Introduction

An ethical dilemma is a situation whereby a person is faced with only two options for which they have to choose the best cause of action from the two of them. Therefore, ethical dilemma is referred to as a situation where an individual is presented with causes of action to choose from but with a guarantee that no matter the choice they make, there is always some ethical principle being exercised (Burtonet al, 2017).

From the case study information, yes there is an ethical dilemma. There are around three ethical dilemma scenarios in the case study.

Harry the network programmer in Fabio Inc. is faced with an ethical dilemma. When he finished developing his antivirus program, he presented it to Jill his manager at Fabio Inc., but she did not accept his deal for selling the program to the business in discount. Later on, Harry was faced with a dilemma on whether to continue with his dreams of developing the program to be even better and sell it or give up. The dilemma was between choosing to continue developing the program which would mean time, career and skill wastage or just sell the program which would mean him being realized by Jill and maybe being sucked from Fabio.

The other dilemma is faced by Brockley, the overall manager for Fabio. When he received an email from Iris Bigg (Fabio’s owner) asking him to look for Lock smith (apparently Harry whom he had fired) and hire him. He argued that Lock Smith’s skills and expertise would help Fabio a great deal. The dilemma was to choose between contacting harry and rehiring him once more, which would destroy his reputation in the business or not contact or rehire Harry and be fired by Iris.

Understanding the Situation

In this scenario, it is clear that Fabio Inc. has serious problems and challenges when it comes to protecting its Information Technology (IT) devices, software systems and programs. On the other hand, Harry the business’s network developer is very talented and skilled in fields that related to security protection especially those that relate to computers, IT devices, software systems and other computer programs. He has developed an antivirus program which seems to be very effective for any device or machine. However, when he offers it to Fabio, his manager, Jill does not approve of its effectiveness or efficiency, and instead, she thinks that it is a danger to any system rather than a help to any organization’s security systems. Harry gives up his idea of developing the antivirus program further but still uses his skills to help people through the internet by using a fake name, Lock Smith. Lock Smith becomes a very popular and famous individual in the field of system securities and network programming. Later he is recognized by some associates of Fabio’s owner. Iris Bigg sees an opportunity and asks Brockley (Fabio Manager) to hire Lock Smith. This becomes a big dilemma for Brockley because he is the person who entertained Harry’s firing in the first place and now he has to hire him back to offer the same services that he was offering before he was fired.

Isolation of Major Ethical Dilemma

The major dilemma in this case study is the dilemma faced by Brockley when he is asked to hire the famous and popular Lock Smith. Brockley knows clearly that Lock Smith is Harry whom he fired. The dilemma is between choosing whether to hire Harry back and get his image destroyed or to ignore Iris’s order and lose his job in Fabio as the manager. No matter what the choice he makes, he will screw with business ethics of the other choice.

Ethical Analysis

Consequentialism- In an ethical dilemma, it states that whatever choice an individual makes, the best choice will be one with the most overall consequences accompanying it (Babalola et al., 2012). For this case, the choice for Brockley is to hire Harry back. His image will be damaged, but the business will be able to get solutions to its security problems.

Right and Duties

A right refers to a something that is morally correct, legal and honorable. A duty is a responsibility or an activity that should be performed by a specific person at a certain time. Right and duties in ethics are the responsibility of an individual to perform a certain right or ensure that those rights are followed (Goold et al., 2009). In this case study, it is the duty of Fabio’s owner (Iris) to ask Brockley to hire Lock Smith. Also, it is right to hire Lock Smith because he seems to be very skilled and experienced in the field of system security.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative

It is a moral statement that encourages people to carry out themselves as if they were role models and example to everybody else around them, or rather to act the way they would wish everybody should act. In this scenario, it seems like a piece of advice to Brockley, who failed to conduct an investigation when Jill presented him with information on Harry. He should have looked deeper and found that his opinion on Harry was valid and a possible cause for termination of  Harry’s contract of employment.

Discussion

This scenario is addressing Brockley on his dilemma. He should obviously choose the choice that he thinks is the best for him, the business and his career. However, he should be in a position to identify and understand all consequences that follow every choice. He should also ensure that the employee and business owner’s rights are adhered to and respected. He should make sure that the right thing is done no matter the scenario and no matter who comes with the idea, e.g., investigating to confirm situations. This should, therefore, lead to him treating others in the right manner and behaving like he would want others to act.

Making a Decision

If I were Brockley, I would choose to hire Harry back to Fabio. The positive effects of this choice are more manageable than that of choosing to ignore Iris’s request.

Steps for implementing the Decision

State the dilemma

Determine the facts

Identify possible alternatives or options

Test the options

Identify possible consequences

Make a choice

Monitor and modifying

References

Babalola, O., Grant-Kels, J. M., & Parish, L. C. (2012). Ethical dilemmas in journal publication. Clinics in dermatology, 30(2), 231-236.

Burton, E., Goldsmith, J., Koenig, S., Kuipers, B., Mattei, N., & Walsh, T. (2017). Ethical considerations in artificial intelligence courses. arXiv preprint arXiv:1701.07769

Goold, B. J., Lazarus, L., Desai, R., & Rasheed, Q. (2009). The relationship between rights and responsibilities.