What Would You Do? The Ethical Dilemma
Hypothetical Situation
Edward is a UX’er who works for a small e-commerce consultancy. He reports directly to the consultancy’s owner and founder, Charles.
Charles’s consultancy has implemented the e-commerce platform SellStuff for their client, Medical Supply Company U.S.A. (MSC). SellStuff is one of the leading e-commerce platforms and is the only one the consultancy implements for clients.
Edward is now working on a UX research project for MSC. His contact at MSC is Leslie. During one of their calls, Edward learns from Leslie that MSC’s parent global organization wants its U.S.A. subsidiary to get off the SellStuff platform. Leslie asks Edward not to “tell Charles about MSC’s global parent’s desire to stop using the SellStuff platform.
VARIABLES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
A- Leslie Intentions
I was told once not to listen to what people say but analyze what they do, thus determining their intentions. In this example, it isn’t easy to guess Leslie’s intentions. Is it to warn Charles through Edward? Is she trying to sabotage her own company, MSC? Is she just venting? Is she trying to make Edward more comfortable by sharing with him confidential information? Did Edward somehow trick her into sharing more information than she meant to?
In Edward’s position, I would need more interaction with her to understand why she chose to confide in me. But it all doesn’t change the fact that we cannot make ethical decisions based on what is out there, based on external information, as we have learned in this class. To be ethical, we need to stop being drifters and think about what we are for. Through hard choices, we need to make decisions based on what we want to become. We need to figure out the person, the leader, the UX professional that we want to be. Exercise power to create reasons for ourselves.
B- Edward relationship with Charles
In this example, we don’t get much information about Edward and Charles’s relationship. We only know that Edward has decided to work for him, and he seems to be ok with it. What type of leader is Charles?
Also, we need to note that for Edward, the decision to talk to Charles about the information Leslie revealed is a hard choice, not an easy one. This shows that he likes working with Charles. Decide between staying quiet and follow Leslie’s request to keep this information secret, and inform Charles, isn’t an easy choice. Again, it doesn’t matter the relationship between the people involved or what type of leaders they are. In the end, the decision is on us. What is important is the type of leaders we are and the choices we make. What makes a choice ethical has very few to be with our likes and dislikes.
ETHICAL ISSUE & FACTORS TO CONSIDER
The moral dilemma starts when Leslie asks Edward not to “tell Charles about MSC’s global parent’s desire to stop using the SellStuff platform.”
This request creates a moral dilemma because there is a conflict between two moral norms. There is tension between some information that could be kept secret (moral standard 1) or be disclosed (moral standard 2). I agree with this quote, “Never agree to keep a secret that could harm someone or put you in a position of being (or even seeming) dishonest.”
On one side, we don’t want to break her request for secrecy. We don’t want to reveal information received in confidence. We perceive disseminating private information as a violation of trust. Being entrusted with a secret is difficult because we want others to feel they can trust us.
“The right to know versus the right to privacy is certainly one of the major issues in Western culture
_ by Patrick Jackson.”
On the other side, Charles hired Edward to help his consultancy, in this particular situation, with a research project for MSC. Edward represents Charles’s best interest unless what he is asked to do harms society’s best interest. This is not the case, and the customer is happy with SellStuff; as Leslie put it, “she wants to remain on SellStuff because she believes it offers features the global organization’s platform doesn’t.” Edward is working for the person who is not in the room; in this case, that person is Charles. If Edward has information that can be damaging for Charles, the ethical way to act in this situation is to reveal it. Edward would be doing him a disservice by not disclosing what he knows. Leslie’s request overlaps his duty to speak the truth and do no harm. In the end, it is a burden that she doesn’t have the right to pass into Edward.
STEPS I’LL TAKE IF FACING THIS DILEMMA
- First, I would talk to Leslie and explain to her why it’s wrong to keep the secret from Charles. I will tell her that I can’t keep that secret from him. I will assure her that I will keep her name out of my conversation with Charles if this makes her feel more comfortable.
My reasons to not keep the secret:
• It could damage hers and my credibility.
• It could affect our workflow.
• It could harm Charles’s business and my employment.
• It could damage the relation between MSC and the consultancy and any future business relation between both.
• It is a bad decision. MSC is better working with Charles’ consultancy.
• This request asks me to act against my best interest.- Second, I will talk to Charles about the information I have uncovered and work with him (if he wants me to) to design a plan to reduce the risk of this from happening.
HOW I CAME TO THIS REALIZATION
A- The Utilitarian Approach
There is a person who will be harmed if this information is not disclosed. This person is Charles, so I “choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm.” This action “will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm.”
B- The Rights Approach
I don’t think Leslie intends to manipulate Edward, but it is a “violation of human dignity to use people in ways they do not freely choose.” To ask someone to keep a secret about something that can harm others falls into this category.
Charles has the right to know the truth. Edward has “freely entered into a contract or agreement” with Charles to perform his job to the best of his abilities and protect Charles’s interest unless his duties involve doing something unethical. Someone else doesn’t have the right to make him break this trust.
C- The Fairness or Justice Approach
If Edward decided to keep the information about MSC getting off SellStuff secret, he would be treating Charles unjustly and unfairly. Leslie would then, in contrast, be treated with favoritism. This situation will give her benefits “without a justifiable reason.”
D- The Common-Good Approach
This approach touches on the importance of “community members” to be “bound by the pursuit of common values and goals.” Leslie’s goals, whatever they are, are not aligned with Edwards and Charles. By keeping Leslie’s secret, Edward will not help create a common good. This will not benefit Leslie in the long run and will harm Charles.
