Ethics and the Administrative Profession
What Would You Do? Ethics and Today's Administrative Professional
Week 2 Assignment
COM 325
Ashford University
Details:-
Read Ethics and the Administrative Professional. What Would You Do? Prepare a two- to
three page paper with your responses to the five cases presented at the end of the article.
Clearly identify each case and prepare an explanation of how you would respond or react
in each scenario using communication techniques used to manage conflict.
Your responses should be thorough and complete with details explaining your response
and using knowledge from this class and two outside resources. You may also indicate if
additional information is needed and if so, what would you like to know.
Your paper must be prepared using APA formatting.
In addition to the two to three pages of text, include a title page and a reference page.
Submit your paper by Monday, Day 7.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your
assignment.
In a survey conducted by AMA and Human Resource Institute on more than 1100
managers and HR experts from around the world about ethics, the respondents identified
"Pressure to meet unrealistic business objectives/deadlines"(amanet.org) as the number
one factor most likely to cause people to compromise ethical standards. Further down the
list of reasons for unethical behavior was the "Need to follow boss's orders." (amanet.org)
Companies have their own rules regarding the ethical behavior of their administrative
professionals. In these cases the ethics of an individual as well as those of company
matters and decisions have to be taken taking into account both facts. Sometimes loyalty
to your boss or senior managers comes in between taking ethical and moral decisions.
Other reasons for not following ethical standards include financials, personal reasons,
family issues, self-imposed and restrictions.
The five cases and their explanations which include taking ethical decisions are as
follows:
Case #1: The Boss's Expense Report
Your boss conveniently loses his expense report for his last trip. On his way into a
meeting, he drops a blank report on your desk and asks you to fill in the blanks, saying,
"Make it add up to $300 or so." What will you do?
This particular ethical problem involves the boss who wants medo the wrong transactions
for him and putting the blame on me and in the event of anything goes wrong. The true
expenses done by the Boss on the trip is not known to me and I might have to make false
expenses to make up his bill and identify his expenditures on the trip. The intention is to
clearly make up the expenses for him and the right action will be to let the Boss know that
he needs to put in his bills and expense costs calculated as per the actual costs incurred on
this particular business trip.
It will be better to ask the Boss to arrange for the genuine bills from the hotel where he
has stayed. Copies can be obtained on request and the major cost of the business trip can
be covered. As far as my decision goes I would refuse to fabricate the bills. I would
suggest moral and ethical alternatives to resolve the problem.
If and when the genuine bills become available as true expenses, I would be willing to
complete my part of the responsibility to submit the actual expenses as they occurred.
This will be in line with my ethical responsibilities to my company and will protect me
when the senior managers of the company ask for an explanation should the need arise.
This would not be possible in case I submitted a false expenditure report as the Boss will
hold me responsible and would tell me that I could have told him before that actual bills
were required to submit the expenses.
Case #2: Lunch Reservations
Ever since you took the job last year, your boss has asked you to schedule a weekly lunch
date with his mistress. You don't like doing it, but you've made the reservations anyway.
Last month you met his wife at a business luncheon. Now that she has met you, whenever
she calls and he is out, she asks, "Can you tell me where he is?" You can't stand being an
accomplice. What will you do?
This is a very difficult situation for me as it betrays not only the ethical principles of my
company but the moral and self conscience of my own. I feel it is defmitely wrong on the
part of the Boss to have a mistress and involve me to cover for him. Since I am aware of
my Boss character and supporting him in his activities by arranging dates and other
activities is certainly out of question. Not only will I be supporting his wrongful activities
but providing support.Time and again whenever I will have to offer an explanation to his
wife about his locations I will have to tell lies and hide the truth and if I speak the truth I
will be at the mercy of my Boss.
The best course of action in this case will be to use diplomacy and tell the Boss that I am
not such kind of person who associates himself with mistresses. One case would be where
I refuse to participate in his nefarious activities which would be a hard but effective
decision which would be risky as I can lose my job. Another alternative will be to excuse
myself and tell my Boss that I am not comfortable with such type of women and it would
be objectionable to my wife if she gets to know about it.
If one does not wish to participate in the above mention activity you should refuse the first
time you are asked thus you can leave a good impression on your Boss that you are not
the kind of person who can be taken granted for any illegal activity.
Case #3: Dinner a la Corporate Card
A very attractive manager from another department asks you out to dinner. You are
surprised when you arrive at a restaurant with average prices of $50 a plate. But you enjoy
the meal and the conversation—especially since work doesn't even come up. Dessert and
after-dinner coffee are added to the bill. The big surprise comes when your date pays for
everything with the company's credit card. What will you do?
It is an opportunity to date an attractive manager and to be entertained at a posh dinner. If
the responsibility of paying for the bill is on the manager who has entertained you than it
is fine as long as you are aware of it. But if it bypasses the company rules and using of the
credit card for entertainment or leisure purposes is not permitted as per company rules and
regulations it would be best if you advise my colleague on the company responsibilities
He might be slightly offended but it will help you build a long term trust and respect if he
accepts your proposition of not using the company credit card for a purpose other than
that for which is meant.
In this case it is protecting the company's interest as is visible to you. This shows I am a
responsible person acting on the company's behalf and when I am promoted to a senior
position I will know when and how company's funds are misused and the preventive
action that needs to be taken.
Case #4: The Confidential Report
It is afternoon and you have just received a very bulky interoffice mail package. As you
begin sorting the contents, you discover a cover letter addressed to someone else and a
folder stamped "Confidential" in big, red letters. As you begin to put it back in the mail
bag, half the contents of the folder slip out and fall all over your desk. Since it is
"Confidential," you try not to look, but you can't help yourself. You discover your
company is involved in the scandal of the century. What will you do?
It would be best to place the contents back in the envelope since it is confidential
information and someone may already be taking some action on it. In some of the cases
the employees have been fired for disclosing confidential information.There is a long
procedure to go through before one is reinstated on the job or removed permanently from
the company. Sometimes confidential information disclosed to wrong persons can do
more damage than benefit a cause. There are auditors and accountants who look into these
things.
Case #5—Party Marty
Marty is another administrative assistant who works in your office. Over the last two
years the two of you have become great friends. The only thing you don't like about Marty
is her cavalier attitude toward "sampling" company property, like packages of ballpoint
pens and reams of paper for her home computer. You have never said anything before, but
now she has gone too far. Yesterday she announced that she had "borrowed" the keys to a
condo at the corporate retreat. "No one will be there this weekend," she says, "so I'm
throwing a party! Want to come?" You know Marty's boss has no idea his keys are
missing and you're uncomfortable participating in such an incriminating activity. What
will you do?
It is good to get a holiday/weekend and get a nice condo or house for free would be great.
But as far as the question of ethics is concerned you may be going too far and if caught
you will be at the mercy of the Boss. It would be best to skip a temporary fun can turn into
a long lived nightmare Such kind of activities can put you into a wrong situation where it
is difficult to come out of.
References:
Unrealistic Business Objectives and Deadlines Is Leading Factor for Unethical...
Retrieved from www amanet org/news/56 aspx
Shari Lifland is Editorial Communications Manager for American Management
Association. She is editor of the e-newsletters "Moving Ahead," "Management Update,"
and
"Administrative Excellence," and manages content for the Members-only section of
AMA's W