Rationale for Topic Selection
Working relationships within a team are essential for people to feel comfortable doing their jobs. However, in some cases, ethical dilemmas may arise that confuse employees. The importance of addressing such ethical issues is high, as the consequences of inaction can harm different people depending on the specifics of the issue. This topic was chosen to analyze the case of an ethical dilemma in the workplace and the possible consequences (Mulisa et al., 2021). This question is relevant at any time and may interest all employed people since such difficult situations may arise.
Background
In this case, a company employee discovers unknown risks associated with a product that may affect its further use. If the detected problem does not disappear, this can lead to various negative consequences, including injury to potential consumers. This case is appropriate for the chosen topic, as it reflects the ethical problem of the employee’s oscillation between personal integrity and possible negative consequences for the company. If the employee is silent and does not say anything about the discovered shortcoming, there is a risk of severe damage to the company’s image.
Ethical Dilemmas
In this case, there is a dilemma associated with the fact that the employee does not know what is best for them to do when they find a defect in any product. The employee must be honest and report everything; however, this may lead to the identification of even more significant risks associated with the product, leading to increased working hours. What makes this case difficult is that non-disclosure of risks can cause damage to many users, which will entail negative consequences for the employee who kept silent about the discovered flaws.
Application of Ethical Theory
With the help of utilitarianism, one can solve the issue by revealing possible risks. This is necessary because this theory aims to maximize overall happiness (Savulescu et al., 2020). On the other hand, according to deontology, the employee will also have to talk about the existing problem. In this case, the ethical theory provides adherence to principles and rules (Tseng & Wang, 2021). This requires the employee to ensure that a potential flaw is identified and corrected.
Application of the Law
From a legal point of view, there may be different consequences depending on the company’s industry. However, if the organization has adopted a provision that all shortcomings must be identified and reported on, then by not doing this, the employee violates this statute. In addition, if the report concerns any unethical actions of the company itself, then the legislation can protect the employee who talks about it.
Potential Solutions and Impacts
A potential solution would be to report a detected violation to further contribute to its correction. In this case, the impact can be different and depend on how the organization responds to the violation. The strength of the solution will be to resolve the problem and normalize the product. This way of solving the problem is based on applying the above ethical theories and consistently improves the organization’s state. However, the weak side of this solution may be ignoring the employee’s message. In this case, the non-intervention position is unethical and may have negative consequences in client litigation. The strength of this decision is that the employee will not be involved in proceedings regarding the lack of product. The weak side may be the discovery of the employee’s guilt and the appropriate punishment.
Decision
The final decision is to report the identified defect in the product. Using a whistleblowing policy within a company can be the best choice to allow the organization to take appropriate action in time to prevent further negative consequences. Thus, the employee can improve corporate work and make the workplace more ethical for everyone. The decision to report is also because it will eliminate potential hazards for the end user.
References
Mulisa, F., Ebessa, A. D., & Hui, S. K. F. (2021). The carryover effects of college dishonesty on professional workplace dishonest behaviors: A systematic review. Cogent Education, 8(1), 1-23. Web.
Savulescu, J., Persson, I., & Wilkinson, D. (2020). Utilitarianism and the pandemic. Bioethics, 34(6), 620-632. Web.
Tseng, P. E., & Wang, Y. H. (2021). Deontological or utilitarian? An eternal ethical dilemma in Outbreak. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8565. Web.