As a business communicator, you may face various ethical dilemmas in your career. Many factors can
determine your choice of action to take. Study the scenarios below. For each scenario, apply the tools
for doing the right thing in choosing an appropriate action:
a. Is the action you are considering legal?
b. How would you see the problem if you were on the opposite side?
c. What are alternate solutions?
d. Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advice you trust?
e. How would you feel if your family, friends,
For this paper, decide on the action you would take for each scenario below.
Explain the action and why you selected that response. Analyze your response against the tools for doing the right thing. Be sure to include each of the doing the right thing
elements (a through e above) in your response.
1. E-mail Message
You accidentally receive a message outlining your company?s restructuring plan. You see that
your coworker?s job will be eliminated. He and his wife are about to purchase a new home.
Should you tell him that his job is in danger?
2. Customer Letter
You are writing a letter to a customer who is irate over a mistake you made. Should you blame it
on a computer glitch, point the finger at another department, or take the blame and risk losing
this customer?s trust and possibly your job?
3. Progress Report
Your team leader has asked you to write the quarterly sales report. She has told you that you
should inflate the sales figures just a little bit so that you can meet the quarterly goal. She
strongly reminds you that you and your team members will all receive a healthy bonus if the team meets the goal.
4. Presentation
You are rushing to prepare a presentation. On the Web you find perfect wording and great
graphics. Should you just lift the graphics and wording but change a few words to make it your
own? Your reasoning is that if it is out on the Web, it must be public domain.
Include an Introduction, Conclusion and a Reference page.