Modern societies are marred with immoral values that prefer selfish gains to ethical practices that define a person’s integrity and moral principle. The case context provided presents a business situation in which employees practice unethical practices as a result of various grievances or factors. The Devils Den firm is a profit-making institution that operates within the vicinity of a campus by providing fast foods to the population of students. The institution is owned by a third-party enterprise but has relegated its administrative responsibilities to students. Susan, who is an employee at Devils Den, is facing an ethical dilemma of changing malpractices that negatively paint the image of the snacks bar when perceived from distinct angles.
To understand Susan’s ethical dilemma, it would be critical to address many factors that are inherent in the scenario provided. Firstly, Devils Den seems to be experiencing an administrative challenge, which adversely affects stock management. Susan is one of the employees that adhere to the personal ethical principle that avoids the guilt of committing a disciplinary crime. In this context, the crime in discussion includes unethical practices of negligence such as providing free foodstuffs to friends. Other administrative challenges include the inability by the member students – with privileged positions – to execute their roles and responsibilities professionally.
Secondly, Susan’s dilemma indicates a significant loophole of management competence that would ensure the snacks bar is run with reference to common goals of an investment. In simpler terms, students who are expected to perform supervisory roles in the snacks bar are incompetent with respect to the rogue activities seen among employees. Supervisory roles and responsibilities would ensure that the inventory is managed efficiently with minimum cases of breaching the snacks bar’s operational policies. Susan is experiencing an ethical dilemma in which one of the mitigation measures would include, tightening management practices in the snacks bar.
Susan’s situation would also be evaluated with reference to the recommendations of the five ethical principles of professional and business management. Responsibility, as one of the relevant ethical principles, is a practice that lacks in the snacks bar among employees. For instance, it is through the insufficient understanding of the basic practices – that govern employee activities – that is evidenced in Susan’s ethical dilemma. Otherwise, employees (who are also students) would strive to achieve professional competence in providing services to the targeted market. Similarly, employees seem to lack personal integrity, which is a vital inclusion in delivering products and services by employees.
Susan’s situation would also be evaluated and assessed with regards to the provisions of the five ethical tests that determine various business practices. The necessary steps of making moral decisions are overlooked by Susan’s employees who end up practicing unethical activities. For instance, employees seem to be ignorant of the consequences of providing freebies to friends and misusing the snacks bar inventory. Similarly, the lack of a consistent effort in gathering facts before making a decision is contributing to Susan’s dilemma in significant ways. Nevertheless, it should be important to note that Susan’s dilemma would be resolved as a collective responsibility among the involved stakeholders such as employees, campus, and third party administrative representation.
One of the potential options that would mitigate Susan’s ethical dilemma would include a change in the snacks bar management. As evidenced in the case context provided, most of Susan’s senior officials rarely visit, regulate, and account for any supervisory role issued by the third party firm. When analyzed with reference to the basic ethical principles, Susan would be the perfect match to oversee managerial and supervisory functions in the bar through efficient and effective policy enactment and implementation. This role would enable her to straighten up management issues that promote unethical practices in the snacks bar. From a different angle, Susan should seek anonymity and provide the third party firm with comprehensive and concrete documentation of the prevailing situation in the snacks bar. This would aid the campus, in conjunction with the snack bar owners, in mitigating general student’s unethical practices as a whole. This would be one of the many moral responsibilities of any academic institution, which entails instilling moral values among students as a recommended way of life.
From a personal point of view, Susan should embark on an evidence collecting process, which would aid her in documenting all ethical practices in the snacks bar. This should be presented with anonymity status in order to avoid any situation that places her in conflict with colleagues and fellow students. This documentation should contain actual proof as evidence of malpractices that describe unethical practices among employees working in the campus shop. As a result, Susan should also capture an exclusive and comprehensive understanding of the Management Theory as a means of promoting her candidacy for the managerial position. This is a useful process, which would protect Susan’s interests in the snacks’ bar as she maintains her social status with colleagues and students who visit the premises regularly.