READ
THE FOLLOWING HYPOTHETICAL AND ANSWER THE FOUR QUESTIONS BELOW IN THE
DISCUSSION. ( You can write a “free flow” response, that is not
formalized.
Allen
Khan, an ambitious new marketing employee in the Marketing Department
of Corporation X, was recently invited to attend the prestigious
national conference for marketing professionals. During this
conference, all attendees are given the opportunity to network with
other marketing professionals from other companies, to set up tables to
sell their products, and to attend dinners, happy hours, and other
events. The conference spans a full weekend, and is the biggest event
for marketing professionals in the country.
Sue, who is a long-time participant at the conference, and a
well-respected and well-known marketing professional at a prestigious
marketing firm, began a conversation with Allen, to welcome him to the
organization. Sue and Allen hit it off, and decided to leave the
conference to go to the bar and have a few drinks. Sue began putting
drinks on her corporate credit card, telling Allen that her company pays
for these networking events. As it turns out, Sue’s company provides a
very generous compensation package. Allen became envious of Sue’s
position and the prestigious firm that she works at. After all, it is
well known that Corporation X has had a lot of financial difficulties as
a smaller firm, and is not nearly as well-known as Sue’s firm.
Nevertheless, Sue’s firm and Corporation X compete for the business of
certain key clientele and, in fact, prior to Allen joining the firm,
some of Sue’s clients left her and instead hired Corporation X’s
Marketing Department.
As the night progressed, Sue and Allen became more intoxicated, and the
conversation became thornier and intimate. Allen learned that Sue had
recently gone through a divorce, and so completely devoted herself to
her career to try to avoid thinking about the turmoil of her personal
life. She said that “all she really has is her work,” and that “her
clients are everything to her.” Although Sue did not know it at the
time, the Marketing Department at Corporation X was on the verge of
retaining several of Sue’s remaining clients, by offering those clients a
deal with Corporation X that would foster their business. Allen, in
his slightly drunken state, began to empathize with Sue, and even feel
bad that his company was going to take her clients. He tried to ponder a
way of helping Sue without hurting his career prospects at Corporation
X.
Allen moved in closely, hugged Sue, and said to her, “Sue, I know that
our companies are in competition, but we are friends, and I want us to
be on the same side.” He then explained that he would rather work with
Sue’s firm than with Company X, and that if she is willing to hire him,
he can give her some information that could help her retain millions of
dollars in client revenue. Sue’s ears perked up, and she realized that
Company X must be planning something, and so stayed and heard Allen
out. Allen went on to say that he has Company X’s strategic marketing
plan, and would be willing to share it with her. He would not ask for
anything except that when he applies for a job with her firm, that she
give him the position. Sue is interested in learning about the
strategy, but is not certain that she wants someone like Allen, who is
willing to sell out his own company, to be on her team. What should Sue
do? Answer the following questions to determine what Sue should do:
(1)
What is the moral issue? How would you frame the ethical
problem/dilemma faced by Sue? [note: do not address the legal, but just
the ethical]
(2) Who are the relevant stakeholders with regard to the decision that must be made by Sue?
(3)
Name at least two of the ethical theories that could be used to help
Sue decide this issue, and explain how each of these two theories works.
(4)
Apply one of the two ethical theories that you identified in response
to question (3) to the ethical dilemma Sue faces. Consider the
ramifications of various actions she might take and decide, based on the
application of your chosen theory, what action would be the most
ethical.