Keeping Information Confidential

In the simulation we were asked to make a list of difficult decisions. The first decision we had to make involved the hiring of an assistant. After reviewing each of the resumes and background information, I chose Stefan. I preferred him over the other two candidates for the following reasons. He is younger than me, and therefore won't be threatened by a younger manager. In my experience employees older than their managers tend to. He had experience that was more closely related to the healthcare field. It didn't hurt that he attended the same school I did. I know how hard the classes are, and the fact that he graduated says a lot. After the unofficial, and unsubstantiated, claims to a psychological disorder, I still wanted to hire Stefan. First, there is no proof that the events mentioned happened. Second, I believe in giving people the chance to prove themselves.

The second decision we had to make was whether or not to reveal to fellow employees that the company might be laying-off people. I chose not to tell. I don't think I should tell anyone about what might happen. I would feel horrible if I talked about the lay offs and they never happened, or worse, I get laid off because I am not trustworthy. Once I got the visit from Steve, I still chose not to tell. I would look my friend right in the face and scold them for putting me in that position. Making someone, especially a friend, choose between helping you and doing what is right is not very nice.

The third decision involved an advertising campaign promoting my company as a leader in the local job market. Upon hearing that there was a likelihood of this location closing, I wanted to pull out from the campaign. I did not want posters with my face and company name getting tomatoes thrown at them when we leave town. After I received the letter saying they would be keeping the location open for another six months before talking about closing again, I still decided to pull out. Six months is not a long time when you are talking about someone's livelihood. Those posters would still be around, so would the tomatoes. Besides, I wasn't breaking any confidentiality clause by pulling out of the campaign. I didn't have to tell them why.

I'm not sure what is meant by 'ethical theories'. The concept section for the first question spoke of telling