Major Aspects of Business Ethics - Essay Example

BUSINESS ETHICS The case is about very interesting aspects regarding ethics and the conduct of people in business dealings. Indeed, it clearly reflects common daily happenings and situations that usually confront businesspeople and other people in positions of authority. In any case, the concept of ethics and ethical conduct comes under much light in this case (Ciulla 2007). As it appears, several instances demonstrate the very fact that ethical conduct has been ignored while other situations clearly depict ethical conduct. More still, we evidence situations of ethical dilemma with characters battling with their conscience on whether to undertake activities that would compromise on their ideals or become unethical in conventional social practice. Nevertheless, the core ideal in the whole sum game regards the very fundamental ethical demonstrations. Costas is embroiled in an ethical quagmire on whether to build the swimming pool for his friend Dionisis. Indeed, it has to be realized that building the swimming pool a basis for winning the contract amounts to bribing the mayor. Paying bribes is one of the most unethical practices that confront many societies across the world. In that regard, if Costas is to build the swimming pool, then he shall be contributing to bribes. The challenge of bribes has been a great challenge in the history of civilization in the Greek society. The decision to accept building the pool might negatively affect the community at large. In case the contract to build the town swimming pool is awarded on this unethical basis, then a wrong company might get the opportunity to construct the pool which might deny the qualified contractor the opportunity. In the same respect, the decision of Costas to repair the roof of the mayor’s house is amounts to bribing. This is certainly unethical conduct given that it presents an opportunity for one party to have undue advantage over the rest in the acquisition of contracts in the town. This unethical conduct is seen to create other costs to the community in the manner that Costas’ competitor opts to build a personal swimming pool for Dionisis. The core ethical aspect in this case is the fact that Costas’ competitor has opted to build for Dionisis a swimming pool in case the contract is awarded to him. This presents a very complex ethical situation for all the three parties. For Dionisis, a swimming pool has always been his dream and the idea of owning one seems like a fantasy. However, by awarding the contract to this competitor, Dionisis shall be betraying his friendship with Costas who also direly needs the contract for the survival of his construction company. The decision on the part of the competitor is certainly very unethical and is a bribe in its own right. The concept of ethics comes under much reflection in this case. Costas is seen to have been gaining undue advantage over his competitors in that fact that he capitalizes on his proximity to the Mayor to get very pertinent information that assists him in making decisions regarding the contracts in the town. Ethically, Costas is cheating on his competitors and the community at large in this conduct (Shaw 2008). The community is forced to utilize the services availed through improper award of contracts. The progress of society is normally dependent on ethical conduct realized from the people. Undue advantage over other people clearly puts them at the unfair edge hence limiting the progress of society. Dionisis seems to be condoning a bribe on his willingness to accept a swimming pool from the project manager of Costa’s competitor. It is very unethical and unacceptable for Dionisis to utilize the opportunity of building the town’s swimming pool to acquire a personal pool for him. The conduct of Dionisis is reminiscent of some of the characters normally realized in many societies. In the Greek civilization, it is realized that the government almost became bankrupt since people were unable to pay taxes due to the high number of bribes they were supposed to pay in order to obtain basic social services. A number of ethical concerns underlie the idea of building a swimming pool for Dionisis at his place. The ethical bit comes in the manner he wants to use the contract to get him a personal swimming pool. This is purely extortion conducted under the whims of authority and power. In this case, only those who can pay the required amounts and meet the need of the mayor will win the contract. This is certainly quite unethical as it contravenes conventional social norms (Velasquez 2006). Incase Costas decides to build him the swimming pool on the basis of their friendship whether or not he wins the contract to build the town swimming pool, then it becomes ethical on the part of Dionisis to accept the offer and get the swimming pool. Whichever the case, it is certainly unethical for Dionisis to synchronize the building of the town swimming pool with the aspiration to own a personal swimming pool. In this regard, extortion and bribes become the subject matter of the argument. Costas’ competitor who offers to build a swimming pool for the mayor in exchange of getting the contract is actually acting in the most unethical manner in