Taking Credit
“TGIF,” mumbled Ted under his breath. It was finally the weekend and Ted was heading
out of the office three hours past closing. Lately, work has been quite overwhelming, and it is
obvious that Ted is ready for a weekend of relaxation. This weekend, Ted and his wife have
made plans to spend some quality time together. Over the past six months Ted and his wife have
barely been able to spend 10 hours a week together. Of course, Ted is at home more than ten
hours, but when you factor in sleep and working from home, time with his wife has been greatly
minimized.
As Ted turned to walk out of his office, his cell phone rang. Ted immediately dreaded
who could be on the other end. “Sheila Gates,” he said out loud as he looked at his phone. A
loud aggravated sigh came from Ted. Sheila Gates was his boss and, as usual, he assumed she
would need some type of report completed by Monday at 7 AM. Ted held the phone out and
watched it ring a couple times before deciding it was best to answer it now, rather than dread the
message she would leave.
“This is Ted.”
“Hi Ted, it’s Sheila. How are you doing today?”
“I was just heading out for the weekend,” Ted mentioned.
“Oh, well sorry to bother you, but I really need your help. Mike (The President of the
organization) needs a report pulled together by Monday morning. I’ll send an email with the
information that needs to be contained in the report. Do you think you can have this information
compiled together and delivered to me by 7 AM on Monday?”
“Well, I did have plans with my wife this weekend. Is there anyone else that can help?”
Ted questioned in a pleading manner.
1
“Ted, you know that I wouldn’t ask you unless it was essential. You are the only one that
has access to all of the information that needs to be in the report. What do you say? Can you
help me out?”
“If you need me to help, Sheila, than I will. You said you need the report by
7 AM on Monday, right?” Ted said as a sinking feeling came over him.
“Yes, that would be perfect. Thanks Ted. Have a great weekend.”
‘Great weekend’ Ted thought. Does she realize that I no longer am going to have a
weekend? My wife is going to kill me.
“You, too.” Ted replied.
Ted hung up the phone, and quickly dialed the number to his house. After a brief and
unsettling conversation with his wife, Ted turned around and went right back to his cubical. As
Ted sat at his computer, he began to question what his boss was going to be doing all weekend
while he was stuck in the office.
“Delegation,” Ted blurted out. “Must be nice.” Ted began to dwell on this thought and
remembered what he had learned in business school. Delegation allows for
Managers/Executives to focus on more cost effective tasks (Mindtools). As this thought past
through his mind, Ted began to wonder, “What could be more cost effective than this ‘essential’
report?”
Monday morning, after yet another short weekend, Ted arrived at work at about 6:30 AM
and delivered the report into Sheila’s office.
“Thanks Ted. I really appreciate you working this weekend to compile this information.
I know that I can count on you in a time of need.” Sheila stated as she walked out the door and
down to Mike’s office.
2
“Thanks Sheila.” Ted remarked as he turned and walked back to his office.
A few hours after later, Mike came out of his office and walked down to see Sheila. Like
most companies, the office layout was primarily cubicles with a few sporadic offices for the
Executives. Ted sat in the cube just outside of Sheila’s office.
“Great job on the report Sheila.” Mike exclaimed. “I was very impressed and I
appreciate your dedication to this organization.” Ted sat on the edge of his chair waiting for
Sheila to mention him. He had pulled together the information and he did show that he was
dedicated enough to work through the weekend. There’s no way that Sheila wouldn’t recognize
this. Instead, what Ted heard shocked him.
“Thanks Mike. You know that I do what it takes to keep the business going.” Sheila
remarked. Ted couldn’t believe what he had just heard. His own boss had just taken credit for
all of the work that he had put into that report. Stunned, Ted was uncertain of what to do.
Thoughts were racing through his head “An accountable person, such as Sheila, would not claim
credit for my work, would she?” (Mindtools). “Why did I spend all that time on the report if I’m
not going to receive any credit? (Academy). “Do I have to ‘grin and bear this’?” (E-Magnify).
“Should I be thankful that my boss is stealing my ideas?” (E-Magnify). “How can I stop her
from taking credit for the work that I did?” (Mean). “She is my boss and holds more power than
me,” is there anything I can do? (E-Magnify). The thoughts were overwhelming, but Ted was
so shocked that all he could do was stare at Sheila and watch her take credit for his hard work.
About two months ago, there was a situation similar to this and somehow there was a
misunderstanding regarding who should have received credit for the report. During the last
instance, the report took all night Friday and most of the day Saturday to complete. Ted had
emailed the report to Sheila, per her request, as she wanted to review it prior to sending it on to
3
Mike. Sheila had promised that she would simply forward the email to ensure that Ted received
the credit for all of his hard work. A few days later, Ted received an email from Sheila and
