Neurocognitive Model of the Ethical Decision-Making Process - Case Study Example

Case Study: An Ethical Dilemma Problem In relation to the provided case scenario, it can be observed that Karen Hathaway is assigned with the task byher superior of selecting the right manager for promotion among three most eligible candidates. The major problem faced by Karen in this scenario is to select the most appropriate candidate amid the three members. The selection also needs to be based on ethical principles as well as should be fair by considering all the pros and cons of each candidate. All of the managers have their respective positive and negative traits of which a few are advantageous while other can be detrimental for the company. It has become quite difficult for Karen to select or predict the right person for promotion since the performance of all these individuals are fluctuating in nature over the past period and there is also pressure from the upper management to select individuals based on different interests, non-compliance to which may lead severe consequences for the organization in terms of both internal and external aspects. Moreover, another quandary faced by Karen is that she is also emotionally attached to one manager i.e. Carmen whom she would like to promote based on her poor financial grounds. However, on the other hand, promoting either of the other two managers could lead to prove beneficial for her in the distant future. Therefore, Karen is facing a problem in selecting the right manager based on their different attributes such as performance, upper management pressure, emotional attachment and future benefits, all of which is making it very hard for her to select the right manager in an unbiased manner and transparently. Input This section would summarize each candidate and their pertinent facts: Carmen A prospective candidate for promotion, Carmen, a 34 years old African American having one child, had completed her graduation, in the lower half of the college class studied by her, from Northwest State. Her association with the company had been for four years and she was serving in the industry for eight years. Her performance had been quite average but she had very high energy level. It needs to be noted that she at times faced certain problems in managing her staff and moreover her child had a past history of medical issues, thus a pay hike would be quite accommodating in her case. Karen knew Carmen for a very short time but they seemed to get along very well. Furthermore, Karen once had to perform the role of a baby-sitter for Carmen’s daughter in an emergency scenario. With this concern, promoting Carmen may lead to a view that Karen is playing favoritism (Ashkanasy & Daus, 2002). In this regard, it is also observed that Karen’s immediate supervisor talked to her regarding her promoting Carmen which will be very beneficial to him and for the company’s reputation as well since Carmen would become the first African American to be given this position. Moreover, Carmen fits for the job role in terms of qualification as well as public relation had approved such move wholeheartedly (New York Times, 2013). Carmen daughter met with an accident and sustained major injuries and the medical bill appeared to be higher a promotion at this juncture would prove very beneficial to her. Ralph Ralph, a 57 years old White male candidate in line promotion graduated from a private university in the upper half of his class. Ralph’s experience amid the three candidates is superior and unparallel as his association with the company was for twenty years and he was working in the industry for thirty years. He had always been a stable performer, with generally average ratings. Despite the fact that Ralph’s energy level had declined from average to low, he had still guided many of the company’s high sales performers in the past. This promotion would be his final before retirement, and many in the company believed that he had earned it. Karen had also been requested by a senior manager to promote Ralph because he had sacrificed a lot for this firm including his family. A notable fact was also observed that an announcement was made that Ralph’s son was getting married to the company’ Vice President’s daughter a short period of time which looked like a company event. Thus, the preference amid the higher management towards Ralph would likely to increase with this announcement, which might create certain repercussions for Karen if Ralph is not promoted. Yingzi The other candidate for promotion i.e. Yingzi, a 27 years old Asian graduated from State University as one of the leading students in her class. She had been associated with the company for previous three years. A noticeable factor for consideration was that she worked for sixty-hours a week and followed a very detailed management style. Although she incurred certain loss in a few older accounts, the last area she managed showed considerable amount of increase. As learnt from the company, it is also observed that Yingzi was deeply focused and that nothing would stop her from achieving her goals. There was also news that Yingzi had sued her previous employer for discrimination and had won (Freedman, 2011). An upper management member told Karen that Yingzi was getting married to his son and not only that he also advocated Yingzi for immediate promotion as she was described by him as a ‘rising star’ in the organization. Solutions Solution: 1 (Selecting Carmen) Strengths In terms of strengths, it can be said that Carmen is young, dynamic and possesses high energy level which can beneficial to deal with tough situations with zeal and desire. She had also been associated with the company for a good period of time which means that she had good knowledge of the company’s work culture and ethics. Apart from her suitable qualification, the other strength possessed by her was that she was an African American, thus the public relations segment of the company highly favored her promotion. Weaknesses In terms of weaknesses, Carmen had average educational records with mediocre performance ratings in the company. At times, she faced difficulties in