HRsec02,PatNoonan,EthicsPaper9/29/14

Inthebusinessworldtoday,itisextremelyimportantthatethicsbecomesan
importantpartofanyorganization.Ethicsisthestudy/philosophyofhumanconductwith
anemphasisondeterminingwhatisconsideredrightandwrong.Itisclearthatbusiness
ownersandmanagershavetoconsiderethicsintheirjob,buthumanresourcesdealwith
avarietyofethicalchallengesonadailybasis.Ifnothandledcarefullyandinthecorrect
manner,humanresourcesalonecanaccountfordamagingthereputationofacompany.
Recognizingtheimpactthatethicshasinhumanresourcesisimportanttoanycompany
inanyindustry.
Ethicaldilemmascanoccurinmanyprocesses,andareasinacompany.Withthis
beingsaid,itistheresponsibilityofhumanresourcestomonitoranddistributetheethics
andthecultureofanorganization.Oneareainwhichanethicaldilemmacancomeabout
hastodowithdiscriminationandharassment.Itiscrucialforhumanresourceemployees
tostressantidiscriminationandharassmentlaws.Race,gender,andreligionareallareas
inwhichethicalissuesarisedaily.Itisimportantforhumanresourcestohaveagoodgrip
onlawspertainingtodiscriminationorharassment,asmanyoftheseethicalissuesarise.
Privacyisanotherareawhereethicaldilemmascanarise.Sincehumanresource
employeesusuallyassistwiththehiring,firing,andbenefitsofitsemployees,itis
imperativethattheyrespecttheprivacyofallemployees.Humanresourceshavetokeep
allinformationandpersonaldataconfidential.Thereleaseofanindividualspersonal
informationcanleadtomanyethicalissues.Safetyisyetanotherareainwhichethical
dilemmascanoccur.Itisthejobofhumanresourceemployeestolookoutforsafety

concernsintheworkplace.Theyhavetomakesuredangeroussituationsareavoidedat
allcosts,andthatthesafetyoftheemployeesisapriority.Fromalegalstandpoint,
humanresourceshavetoalsomakesurethatbothcompaniesandindividualemployees
areworkinginalegalmanner.Ifemployeesarebreakingrulesandregulations,itcan
easilyleadtoadownfallofcompany.Remainingcurrentwithlawspertainingtoyour
businessiskeyforhumanresources,asmanyethicaldilemmascanarisefromillegal
actions.Otherthingsthatcouldresultinethicaldilemmasincludealcoholanddrug
usage,andmaternityleaveforwomen.Youmustconsiderthelawsthecomealongwith
thingssuchasthese,butalsomustfollowtheethicalstandardsofthecompany.
Therearevariousethicaltheoriesthatcanbeusedwhenformingananalysisand
assessinganethicaldilemmaorissue.Wehavediscussedfivetheoriesthatwecanfollow
whenmakingethicaldecisions.ThefirsttheorywediscussedistheUtilitarianTheory,
whichisanethicaldecisionthatproducesthegreatestgoodforthegreatestnumberof
people.ThenexttheoryistheRightsTheory.Thistheoryfollowstheideathatadecision
isonethatbestmaintainsandprotectsthefundamentalrightsandprivilegesofthepeople
affectedbyit.ThethirdtheoryistheDistributiveJusticeTheory,whichfollowstheidea
thatadecisionisonethatdistributesbenefitsandharmsamongstakeholdersinafair,
equitable,orimpartialway.Thefourththeory,knownastheCaringTheoryresultsina
decisionthatcaresforpeoplewithwhomyouhaveaspecialrelationshipwith.Thelast
theorywelookedatwastheVirtueTheory,whichbasesdecisionsoffofwhatleadsyou
toactasthesortofpersonyouwanttobe.Usingtheprinciplesoftheseethicaltheories