attached was the original email that she sent to Mike and his reply in big bold letters.
“Great job, Sheila. It’s good to know that I can always count on you.” (Oelke). On
Sheila’s email to Ted the only comment was, “Mike liked the report.” It was obvious that there
was no forwarded email to Mike that would have made him aware that Ted compiled the report.
In addition, there was no apology from Sheila stating that she forgot to forward the original
email. It seemed evident that Sheila had intentionally taken credit for the report.
Ted let this issue slide as he wanted to believe that it was just a misunderstanding. Mike
is one that is easily upset and perhaps Sheila was trying to set herself up to take the blame if
something went wrong. Whether this was true or not, this is the story the Ted chose to believe.
This time, however, it was different. Ted heard Sheila taking credit for the report without
even flinching at the idea that she was claiming credit for work that he had done. Ted knew he
had to confront this situation.
After a couple hours, Ted decided to see if Sheila was around. Confident that he heard
the entire conversation, Ted marched down to Sheila’s office and politely knocked on her door.
“Sheila, do you have a couple minutes?” Ted questioned.
“Of course Ted, what can I do for you?” Sheila asked in a chipper voice.
“This afternoon, well, correct me if I’m wrong, but, I think,” Ted stumbled over his
words. “I heard Mike talking to you in your office this morning.”
“Oh, yes. He loved the report. Great job.” Sheila remarked.
“I appreciate that,” Ted proclaims. “But I’m concerned that Mike is unaware that I
compiled that information.” Sheila looked bewildered.
4
“Ted, I’m not sure of what you’re trying to say.”
“Sheila, I was her all weekend compiling that data for the report, don’t you think that I’m
entitled to recognition of my work?” (Rushman).
“Of course I do, that’s why I gave you credit after successfully completing the report”
(Mindtools).
“I appreciate that Sheila, but is there a reason that you took credit for the report when
Mike complimented you on it?”
“Of course. I delegated the report to you and reviewed it when you returned it to me. I
would have given you credit, but I made some changes to the report before taking it to Mike.
Therefore, I made the last changes, so I thought it made the most sense to email a fresh copy to
Mike. Anyway, the report ‘was in regards to our entire organization. There was no need to
mention names. I was just talking about what matters’” (Visibility). Mike is not concerned with
who compiled the report, he is just happy that it was completed.” Sheila smiled and shrugged
her shoulders.
“Oh.” Ted said as he gave Sheila a puzzled look.
“Ted, you have to understand the culture within this organization. There is a high degree
of hierarchy here, which means there is a well-defined organizational structure. In an
environment like this, there is a need to work through certain channels and value authority. Do
you understand what I’m getting at?” (Assessing).
“I understand, and respect, the hierarchy within the organization, but I really want to be a
team player” (Giving). Ted stressed his point. “How can I be a team player when my name or
contribution is not even mentioned during your discussions with Mike?” (10 Ways).
5
“Ted, you have to understand that I am the individual that is fully accountable for this
report. If anything goes wrong, I’m taking full ownership for the results” (CEO). Sheila pointed
out. “Remember, I bear the ultimate responsibility for the success of what we are trying to
achieve” (Mindtools).
“Sheila, I would never accuse you of taking credit when things are right, but not
accepting responsibility when things go wrong” (Workplace). Ted reinforced. “I would just like
to be held accountable, as well. Being held accountable if more than just dealing with the blame,
or fault if something goes wrong. Being held accountable allows me to take some of the credit
for decisions we’ve made along the way” (CEO).
“Ted, I will keep your suggest in mind for the next project.” Sheila mentioned halfheartedly. “Now, anything else I can do for you?”
“I guess not, but I would truly appreciate the opportunity to be held accountable on future
projects.” Ted pleaded.
Walking out of the office that Monday, Ted felt completely defeated. Over the next few
months, Ted continued to work hard and Sheila continued taking credit for the work that Ted
completed (Online). Sheila had become a workplace bully to Ted as she continued to steal credit
from him and claim it as her own (Playground). Ted became distracted and found he often
worried about his future interaction with Sheila (Playground). Unknown to Ted, bullying in the
workplace is something that has been taking place for years and the potential damage to an
organization is clear (Workplace). “Eighty percent of bullies are bosses, some are co-workers”
and a minority of higher ups are bullies (Bullying).
Over time, Ted’s confidence slowly began to fade and so did his quality of work
(Wrong). Ted was eventually dismissed from the organization due to lack of performance.
6
Since his dismissal, Ted has become a consultant. Ted makes frequent visits to companies to
conduct Ethics training with a strong focus on Credit Taking. With hands on experience, Ted is
able to view this topic and take into consideration both sides of the argument.
Why should Executives/Managers give credit to their subordinates?

