The Ethical Issue Presented in the Case
In this case, the ethical concern presented is a report about sexual harassment of one of the trusted employees by one of the reliable suppliers. Jane, one of the most successful employees of Propmore Corporation, has reported that while on her official duty, Bill Smith of Airgoods Corporation had made inappropriate sexual comments and even made physical contacts against her wishes. The fact that Bill went from making verbal sexual comments to physical contacts traumatized Jane so much that she considered taking legal action.
Why it was an Ethical Concern
The issue is classified as an ethical concern based on the guidelines provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Propmore Corporation’s Policy HR-13 on Sexual Harassment such acts constitute sexual harassment (Pathak, 2013). The issue is also considered an ethical concern because of the threats made by Jane and the dilemma that Don Bradford faces as a manager responsible for handling such issues.
The Appropriateness of the Solution to the Issue
Don Bradford has decided to look at the legal nature of the issue at hand. The approach of trying to solve the issue by taking into consideration the legal factors but avoiding court proceedings is appropriate. Legal actions are not only expensive but can also hurt the image of the company. Solving the issue based on the agreement would be appropriate.
Changes Necessary
Based on the facts presented in the case, it may be necessary to introduce some changes in the manner in which the issue was addressed. Bradford should have contacted the immediate supervisor of Bill to discuss the issue (Hill, Jones, & Schilling, 2017). The two officers should have then summoned the accuser and the accused in an office to discuss the issue. Bill should then be reprimanded for his actions and asked to apologize to Jane, and with a reminder that he would face the law if such a case is reported in the future.
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Process to Handle the Situation
The case presented can be addressed using an ethical decision-making process. This process emphasizes the need to be fair when addressing such cases and to observe the law. It is legally appropriate for the manager to engage the offended employee to try and find an out-of-court settlement to the issue (Brown & Nagy, 2015). It is also legally appropriate for the manager to request the offended not to punish the whole company for a mistake committed by an individual as long as she is assured the offender will be punished appropriately.
The New Solution
Based on the changes made in solving the problem, the researcher came up with a slightly different solution compared with the one presented in the scenario. First, the manager has to take time to investigate the issue, just as it was done in the case. After that, the manager should discuss with Jane and compare the possible solutions (Morden, 2017). Based on the agreement of the manager and the aggrieved, it will be possible to define the appropriate action.
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Process to Handle Ethical Dilemma
As a manager of the Coca-Cola Company, it is expected that I would experience similar cases that present an ethical dilemma. When using the ethical decision-making process, it will be possible to define the right steps that should be taken to address such issues at this company without subjecting the firm to costly legal actions that may harm its image in the market. The process will help in defining the right action that should be taken based on the case at hand.
References
Brown, E., & Nagy, P. (2015). That’s Not Fair! Clarifying Copyright and Trademark Fair Use for Business Managers. Business Horizons, 58(1), 17-24.
Hill, C., Jones, G., & Schilling, A. (2017). Strategic management theory. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Morden, T. (2017). Principles of strategic management (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group.
Pathak, A. (2013). Legal aspects of business (5th ed.). New Delhi, India: McGraw Hill Education.