BUS340 Week 1 Discussion 1 Ethical Dilemma vs. Ethical Lapse

Hello Class and Instructor

According to Bovee & Thill (2018) an ethical dilemma is a situation in which more than one perspectives or actions can be validly supported from an ethical point of view. In an ethical dilemma, every choice made can be justified morally. As such, the line between the morality and the immorality of a choice not distinguished. For example, when an employee uses inside knowledge and skills for personal profit the case may be seen as an ethical dilemma. From one angle, it is morally right; to use the knowledge one has to make profit is morally right. From another point of view, it may be considered ethically wrong to use private knowledge and skills meant for an organization to benefit self.

I remember one day a colleague of mine was rude to a customer in my presence. I got angry with his behavior and I rudely commanded him to style up. Out rightly, I could be justified for correcting my colleagues. As a worker in the hospitality business then, it was just not in order for the colleague of mine to mishandle the client. As such, my action was moral. Yet, I would be considered to have done something wrong by rudely speaking to him. I had a different option. I would have calmly corrected him and ensured that the correction manifested respect and that it did not hurt his feelings.

On the other hand, an ethical lapse refers to a situation in which an individual or organization makes a decision that is morally wrong for selfish gain. An example of ethical lapse is when an organization recklessly dumps dirty water into a river. Another example is the act of fraud or misconduct for personal gain in business. I remember one day fellow worker collected money that had been dropped by a client. He used the money to buy flash clothes. He had an option to collect the money and present it to the administration in pursuit of the individual who had lost it.

References

Bovee, C. L., & Thill, J. V. (2018). Business Communication Essentials: Fundamental Skills for the Mobile-digital-social Workplace. London, England: Pearson.