Employees can “benefit from a better organization, where accomplishments are
recognized, encouraging performance and fair recognition” (Rushman).

Employee motivation will increase with the “anticipation of reward for work well done”
(Fear).

“Public recognition both reinforces the enjoyment of success with the assistant who
carried out the task and sets a standard for other employees” (Mindtools).

“When Managers highlight the contributions of others, they increase their employees’
self confidence and raise their spirits-which ultimately improves future performance”
(Giving).

Employees working in conditions where their Managers take credit for everything, “often
find their physical health, mental health, and confidence so destroyed that they lack even
the confidence to leave and instead find themselves trapped in a world of psychological
violence” (Wrong).

“It is said that ethics or moral character is doing the right thing when no one is looking”
(Behavior).

Claiming credit for work completed by others can “stifle productivity and innovation
throughout the organization” (Report).

Taking credit for what others are doing, is a definite way to kill team spirit (10 Ways).
7

“Managers are reluctant to spend time and resources on interrelationship projects if they
are uncertain to receive credit for them” (Academy).

If the organization has strong people orientation, people will be put first when making a
decision (Assessing).

If Executives/Managers give credit to their staff on a continuous basis, the
Executives/Managers may gain a reputation for spotting and developing talent
(Rushman).

“Employees are entitled to recognition of their work (Rushman).

“Stealing credit is wrong according to the rules of society.” (Rushman).

“Denying the employee the credit, even if no one else finds out, is to miss an opportunity
for the team and the company to grow. If the Executive/Manager claims the credit
personally, the employee is likely to be less productive in the future or take his talents
elsewhere (Rushman).

Eliminate the opportunity for a workplace bully. “The most common tactics of a
workplace bully include unreasonable job demands, unfair criticism of ability,
inconsistent compliance with work rules, threats of job loss, insults and putdowns,
discounting or denial of accomplishments, exclusion or icing out, yelling and screaming
and stealing credit. Fifty three percent of bullied employees lost work time worrying
about a bullying incident or future interactions with the bully” (Playground).

An accountable person is not a victim and doesn’t shift blame or claim credit for the work
of others (Six).
8
Why should Executives/Managers claim the credit for the work of their
subordinates?

Ultimately, the Executive/Manager bears the responsibility for the success or failure of
what they are trying to achieve (Mindtools). Therefore, when the results are positive, the
Executive/Manager would take full credit, consequently, if the results were not so
favorable, the responsibility would still fall back on the Executive/Manager.

“It’s easy to externalize, to blame the world and the people around us . . .It’s harder to say
‘what could I have done to help solve the problem?’” (Dallas). It is an
Executive’s/Manager’s job to protect their employees. By accepting full credit for what
is turned in, the subordinate is off the hook.

Culture. If the organizations culture has a high degree of hierarchy, there will be a welldefined organizational structure with a need to work through channels and value authority
(Assessing).

Task Orientation. If an organization has a strong task orientation, tasks and processes
will be taken into consideration first (Assessing). Therefore, Executives/Managers would
focus first on full completion of a project and then focus on the employee/subordinate
that completed the project.

If Executives/Managers give credit to their staff on a continuous basis, the
Executives/Managers may gain a reputation for spotting and developing talent and
potentially lose their talented employees to other departments (Rushman).
Executives/Managers should receive the credit for “supporting and guiding” the
employee (Rushman).
9

When the subject is the whole organization, there is no need to mention any names
(Visibility).

