MY Considering Managerial Ethics in the Workplace DISCUSSION-

Before starting your discussion, read the Forbes article How to make an ethical difference in your business (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. In the article, Zwilling (2013) stated,

Many people seem to have the sense that ethics are spiraling downward  in business, yet most business professionals and entrepreneurs I know  don’t believe they can make a difference. They don’t realize that if  they don’t take an active role in the solution, they really become part  of the problem. (para. 1

Review the five solutions to ethical problems described by Zwilling.  Select one of the five solutions. Put yourself into the role of leader  and evaluate how your chosen solution could be applied to an  organizational ethical dilemma.

Your response must be a minimum of 300 words.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’  posts and respond to at least two of your peers by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7  of the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies early  during the week to promote more meaningful interactive discourse in the  discussion. Review your classmates’ solutions. In your response, share  additional ideas that could make the solution more viable for the  organization.

REPLY TO JEFFEREYS DISCUSSION:

Stand in the shoes of affected parties

I chose this solution because I just recently had a discussion with  my manager where he actually suggested this technique. I had brought up a  concern where a coworker seemed to keep giving really high work  estimates for things that should be easy or trivial. The other person  wasn’t as seasoned as me and my boss suggested I try standing in that  person’s shoes to see it from their perspective. As Zwilling (2013)  suggested, try to overcome the distance between you and them and try to  understand things from the other persons perspective.

At a larger scale, I’ll use Facebook as an example due to their  recent data privacy issues. Mark Zuckerberg recently testified before  Congress that Facebook was taking appropriate measures to protect  customer data and information. As the role of a leader, I would be  looking out for the good of the company and its shareholders. However,  it’s also important to take a step back and see things from the  customers perspective.

Social media and social network sites are built around the idea of  sharing information. However, there should still be limits and proper  security measures in place so that consumers can decide what they want  to share and with whom. In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal,  Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook should have done more to protect  customer information. It may sometimes take consumer backlash or a  scandal to force a leader to see things from the other perspective.  However, there may be a considerable amount of damage done by that  point.

Gonzalez-Padron (2015) mentioned that companies are looking for  employees that have ethical decision-making and leadership skills and  who understand how ethics relate to business. As a leader, determine how  you would want your data and information handled. Would you be upset if  you trusted a company with personal information and they broke that  trust by not having proper security measures in place? As the leader of a  company that had a data breach, would you feel as though you took all  the reasonable security measures to help protect customer information?  Before answering these questions, be sure to stand in the shoes of the  affected parties; it might just change your answer.

References:

Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business ethics and social responsibility for managers [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Zwilling, M. (2013, November 11). How to make an ethical difference in your business. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/11/17/how-to-make-an-ethical-difference-in-your-business/

REPLY TO EDWARD:

I  would choose the global benefit approach to rate possible outcomes to  resolve an ethical dilemma within an organization because which can be  connected to the utilitarianism theory because it seeks the most notable  good for the highest number of individuals. Determining what route of  activity “produces the greatest balance of benefit over harm for all  concerned. Who counts, then what counts, as a benefit or harm in  considering the possible outcomes. Any action with great benefits  without violating ground rules could be the right one” (Zwilling, 2013).  Take for instance all the concerns that people have with putting health  food in their bodies while being able to do so on a budget.

A lot of people within the United States live on a tight budget when  payday comes around and that means extra money can’t be spent on a  regular basis to feed an entire family. Healthy food items from a  grocery store or restaurant are usually more expensive than an unhealthy  item which would be difficult for a financially stricken family to eat  on a consistent basis. ‘“An ad for a $4 “deal” from Hardee’s, which  includes a cheeseburger, fried chicken sandwich, soda and fries, clocks  in at 1,420 calories — comprised of 61 grams of fat, 43 grams of  protein and 187 grams of carbohydrates” (Sharma, 2017). While these  items are very unhealthy including the high sodium, which can lead to  multiple obesity related diseases, they are affordable.

McDonalds can resolve this dilemma by lowering the price of their  healthier items and creating more to put on the menu board and send  promotions to customers in the mail and on their smart phone as well.  This will cause McDonalds to lose money, which would cause disputes  amongst their shareholders and investors who are looking for a financial  gain. The global benefit approach in this situation would be to put a  higher priority on their customers’ health instead of a monetary gain.  As a leader, I would reach out to shareholders and investors who have a  concern for investing and promoting menu items that are not processed  which would benefit human health and the environment.

References

Sharma, S. (2017, Apr. 27). Are fast food ads killing us? Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/27/opinions/overeating-the-new-tobacco-opinion-sharma/index.html

Zwilling, M. (2013, Nov. 17). How to make an ethical difference in your business. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2013/11/17/how-to-make-an-ethical-difference-in-your-business/#7df4d0b5bed9 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.