Peters (2012) identifies that conflict of interest occurs when a personal interest interferes would likely interfere with the individual’s ability to exercise his or her judgment on behalf of another party. In Bill and Joe’s case, their relationship does not present a conflict of interest, nor is it unethical. It is because their relationship is benefiting all parties involved. Joe manages to continually get contracts for his organization while Bill gets the uniforms he desires. It is an indication that no one is compromised; thus, the absence of a conflict of interest.
Transparency International (2015) identifies bribery as the giving, accepting, soliciting, promising or offering of an advantage to induce a given action which may be illegal or can breach the trust of those parties involved. In Bill and Joe’s case, the gifts are not a form of bribery as they do not interfere with the trust they have developed, nor are they illegal. These gifts are coming from Bill who is also a source of business for Joe and his organization.
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Utilitarianism supports my view. The theory states that the consequences of action make it ethical. The best action is one that benefits everyone involved ( Barrow, 2015) . In Bill and Joe’s case, Joe’s actions are benefiting all those involved. Bill gets the best quality uniforms, Joe and his wife get gifts, and Joe’s company gets good business. All these positive effects are an indication that his actions are ethically sound.
Currently, the relationship between Bill and Joe presents no ethical issue, which means that there are no other ethical issues connected to it. The relationship is not interfering in their conduct of business in any way. Further, all parties involved are benefiting as expected from the relationship, and no one is at a disadvantage.
References
Barrow, R. (2015). Utilitarianism: A contemporary statement . Routledge.
Peters, A. (2012). Conflict of interest as a cross-cutting problem of governance. Conflict of interest in global, public and corporate governance , 3.
Transparency International. (2015). Business Principles for Countering Bribery. Retrieved from https://www.transparency.org/files/content/publication/2015_BusinessPrinciplesCommentary_EN.pdf
