practices; lawsuits filed for discrimination. In September 2018, the U.S. Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission filed suit against Target for conduct violating Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA). According to EEOC, a deaf applicant who applied online and met

minimum qualifications for open positions in Antioch, California was not afforded the opportunity

to properly interview with the company knowingly of his disability. Target had contacted the
 4

applicant via telephonic twice and hung up without leaving a message. When the applicant

learned of the missed calls through Video Relay Service and return their calls, Target still did

not respond nor schedule him for interview subsequently rejecting him from hire. The U.S.

District Court ruled in favor of the EEOC and Target settled by paying $45,000 (U.S.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2020).

Protecting individuals from discrimination during hiring practices goes beyond laws and

regulations already in place. Ethics in decision making plays a big role in HR when it comes to

recruitment and placement. It is human decency to treat others as you would want to be

treated. As a corporation of that size, Target should already have measures set in place to

accommodate certain applicants with special needs. Furthermore, their HR recruiters should

have been trained or provided the resources to properly process applicants. Even if the failure

was on the organizations lack to properly train recruits to accommodate applicants with special

needs, the ultimate decision to do what is right lies on the recruiters’ moral principles and ethics.

Section 4: Case Study 2

Activision Blizzard, a video gaming corporation headquartered in Santa Monica,

California is facing a lawsuit filed by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing for

violations of Fair Employment and Housing Act as well as the California Equal Pay Act.

According to the lawsuit filed July 2021, numerous complaints about unlawful harassment,

discrimination, and retaliation were made to the HR department and executives with no remedial

measures taken and further discouragement from filing complaints. The dismissive manner in

which the HR department of Activision Blizzard handled this matter left female employees to be

subjects of harassment and retaliation (Register Media, 2021).

Employee relations is an HR function. Establishing policies and guidelines on how to

properly handle behavioral violations enables trust in an organization and ensures employee,
 5

employers, and customers alike feel safe at work. Confidentiality should not be taken lightly

when it comes to reporting. It is not only your duty as an HR professional to document a

violation but also the right thing to do to ensure that individual information remains private.

Negative behavior has negative consequences. The fear of position and rank cannot be a

determining factor to dismiss or allow continuance of discriminatory behaviors. It creates a toxic

working environment and diminishes the relevance of an organization. HR departments are

created to mitigate and control these behaviors. Because HR issues aren’t always black and

white, ethical decisions are just as important as professional judgement when it comes to doing

the right thing.

Section 5: Case Study 3

A few years ago, I worked as an HR Supervisor for a Military Police Organization. A

new policy had just been released by the Department of Defense addressing Separate Rations

(food allowance) and when individuals are not authorized to receive it. One of those instances

would be during a training exercise or mission where a hot meal was provided by a military

dining facility. I had addressed this during a staff meeting to ensure that all department heads

were aware so they could distribute this information to their staff personnel. I felt it was

important, especially to those families who depend on those extra funds financially. A few

weeks prior to the mission, I was approached by the executive officer (my immediate

supervisor) and was told to hold off on processing the pay action requests. He felt it was not

necessary to take those funds away from everyone and didn’t think it would make a difference in

the bigger scheme of things. I had tried to explain the affects of such request and how it could

create a debt for those currently receiving rations. Unfortunately, I was dismissed with an

official order to not proceed.

Compensation and benefits are a function of HR that calls for attention to detail because

it deals with funds. Sometimes when situations arise (like such), it is a must to ensure that the
 6

opposing party(s) understand the implications following their request. The trickling negative

effects of a small action or inaction. It would not just end with individual debts, but finance

audits, an HR staff inspection, and interviews with the executives to determine who made those

decisions, and of course the results. I understood that by disregarding his order it would create

tension, but I stood by my moral standards and legally it was the right thing to do. Prior to, I

approached the organization commander and explained the situation in which he supported my

decision to proceed. These types of situations are not just limited to HR, it happens in all

professions. Even if it was legal, ethically, how would you feel about your decision?

We often forget that ethical dilemmas can also happen in the form of legal actions. It is

much easier to make a decision when we focus mainly on professional standpoint and its legal

implications. Ethics on the other hand can make it complicated when dealing with situations

that may be legal in accordance with laws and regulations but does not feel right when

measured against values, principles, and beliefs. HR is all about human capital. To disregard

your personal standards and rely only on professional judgement can seem like the right thing to

do in a professional setting. I find that difficult in the HR field. A profession built to protect

humans and organizations cannot work without virtues linked to humanity. Those virtues are

what ethical decisions are based off.

Being ethical comes from the values of a leader and the leader’s ability to express those

values with the followers. A leader’s goals and how they seek those goals determine the type of

leader you are. By establishing ethical norms, a leader can inspire and develop a culture of

trust and respect; a safe haven for the organization. Simon Sinek mentioned in one of his

lectures, “When you have a safety net to protect you from things that are considered dangerous,

you will give your best to ensure that safety remain” (2014). That is what HR is about; protecting

all while maximizing productivity.

 7

References:
1. Northouse, P.G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practices. Eighth Edition. SAGE

2. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2020, April 2). Target Corporation to Pay

$45,000 to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit.

https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/target-corporation-pay-45000-settle-eeoc-disability-

discrimination-lawsuit

3. Registered Media. (2021, July 20).

https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/07/22/activision_blizzard_complaint.pdf

4. Simon Sinek. (2014, May 19). Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmyZMtPVodo&t=8s