The Underdog: A Common Situation In The Workplace

Name: Institution: Course: Date: Ethical Case Study: The Underdog Diane Decent, a Beta Alpha Psi officer, is facing a hard and trying moment whereby her decisions require several ethical considerations. All these develop after she realizes the potential winner for a prestigious accounting summer internship program, Frieda Fabulist, will be joining a law school at the same time the internship program will be taking place (Porco, n.p). The case study presents a common situation in the workplace, whereby a decision or act might be perceived negatively even if it was the right thing to do. In this case, Diane can choose to reveal about Frieda's plans for joining a school in September or completely avoid discussing it with anyone. The essay illustrates why Diane should raise the concern about Frieda’s school plans before she is announced as the chosen candidate for the internship program. Both Diane and Frieda are interns in the firm, but the latter is a finalist for a global internship program for the summer. The academic advisor confirms to Diane that Frieda has been selected for the prestigious accounting summer internship programs when she is aware that Frieda will be beginning her law school in September. It is also clear that other applicants will be disappointed when the official announcement will be made because they will miss the opportunity. If Frieda is granted the opportunity and is unable to attend, she will have wasted company’s resources and also denied others the opportunity. The issue directly involves Diane because she will take part in making preparations on how to share the news. Therefore, she is informed and aware of the impending situation that, if not intervened in the right way, may result in unwanted conflicts. Diane’s situation presents her with several choices. The initial step could be conducting Frieda to inquire about her social network's statement about law school invitation. The next move will be determined by whether Frieda will be joining her law school in September or not. If Frieda’s allegations about school are true, Diane can choose to ask about her plans for her candidature for the summer internship program. If she is no longer interested, Diane can then choose to tell the academic advisor to consider another candidate other than Frieda. If Frieda is still interested and probably has workable plans for the internship program, Diane can allow the announcement of her success. Alternatively, Frieda can tell the academic advisor to meet all the finalist candidates and inquire whether each of them is still ready to participate in the summer internship program in case they are chosen. During the meeting, the candidates should be encouraged to highlight any possible developments that might hinder one’s participation when the time comes. This will offer a convenient opportunity for Frieda to voluntary express her position without Diane’s direct intervention. Also, Diane has the choice of ignoring Frieda’s social media allegation and says nothing about her being chosen for the internship program. However, every choice that Diane settles for has its different ethical implications and potential outcomes. In case of any doubts, she should review the code of her professional conduct and seek whi...