Imagine you work at an ad agency and your team is charged with coming up

with the name for BeautyBees's latest perfume. You have been with the company
for 6 months. The branding team has been brainstorming for the last 2 hours, filling
up pages and pages of the flipchart with innovative, imaginative names. Feeling
daunted by how loudly, quickly, and assertively branding team members are
shouting out suggestions, you decide to sit this one out, even though you have
some ideas. You are uncomfortable shouting over everyone else and you reason
that the group would discount your input anyway. Plus, everyone else is generating
so many good names that the group is bound to succeed regardless of your input.

What Do You Think?

1. Is your lack of participation ethical? Why or why not?

2. What are the implications of speaking up or not speaking up?

3. Would you change your answer if you'd been with the company for 10 years
instead of 6 months?

Answer

1. Is your lack of participation ethical? Why or why not

Employee involvement is defined as a process that allows employees to

contribute their opinions about a specific situation or topic, which aids in making
effective decisions in the workplace. It could be done through company meetings,
brainstorming sessions, or other means. Employee participation can thus be
considered ethical. This is due to the fact that ethical employees do not jeopardize
their professional standing and are dedicated to their work and responsibilities at
work. Because every employee has the right to share his or her opinions in order to
make a decision, it is unethical for an employee not to contribute his or her views
due to personal constraints or the overriding opinions of other employees.
Employees benefit from this type of participation.

2. What are the implications of speaking up or not speaking up?

Speaking clearly aids in conveying thoughts, ideas, and opinions in an assertive

and transparent manner that others can understand. It allows an individual to
express himself or herself without fear of being judged, which boosts self-esteem.
Speaking up helps an individual gain confidence and establishes a solid foundation
for communication. Speaking up in the workplace helps an individual increase his
or her influence, credibility, and visibility, all of which help the individual achieve
success in the workplace. It is critical for an employee to speak up because it helps
to establish the person's image as someone with good ideas and opportunities, as
well as establishing a good relationship with other team members in an
organization.

3. Would you change your answer if you'd been with the company for 10 years
instead of 6 months?

Of course, I wouldn’t. Because of my experience and familiarity with the

company's culture and processes, the expectation of active participation and
contribution would likely be higher if I had been with the company for 10 years
rather than 6 months. I may have a better understanding of how to navigate team
dynamics and may feel more at ease expressing your ideas.