Rules of Ethical Decision Making

Ethical dilemmas are costly, considering that any of the choices that are made have associated adverse physical, social, political, or financial implications. In such cases, the management has the option of selecting the option with fewer adverse effects in a bid to enhance sustainability. The Something Rotten in Hondo is an example of ethical dilemmas where Bill has to decide between scheduling heavy emissions work at night or relocating to Mexico. None of these options would be viable, considering that the main issue is air pollution which would not be solved by the relocation.

Personal Ethical Dilemma

The ethical dilemma is not unique to Ardnak Plastic Inc. since I have been in a similar situation where I had to decide between two unfavorable options. At one point I headed the marketing department at an old firm and there was this employee who delivered results as required. However, he violated several corporate provisions including using the company vehicle for personal use as well as reporting late for work. The top management requested me to provide the name of one of the employees who would head this department since I had informed them of my resignation. I knew that this particular employee would be the best fit in terms of achieving the deliverables but I was not sure if he would maintain the corporate image that the company had managed to build. I had another candidate in mind who adhered to the company’s code of ethics but lacked marketing skills that were required to maintain high sales volume

Comparing and Contrasting Bill’s and my Handling of an Ethical Dilemma

The case study shows that Bill was not committed to the welfare of George, his manager nor the welfare of his employees who would lose their jobs upon relocation to Mexico. In the same manner, Bill would not solve the issue of air pollution as he did not plan to replace the scrubbers that were responsible for the emission that was above EPA regulations. The decision to relocate to Mexico would be more costly as it would devastate the infrastructure that they had built at Hondo. In my case, I knew that the decision had to be based on the corporate image as opposed to productivity. In as much as I understood that the first employee was a crucial aspect going by the sales volume, I could not volunteer him for promotion since it would ruin the corporate image. I hoped that the other employee would undergo training to increase his competencies at sales but I was not sure it would be the case.

The Outcome of my Ethical Dilemma

The decision regarding the employee who I would propose to take over my position rested on the ability to align with the corporate image. I, therefore, proposed the second employee but his credentials were poor since his track record was poor. I, however, convinced the management that he had the potential considering that he had owned the corporate vision. With proper training, this employee could gain the requisite skills to increase sales volumes as well as depend on other team members. This decision created a rift between the first employee and me since he felt that I was unfair to him since he deserved the position for he had been posting high sales without fail. The reading provides crucial insights regarding the need to focus on organizational objectives as opposed to personal gains.

Critiquing Bill’s Approach to the Situation

Bill did not handle the ethical dilemma well, considering that he focused more on cutting costs to the extent of proposing a relocation to avoid fines, while jeopardizing the welfare of the organization. Essentially, the company would be forced to incur additional costs in hiring and training new employees, money that would have been used in buying new scrubbers for the Hondo plant. More so, the decision to relocate means that there would be an overhaul of the existing infrastructure which would translate to additional infrastructure. Overall, the decision to relocate in a bid to avoid EPA fines is uneconomical and adds no value to the organization.