managing her staff. From time to time, her child had also faced certain medical problems which in future might lead her not being able to entirely focus on her job related priorities (Reynolds, 2006). Opportunities She is young energetic and has considerable experience as well as can work faster which will lead to better work quality in terms of company’s productivity. If promoted she would be the first African-American female manager in this firm, which will lead to a great reputation boost for the company. Threats Carmen had graduated in the lower half of her college class, so average educational skills may become a cause of concern which might prove fatal in the future. She at times also faced difficulties in managing her staff which may hamper the work environment in future resulting in diminishing output of the company. The other threat is that she had domestic issues since she was divorced with one child thus she had no one to look after her child which may lead to absenteeism in future. This would hamper the progress of the company. Solution: 2 (Selecting Yingzi) Strengths In terms of strength, it can be said that Yingzi was very young and had graduated from State University in the top 3 percent of her class. She was known for putting in sixty-hour weeks and for her very careful management style. She was recognized in the company to be extremely determined, focused and intense towards meeting her ambitions and career goals (Fiss, 1971) Weaknesses In terms of weakness, it can be said that her sales staff at times criticized her distinct management style which might result in certain discrepancies in future. She was a very intense natured person. Such behavior might at times lead to dissatisfaction among employees. Opportunities In relation to opportunities, it can be said that the previous area managed by Yingzi showed record increases which might be a positive sign that the company can also obtain similar results through the able leadership of Yingzi in future. The senior management level employees also had major faith in her abilities and considered her to be a rising performer in the company. Threats In relation threats, it can be said that Yingzi had been with the company for only three years and so she had relatively low experience than other two candidates. Yingzi had sued her previous employer for discrimination and won, which might become an issue for the company in future. The firm can incur losses if it gets involved in a court case, consequently posing a threat to the company’s reputation Moreover, owing to her intense nature, it may lead to conflict in the workplace. Choice After reviewing all the candidates, the best possible selection based on merit would be Yingzi since she possessed certain invaluable strengths such as her focus towards attaining her goals in the organization. Moreover, her high academic merit and intensity level could also become extremely important for the company to approach towards a prosperous future. Operational Plan In relation to the operational plan after making the choice of selecting Yingzi, SMART principals can be used to institutionalize the choice of the candidate for promotion. Moreover, all the candidates need to be communicated with justification about the made decision. Specific: The specific aim addressed has been selecting the best person for promotion. . In precise, it can be said that Carmen, has not been promoted based on considerations such as her low work performance ratings till date. It also has been observed that she had certain problems regarding managing her staff. Moreover, there were certain domestic issues which may become a cause of absenteeism. The upcoming position requires a lot of dedication which based on her present circumstances does not seem viable for her to provide. Ralph has not been selected for promotion in this scenario since he lacked in terms of energy level. He was on the verge of retirement therefore promoting solely on the basis of his experience would not be a viable option. His work performance also was not outstanding and tended to be average. Moreover, new job related activities might not be adequately handled by Ralph due to his advanced age. Yingzi had been promoted to the position. It is observed that she had been putting a lot of effort in work particularly through working long hours. The management is very pleased with her dedication and considers her to be emerging star performer who would lead the organization to newer heights in future. Measurable: The main task in this section for Karen would be to communicate effectively to the entire three candidates. The success of such communication can be measured through the cooperative behavior of the candidates after they are made aware of the decision. Attainable: All the candidates will be communicated effectively and it will be observed that the organizational culture is maintained. Each will be counseled regarding their selection and non-selection which would facilitate Karen to ensure that other candidates do not get de-motivated. Relevant: From the point of view of Karen, discussing the selection is very relevant and letting the other candidates know the actual reasons for their selection and non-selection can enable the entire process to be ethically conducted so that any scenario of biasness does not arise in future. Time-bound: Based on the requirement of assessing the viability of the candidates, it would generally take around 15 days for the entire selection process to materialize. References Ashkanasy, N. M. & Daus, C. S. (2002). Emotion in the Workplace: The New Challenge for Managers. Academy of Management Executive, IS( 1), 76-86. Freedman, S. (2011). Discrimination Law. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Fiss, O. M. (1971). A Theory of Fair Employment Laws. Faculty Scholarship Series. Paper 1227, 235- 314. New York Times. (2013). Affirmative Action. Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/a/affirmative_action/index.html Reynolds, S. J. (2006). A Neurocognitive Model of the Ethical Decision-Making Process: Implications for Study and Practice. J. Appl. Psychology, 91 (4), 737-748. Read More