ETHICAL DILEMMA IN BUSINESS

In a perfect world, it’s always clear what’s right or wrong. In the real world, things are often not so clear. Someone’s wrong can be your right, which means your right will definitely, at some point, be someone else’s wrong. Most of the time the "right" choice can be subjective. In the real world, ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the workplace. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dilemmas are situations or problems where a person has to make a difficult choice; an ethical dilemma is a problem where a person has to choose between a moral and an immoral act. Employees must deal with pressures to perform and help the company succeed as well as personal temptations to take the easy way out. In the end, workers will likely face many dilemmas in their careers; companies should provide training and information to assist them in making the right decision. At some point in our careers, most of us will have to make tricky ethical decisions. How do you examine the issue and figure out what to do? Pressure from Management Each company's culture is different, but some companies stress profits and results above all else. In these environments, management may turn a blind eye to ethical breaches if a worker produces results, given the firm's mentality of "the end justifies the means." Whistle-blowers may be reluctant to come forward for fear of being regarded as untrustworthy and not a team player. Therefore, ethical dilemmas can arise when people feel pressured to do immoral things to please their bosses or when they feel that they can't point out their coworkers' or superiors' bad behaviors. Ambition and Discrimination Individual workers may be under financial pressure or simply hunger for recognition. If they can't get the rewards they seek through accepted channels, they may be desperate enough to do something unethical, such as falsifying numbers or taking credit for another person's work to get ahead. Though diversity is an important part of business, some people may not be comfortable with people from different backgrounds and possibly be reluctant to treat them fairly. This kind of discrimination is not only unethical but illegal and still remains common. Negotiation Tactics While these factors can cause ethical dilemmas for workers within their own companies, doing business with other firms can also present opportunities for breaches. Pressure to get the very best deal or price from another business can cause some workers to negotiate in bad faith or lie to get a concession. Negotiators may also try to bribe their way to a good deal. These ethical dilemmas can be difficult for workers to grapple with, especially if they don't know what the company's official guidelines are. Therefore, it is in an organization's best interest to provide ethical training to its employees, to help them identify unethical behavior and give them tools with which to comply. Every company should have an ethical policy that spells out its penalties for infractions. Moreover, management must lead by example, showing that the company takes ethics seriously and that violators will be punished according to the organization's policies, including possible suspension or termination.