What Are the Relevant Facts?

1. Janice is Johns boss.

2. Janices supervisor has asked her to create an innovative program, but the pressures of
her job have prevented this.

3. John designs a creative software package which he shares with Janice, hoping it will
bring him a promotion and raise.

4. Janice is thinking of taking credit for Johns program. If John objects, she will fire him; if
he agrees, she will give him a promotion and raise.

What Are the Ethical Issues?

1. If the software is developed on company time, to whom does the program belong?

2. Is John being treated justly? Are his rights being protected?

3. Is Janice stealing?

4. When, if ever, is it ethical for a manager to take credit for the work of a subordinate?

Who Are the Primary Stakeholders?

The company

John and his family

Janice

Janices boss

What Are the Possible Alternatives?

1. Janice can proceed to take Johns work.

2. Janice can create a team environment in which the team, in this case Janice and John,
present the work together.

3. Janice can give John full credit and print the package to her boss in such a way that it
makes both Janice and John look good.

What Are the Ethics of the Alternatives?

 Ask questions based on a utilitarian perspective. For example:

1. Which alternative would provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of
stakeholders?

2. How would costs and benefits be measured?

3. What is the value of the public knowledge of ownership?

Ask questions from a rights and duties viewpoint. For example:

1. What rights does each stakeholder have?

2. Who has the right of ownership for a program developed on company time?

Ask questions based on a justice or fairness perspective. For example:

1. Which alternative distributes the benefits and burdens most fairly?

2. If John receives the promotion and raise that he wants, are the benefits being fairly
distributed to him if Janice claims authorship of the program?

What Are the Practical Constraints?

1. Janice will incur considerable professional risk if she claims authorship of the program. It
could damage her career in the same way that subsequent discovery of plagiarism in a
doctoral dissertation can come back to haunt a person with a doctorate.

What Actions Should Be Taken?

1. What alternative should Janice choose

What Are the Relevant Facts?

1. Kristin, an experienced manager on the move, has just assumed leadership of the accounts
payable section of a major industrial firm.
2. Steven, dissatisfied with what he senses are political machinations that have influenced
managerial decision making within his firm, suggests that things would be better in the section if
the political bullshit could be stopped.
3. Kristin uses the power of her new position to try to get Steven to give her the names of those
in his section who are not good team players.

What Are the Ethical Issues?

1.Should Steven give Kristin the names of those he suspects have pursued their personal interests
on the job to save his skin, despite the fact that they are only his suspicions?
2. Should Steven agree to be an ongoing informant for his new boss?
3. On what grounds are Kristins demands of Steven justifiable? How should these influence
Stevens actions?

Who Are the Primary Stakeholders?

1. Steven

2. Kristin

3. Stevens and Kristins fellow employees

4. Stockholders of the company

What Are the Possible Alternatives?

1. Tell Kristin that his statement at the reception was an emotional outburst he now regrets.

2. Accede to one or both of Kristins demands.

3. Refuse to go along with either of her demands. 4. Request time to consider options.

What Are the Ethics of the Alternatives?

1. What are the short- and long-term costs and benefits of each alternative for Steven and each of
the other stakeholders?

2. How should Steven weigh the risks to his own career of not complying with Kristins demands
against the personal and organizational implications of what he is being asked to do?

3. How might questions from the justice model of ethical behavior add to your perspective on
the case?

4. Which alternative is most just to all parties involved?

What Are the Practical Constraints?

1. Time pressureunless Kristin will allow additional time to consider alternatives.

2. Organizational and legal limitations (if any) on Kristins ability to make such demands.

What Actions Should Be Taken?

1. How should Steven respond? Why? What assumptions form the basis for your decision?

2. What would you do if you found yourself in a similar position at your job? Is your answer
different from that you gave for Steven above? If so, why?