Ethical Dilemma Personal values and ethics at workplace PDF

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Its an ethical dilemma assignment for students to develop a better knowledge of decision making. This dilemma also tests their ability to perform under different situations and also observe students perception...

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ETHICAL DILEMMA Personal Values and Ethics in the Workplace

Sipho Dlamini was born in a small rural village in Swaziland. He spent his childhood years looking after his family’s livestock. The community upheld high values, such as honesty and respect, but the people were desperately poor. He realized that he would have to go to South Africa and apply for a job at a gold mine. As a young man Sipho left his village in the mountains and took on the difficult job of getting to South Africa. He went in search of one of his distant family members who was working for a gold mine near Johannesburg. He managed to find his relative, who was engaged as a personnel assistant. Sipho’s relative managed to find him a job as a general mine worker and accommodation in one of the mine hostels. Sipho was dedicated to his work, and time passed quickly. Every month, he forwarded most of his wages to his family in Swaziland. One day Sipho’s family member called Sipho into his office and informed him that he was due for promotion. He also told Sipho that he would be required to pay him R500.00 (about $60) for his “efforts.” This arrangement seemed strange to Sipho since he knew that it was not in line with company procedures. When Sipho asked about this, the personnel assistant replied that he had the authority to do so and that Sipho would not be promoted should he not pay the R500.00. Sipho returned to his room and battled in his mind that night with the options before him. He had grown up with strong personal values that included honesty and hard work, but his family needed the extra income. What was he to do? After a restless night, he returned the next day to the personnel assistant’s office and handed him the R500.00. He was immediately promoted and returned to his room with a troubled mind. A few weeks later, the personnel assistant was reported and investigated for fraudulent behavior. He was suspended from work, and the investigation revealed all his corrupt activities. The record he had kept on all employees who paid bribes to him was also found. All employees on this list were called in and charged with fraud. Sipho’s name was on the list, and he was found guilty and dismissed from the service of the company, along with all the others. Questions 1. Was it fair of the mine to dismiss Sipho from service? Ans. Yes, it’s fair of the mine to dismiss Sipho from the service. Every mine has its own rules and regulations, code of conduct and ethical values that should be followed by every individual who is part of the mine. If any individual is involved in unethical values and has violated the mine`s conduct and regulations through any means then he/she should face the dismissal of his/her services from the mine. Sipho was involved in bribery where he took the illegal advantage and provided the price of that advantage to the assistant. So, the mine has a right to dismiss Sipho along with the assistant who was involved in such activity and also an obligatory duty considering mine`s ethical values.

However, standing in Sipho`s shoes it will be a different perspective as the only reason for Sipho to accept the offer was to have an extra income to support his poor family. So can this reason be enough as a valid statement for Sipho to be proven innocent? No, this reason isn’t valid because all the other mine workers who were involved in such activity might also have their own reasons, needs and situations while accepting that offer. This way they all will be proven innocent and the only culprit will be the assistant. The mine has to take action against every worker involved in this fraudulent activity to set an example for other employees. So concluding this, every worker whether he is part of the management or an ordinary mineworker is equal to the mine and decisions should always be made on equality, rules and regulations against such violations.

2. What should Sipho have done differently? Ans. Any individual who has grown up with strong personal values like honesty and hard work will consider these values in his/her every decision making but these values might not be convincing enough in some situations. Sipho who was grown up with similar values got troubled in making a right decision when he was offered a promotion on the basis of bribery. While choosing the path, the two options that Sipho could opt for was to accept the offer to support his family with extra amount of income or keep sticking to his values and refuse the offer. In this situation, any person who has to choose between these options will give priority to his family needs and poor situation like Sipho did but here what Sipho could have done differently: 

He could have reported this matter to the upper management as a Whistle Blower

3. In what way could the mine management have provided support to him, prior to his wrongful act? 4. How would you have acted had you been in a similar situation? 5. What should you do when your personal values are in conflict with a certain work ethic?...