Executives/Managers need to be accountable and therefore should take credit especially
in cases where the subordinate has not proven to be accountable. “Accountability allows
each of us to look at all of life’s experiences, take credit for the decisions we’ve made
along the way, and learn” (CEO).
A few months into his consulting, Ted was contacted by Sheila, via phone. She was
interested in his services and the impact he could have on her employees. Ted felt this was as
good of time as any to find out why she treated him so terribly when they worked together.
“Sheila, I was just thinking. I bet you could help me develop my consulting skills even
further. Would you be willing to share the circumstances and your thoughts in regards to the
time we worked together?”
“Sure. I don’t see any harm in that.” Sheila quickly replied.
“The only question I have is why did you always let Mike believe the report that I
compiled was completed by you?” Ted questioned.
“Well, my answer to that might be a bit more in-depth than you hoped for. We both
know that Mike is a unique individual to work for. Well, for some reason he got it in his head
that when a report came from me, it was right and when it came from you it was wrong. I know
there is nothing to back this up, but it became easier to just let him think that I was compiling the
data. I figured this saved us both rework.”
“You mean to tell me that you were actually taking credit for the report to help me?” Ted
seemed concerned.
10
“Precisely, but I did not feel it was appropriate to let you know this when we worked
together. I did not want you to feel inferior by any means.” Sheila said sincerely.
11
Thought Provoking Questions
1. If this took place in your organization, how would the Ted’s feel knowing they were not
going to get credit for the work they completed?
2. How did your thoughts/assumptions change as the case progressed?
3. What would be your overall thought of Sheila? Ted? Mike? Do you have individuals in
your place of employment that have similar characteristics?
4. How could Sheila/Ted have handled this situation differently?
5. What would you have done if you were Ted? Sheila?
6. In regards to Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development, what stages are Sheila, Ted and
Mike at? Why?
7. How would Sheila, Ted, Mike have acted in the different stages of moral development?
8. How do you find a balance between work and your personal life?
9. What other reasons would Executives/Managers need to take credit for information that
has been compiled by someone else?
10. What consequences should Mike have to face if he was showing favoritism to Sheila?
11. What type of ethical code/policy would you enforce in an organization to ensure credit is
given to the appropriate person?
12. What areas of deception are noticeable in this case? What areas are individuals most
likely to deceive when at work?
12
References
Ayers, Keith. “Creating a Responsible Workplace.” Society for Human Resource
Management. 2006. http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/articles. May 18, 2006.
“Bullying in the Workplace.” Canada Safety Council. September 2000.
council.org. May 21, 2006. (Bullying).
http://www.safety-
Campbell, Sloan. “Great Expectations.” The CEO Refresher. Slaon Campbell. 2005.
http://www.refresher.com/!slcgreat.html. May 19, 2006. (CEO).
“Doesn’t Being Mean Pay Off?” Maya 2005. http://monster.com. May 21, 2006. (Mean).
Emery, Joy. “10 Ways to Kill a Team Spirit.” Lifeway Christian Resources. 2001-2003.
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page. May 19, 2006. (10 Ways).
“Fear or Opportunity: What Motivates Employees?” 2005.
http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_25099?_templaceId=315. May 18, 2006. (Fear).
Fyock, Catherine. Brannick, Joan. “Assessing Organizational Culture.” July 2002. Society of
Human Resource Management. 2006.
http://www.shrm.org/hrresources/shitepapers_published/CMS_001644.asp. May 19,
2006. (Assessing).
Heffernan, Margaret. “The Wrong Stuff.” Mansueto Ventures LLC. 2005.
http://pf.fastcompany.com/resources/columnists/mh/041204.html. May 20, 2006.
(Wrong).
“How and Why Active Followers Matter in Leadership.” The Academy of Leadership.
1998-2003. http://www.academy.umd.edu. May 18, 2006. (Academy).
“How to Delegate Work to Other People.” Mind Tools Ltd. 1995-2006.
http://www.mindtools.com/tmdelegt.html. May 18, 2006. (Mindtools)
“Importance of Ethical Behavior in the Workplace.” Online Ethics Center for
Engineering and Science. 1995-2004. http://onlineethics.org/corp. May 18, 2006.
Kauffman, Kristen. “Author says personal accountability should replace blame game.”
Dallas Morning News. 2004. (Dallas).
Marr, Steve. “Giving Credit to Others.” Women Today Online. 2006.
http://www.christianwomentoday.com/workplace/credit.html. May 18, 2006.
(Giving).
McCord, Linnea, Richardson, John. “Are Workplace Bullies Sabotaging Your Ability to
Compete?” Grazaidio School of Business and Management or Pepperdine
13
The
University. 2002. http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/031/bullies.html. May 19, 2006.
(Report).
Murphy, Laurie. “Workplace Diversity.” Vault. http://www.vault.com. May 20, 2006.
(Workplace).
Nilges, Hans. “Beyond the Playground: Workplace Bullies Hurt Yout Employees and Your
Business.” Brouse McDowell. 1995-2002. http://www.brouse.com. May 19, 2006.
(Playground).
Oelke, Maria. Personal Experience. May 15, 2006. (Oelke).
“Ripped Off.” E-Magnify. Secton Hill University. 2006. http://www.e-magnify.com.
May 19, 2006. (E-Magnify).
Rushman, William. “William E. Rushman-Case 1.” William E. Rushman. 2004.
http://www.hotlineconsulting.com. May 19, 2006. (Rushman).
Swales, Cheri. “How Are Your Ethics?” Monster.
http://management.monster.com/articles/crisis/ May 20, 2006.
“The Six Pillars of Character.” Josephson Institute. 2005.
http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/MED/MED-2sixpillars.htm. May 21, 2006.
“Workplace Behavior Ethics.” All About God. 2002-2006.
http://www.allaboutgod.com. May 19, 2006. (Behavior).
“Visibility.” Advise Line by Bob Lewis. 2004.
http://weblog.infoworld.com/lewis/archives/2004/11/visibility.html. May 20, 2006.
(Visibility).
14