Business Ethics Position Paper

HU245

For this assignment I chose to discuss option A, regarding conflict between the waitstaff and the politician. What brought me to this topic was that I have been in this situation once before at my current job. I work at a well-known country club outside of Madison, WI and we serve many upper-class individuals including professional golfers and athletes, news broadcasters, and in this instance, Governor Scott Walker.

While I am not big on politics, I was aware of what he was doing to Wisconsin and I must admit, I did not agree with his choices. When he came in to dine at my place of work, I was probably the last person that wanted to take care of him but as the head waitress, I did it anyway. Although I was against his beliefs and actions, I would never let my views hinder my job performance or his experience as a customer at the establishment and I would certainly never tell my manager to ask him to leave. Thinking ethically, I feel that it is unfair and unjust to punish someone because their beliefs differ from my own. Everyone has a right to their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

In the case of Option A, I think a good way for the manager to resolve the conflict between the servers and the politician is to first, listen to the employees’ feelings and concerns. I think that allowing someone to be heard is an important part of resolution and if the manager takes the time to do this, I believe it will emanate care and respect, and help to build a strong manager/employee relationship. While I believe that employees should always be a priority, I also understand that managers are trying to run a business and have an obligation to the establishment and its customers. After recognizing the employees’ feelings about the situation, I think the next step would be a friendly reminder that differences, whether you agree with them or not, should be respected and while at work, behaviors and emotions should remain controlled. We don’t always like the things we have to do in life and although it may be challenging, these things must be done. Shedding light on the fact that resolution can support the interests and needs of both parties involved (money for the servers and food for the politician) and speed the process of his departure, may also help the waitstaff work through this situation. Whether or not this attempt at resolving the conflict works for everyone, I feel it shows both parties respect and opens the door for resolution. In my opinion, the utilitarian theory applies best in this situation – try to achieve the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people involved (Thiroux & Krasemann, 2015).

References

Thiroux, J. P., Krasemann, K. W. Ethics: Theory and Practice (2015). [Purdue University Global Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323130162/https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323130162/