Business Ethics Case Study

Abstract

This case was carried out the ethical issues in hiring practice among the stakeholders particularly on their impact to the company. It identifies the stakeholders’ respective roles and moral obligation. US Law will apply for solution of the unfair hiring decision such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Some HIV and AIDS information also carried out to support the hiring decision. Both sides of the argument either agree or disagree in hiring decision raised to further discuss those ethical issues. It will be implemented several actions and recommendations to solve the unfair hiring decision.

INTRODUCTION

Ethics is derived as a set of upright moral principles with a good and acceptable behavior of an individual. It is an old-age discipline which has been considered as one of the four branches of philosophy, along with logic, metaphysics and epistemology.

The main problem that contributes to the contradiction of agreement in hiring process is caused by unethical practices among the senior management team. In this case, the discrimination towards the sexual orientation of an individual is strongly unprincipled.

Greenway Environmental Technologies is an industry leader specializes in the treatment and disposal of chemical and biological wastes. The company has grown rapidly over the past two years are committed in hiring and promoting minorities into its ethnically diverse workforce.

Ron Debitson is the company controller and responsible for all financial and administrative functions. He is active in the community work, in particularly with people with bleeding disorders, HIV and AIDS has allowed him to understand the prejudices faced by these people. Ron is considered as a critical member of the top management team although his views are not always given equal consideration compared to other senior managers due to generation gap.

The agreement between a local temporary agency and Greenway was that Ron could hire the temporary workers without a placement fee in condition for a period of 60days. Paul Carvey, who has worked as a project accountant for more than 90days and had good comments from the previous employer. Paul that is ease of communicating and dealing with customers through phone calls may increase the number of customers of Greenway because full-time worker most probably will be concentrating his work at the project sites.

When Ron met with Patrick Rush, a head of personnel had rejected Paul to work as a full-time accountant for labeling him as a homosexual. Patrick’s religiously believes that it is a sin and he thinks that many homosexuals have AIDS and will affected a lot of the provisional items in the office that will be utilized by Paul. When Patrick brought this matter to his executive vice president, Sam Sasbe, who was more on a neutral ground had commented that many other customers in his company will not be comfortable with Paul being a homosexual.

Based on this case, Ron realized that many of the well educated people who have these negative perspectives that apparently misjudging a worker with their own thoughts by first labeling Paul as a homosexual without any evidence. Next, there is also no evidence that can prove Paul to be infected by AIDS. Besides that, AIDS could not be spread by physical touch or casual contact. In additional, they made up stories that customers in the Deep South will not fancy dealing with homosexual and they shown a prejudice manner against him. In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines had stated that it is not a appropriate hiring policies.

The matter was then brought to the CEO, Martin Widdup who also happens to be long time friend of Sam and Patrick. After hearing both sides of the argument, Martin later told Ron not to hire Paul. He stated that Greenway was his company and he has the right to employ whomever he wanted. As the consequences, Ron starts to be doubtful about his career prospect in this organization. He totally disagrees with the fact that his top management deal with the sexual orientation issue.

Business Ethics

Critically evaluate the ethical issue in this case. From what perspective is each issue being raised?

First of all, it is apparent that Patrick and Sam are stereotyping about Paul’s sexual orientation by assuming he is a homosexual because of his effeminateness. They firmly stand their feet on their concern about the influence of Paul’s sexual orientation in spite of his ability, strength and compliment in his job performance. Skepticism means not intellectual doubt alone, but moral doubt. It is an unconscionable ethic to distrust a fact without seeking supportive evidence and such behavior will eventually hurt the productivity and long-term viability of their business.

The non-ethicality of the hiring decision by the top management team shows their weakness in keeping an open mind to accept new revolution ideas. They did not demonstrate their dignity and respect in creating a working environment that is free harassment, discrimination, or victimization where those talented individuals are given the equal treatment and reliability. Martin, Patrick and Sam are not responsive enough to stay in clear view to become community involved. It is important to comprehend the essence of involving in community-related issue and activities, such as non-discrimination of sexual orientation and equal opportunity and diversity in workforce. There are a few of well known and reputable multi-national companies which actively involve in creating such friendly working environment such as Microsoft, Intel and Chevron. It truly shows the magnitude of business ethicality which can bring the company to a world class corporate level. However, the short-sighted human resource management shown by the senior management on discrimination issue is pulling them back from achieving a higher vision.

In this case, Sam and Patrick clearly showed their prejudice of people with HIV infection by treating Paul on the basis of his suspected HIV status. They have planted in their mindset that HIV and AIDS diseases are associated with homosexual lifestyle that Paul is assumed to be now. Such discriminatory practice and lack of professional respect are not a form of conscionable ethic in business term.

Nevertheless, the potential favoritism due to close relationship among long вЂ"serving colleagues is also one of the unethical acts shown by Patrick, Sam and Martin. There might be a possibility