Title: Discussion Module 2 - Ethics in the Workplace
Course: Canvas Practice Course > Section: Module 2 - Applying for a job

Module 2 Discussion

What is your reaction to the following scenario?  Is it realistic?  Have you witnessed this sort of pilferage and petty behavior at your workplace?  As you probably realize, rules of ethics at the grassroots of our experience are often unstated.  Does this mean they are also unenforceable?  Do they need to be?  What is the harm?

Scenario

One day while eating lunch in the staff break room, you overhear the following conversation:

Sally: There's an interesting article in the Human Resources newsletter this month about costs of employee theft – adds up to quite a lot over a year!

Dan: Does that surprise you? Isn't it just cost of doing business? Written off at year's end?

Arlene: (chuckling) You know, I haven't bought toilet paper at home for a long time. I just stick a roll from our break room stash in my purse when I need some.

Cathy: Yeah, our mail room cupboard is my personal source of home office supplies – haven't bought paper clips or staples or printer paper for years!

Arlene: I love those fine-point pens in the closet. And I use the copy machine to make copies for my PTA committee meetings.

Sally: I've often wondered how many “business lunches” among friends are charged to corporate credit cards.

Dan: Not to mention “lost” items like remote controls that we never seem to find!

Cathy: Well, I'd like to catch whoever it is who keeps taking my yogurt out of our fridge! I was planning to eat that today!

Sally: Isn't all this the same problem – theft in the workplace? Whatever happened to ethical behavior in the workplace?

Arlene: I don't know what the big deal is... everyone does it!

Your task:

What think you? Is this conversation typical? Is the behavior of these workers unethical?  Or is there an expectation of this sort of "petty" theft? Does their nonchalance matter?  What does this scenario suggest to you about the culture of this company?  Or is it true that these attitudes are universal in today's workplace?

Remember:

- State your attitudes as clearly as possible, using a good topic sentence, several developing sentences, examples and/or statements that support your topic.
- Pay close attention to sentence structure and good grammar.
- You should post at least twice.

50 points.