PGP 11 110
Bharath Chandrasekaran 2
PGP 11 110
There are various types of ethical dilemmas that a person can face. A person may have to sacrifice his career advancement or even risk his job to be ethical. Every person values ethics differently and this determines his behaviour in testing situations. A same person may behave differently under same conditions as his personal situation might have changed; forcing him to adopt a different path i.e. the context is one of the determinants of conduct of a person. For example, a person who might generally not accept bribe may accept the same when in dire need of money, say life threatening condition of a loved one. He/she may not disclose information of illegal activities of his firm as he might respect the confidentiality agreement or he might be jeopardizing his career. What should he do then? What should a person do if he knows for sure or doubts that one of the products of his firm is faulty and is unsafe? Should a person fire his close friend in the company if he is not performing? Should an executive fudge the accounts of his firm to show higher profits? These and other similar questions will need to be answered by a person during his tenure with the firm. The Four Spheres of Executive Responsibility by Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr can be used to analyse the role of an executive in a particular situation and hence, help in the decision making process. These spheres are Personal Ethical Values, Responsibilities as Economic Agents, Responsibilities as Organizational Leaders and Responsibilities in Cooperative Capitalism. There is no conflict if the requirements of each of the spheres are aligned with each other. But if there is any imbalance, conflict arises and the person is faced with an ethical dilemma. This framework doesnt solve the dilemma, but it helps in viewing the various possible roles and help in the decision making process. It is up to the individual to decide on his/her course of action. As a conclusion, this course according to me doesnt show the path that one should follow. No course, literature, framework or person can do this. Instead, this course helps us in uncovering the various course of possible action through a structured analysis of the situation (Identify stakeholders, their demands, concerns, impact on each stakeholder etc.). It is easy to sit in a class and pass judgements on a case study, though we try to put ourselves in the shoes of the various persons involved in the case. We should realize that we will soon be facing real problems, real issues and real dilemmas, with probably no previous incident to base our decision on. We also cant predict the real impact of our decision/action. But, the analysis of such previous cases provides us exposure to the problems of the real world, so that we are prepared. As we embark upon this journey of life, we will be facing such situations, and move one more step towards becoming better individuals with each experience.