his conduct. Without doubt, the manager is actually bribing the mayor so as to win the contract of building the town swimming pool. As his company needs the contract, the project manager should ensure he follows the right criteria and avoid building the personal swimming pool for Dionisis. The decision to build the personal swimming pool for the Mayor actually triggers the chain of unethical activities that seems to ensue or is about to follow. The community and the general population suffer out of these unethical conducts in the society. In a way, a justification for the project manager’s action could be the fact that his competitor Costas is a good friend of the Mayor and might capitalize on that friendship to get the contract. However, the ethical conduct in question should actually be exercised by all the parties in the whole sum game so that a fair playground is created for all of them. The mere fact that Costas is very close to the mayor is no justification at all for the project manager of the competitor company to act in the unethical manner so as to offer to build a personal swimming pool for the mayor. Costas comes under much onslaught in several instances that serve to demonstrate his unethical conduct. He claims to have repaired the roof of Dionisis house as a favor that should actually be taken into account in the present situation. Moreover, though he is financially constrained, he is willing to go the extra mile and offer to build the contract for the Mayor so as to get the contract he badly needs. Indeed, it is an open fact that Costas is in a lot of ethical dilemma in the manner the whole situations seems to confront him. His company is financially down and he needs the contract to resuscitate it. In the same vein, the Mayor who awards the contract is in need of a personal swimming pool which serves as the basis for awarding the contract. The whole situation is further made complex by the fact that Costas is most worried by what his employees and other people will have to say in case he decides to build the personal swimming pool for his friend in order to easily get the contract. The whole mix of situations creates a very complex phenomenon in which Costas is most confused and stranded on ethical grounds. However, it is imperative to realize that Costas becomes unethical in his conduct in case he opts to construct the personal swimming pool for the mayor. Costas has always used his friendship with Dionisis as a way of getting very pertinent information regarding projects that are about to be launched. As such, his construction company has grown fast and extensively mostly because of this great opportunity. In any case, it is quite unethical to act in a manner that clearly puts the competitors at a disadvantage in their operations in the market (Bowen 2009). This is what Costas seems to present to the market. Dionisis is worried about the state of events and the dilemma he has also been drawn into. Nevertheless, his unethical conduct accounts for the problem that seems to emerge in the situation. Incase Dionisis were a regular business customer and not the mayor of the town, it is envisioned that the situation would change toward the positive. Indeed, the challenge of Costas competitor opting to build the personal swimming pool would be out of the question. The thought that Costas and Dionisis are very close friend creates undue advantage over the rest of the competitors. In the same way, some of information that Costas always got from his friendship with the mayor would not have arisen. In that case, Costas would have no undue advantage over the rest of the competitors in the town. The friendship between Costas and Dionisis is basically a challenge on the whole ethical sum game. Without that friendship, instances of ethical misconduct realized in the case might not really be evidenced. Ethics is a double edged affair that exists in two fold (Mappes 1999). All the parties in a relationship are expected to behave in the most ethical manner (Roleff 1996). If I were Cassandra, I would not really advice Costas to proceed and build the personal swimming pool for the mayor. Acting in that manner would be so unethical and would deny the other eligible contractors the opportunity to have their fair share of participation in the selection process. Costas should just try and convince the mayor to act in the most ethical manner in as much as he needs the personal swimming pool. Indeed, ethical conduct is a very central tenet in human character and does not really have a substitute (George 2000). References Bowen, H. R. (2009). Social responsibilities of the businessman; ([1st ed.). New York: Harper. Ciulla, J. B. (2007). Honest work: a business ethics reader. New York: Oxford University Press. George, R. T. (2000). Business ethics. New York: Macmillan Pub. Co. ;. Mappes, T. A. (1999). Social ethics: morality and social policy. New York: McGraw-Hill. Roleff, T. L. (1996). Business ethics. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press. Shaw, W. H. (2008). Business ethics (6th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Thomson Wadsworth. Velasquez, M. G. (2006). Business ethics: concepts & cases (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Read More