helpspeopleevaluatetheiroptions,andhopefullyleadsthemtomaketherightdecisions
whenitcomestoanethicalissueordilemma.
ThefirstethicaldilemmaIchosetoanalyzewascase#2.WhenIfirstread
throughthecaseIwasntquitesureastowhatdirectionIshouldgo.Ithinkthebestway
tomakeadecisiononthisdilemmawouldbethroughusingtheDistributiveJustice
Theory.AsIreadthecase,itseemedprettyevidentthatJohnwasaroundrunningthe
businessalotmorethanMary,asitdescribedthatMarywasbarelyaround.Although
theyarebothownersinthecompany,Ithinkthattheamountofworkthatisbeingputin
mustbeaccountedforinthissituation.IdonotfeelthatitwouldbefairifMarydidnot
putmuchworkintothecompany,andendedupgettinghalfofeverythingjustbecause
shewasapartowner.Byusingthistheory,IbelievethatAlangettingmorethanMary
wouldbeafairdistribution.Iconsideritfairbecauseoftheamountofworkthatboth
partiesputintothebusiness,andhowmucheachwouldbeaffectedbythedownfallof
thebusiness.ItseemsasifAlanhandlescompanybusiness,whileMarysimplyattends
eventstosocializewithemployees.Withthisbeingsaid,IdonotthinkitisokayforAlan
toaskJohntomakesomeofthehighpricemachinerydisappear.Itdoesnotseem
ethicallycorrectforAlantomaneuverhiswayaroundtoavoidMaryfromgettinghalfof
thebusiness.
ThesecondcaseIdecidedtoanalyzewascase#4.Thiscasewasinteresting
becauseMaryisputinaawkwardsituation.Shehastodecidewhattodowiththejob
search,whiletakingEvansopinionanddesiresintoaccount.ForthiscaseIwouldmake
adecisionoffoftheUtilitarianTheory.IthinkitisimperativethatMarystickstoher

gunsandseeksareplacementforArtwhoisqualifiedfortheposition.Davidisnot
qualified,butbecauseheisafriendofEvans,heisbeinghighlyconsideredforthejob.I
donotthinkthisisfairtootherunemployedindividualsthatarelookingforajob.Ithink
ifMaryweretochangethejobdescriptionandlookforamorequalifiedpersonitwould
dothemostgoodandleastharm.Themostgoodwouldbethataqualifiedworkeris
comingintotakeajob.TheleastharmcanbeseenasDavidkeepinghiscurrentposition
andbeingabletoworkcloselywithEvan,whohehasbuiltarelationshipwith.Ithink
thisisthefairestwaytohandlethesituation,andalthoughEvanwillbemad,hemust
understandthathewasnotgivingoutanequalopportunity,andinsteadwastryingtoget
afriendabetterjob.
Itisclearthatethicshaveadirectcorrelationtothehumanresourcedepartmentof
anorganization.Intodaysworkingenvironment,ethicshavebecometheframeworkto
thevaluesandproceduresofcompaniesallovertheworld.Differentaspectsandareas
canbeaffectedbyethicaldilemmas,andtheyhappenonadailybasis.Manytheories
havebeencreatedaroundmakingdecisionsinethicallychallengingsituations,andthey
canbehelpfulwhenanalyzingrealworldexamples.

PersonalCodeofEthics

1. Behonestwhenputintosituationsthatquestionthetruthofaspecificsituation
2. Alwaysactforthesafetyofothers
3. Alwaysstrivetobroadenmyawarenessofothersaroundme
4. TreatothershowIwanttobetreated
5. Alwaysbesupportiveofmyfamilyorothersinneed
6. Takeresponsibilityformyactions
7. Takecriticismaspositivelyaspossible(Workhardertobebetter)
8. Beproudofmyaccomplishments(Beconfident!)
9. Followmybeliefsanddontbetoinfluencedbyothers
10. Recognizemylimits(Itsokaytotakeabreaksometimes)
11. Beaninspirationtoothers
12.
Behappyallthetime