Case #3: Taking Credit for Work
Relevant Facts
Janice is the boss of John in terms of rank. She, however, misuses and underpays her assistant researcher, John. The money John gets is not even enough to sustain his family since he is underpaid. The program that Janice wants to present to her boss actually was designed and done by John. No contribution was made by Janice towards the program aimed at solving the company’s challenges.
Ethical Issues Involved
Janice wants to present a program to her boss that does not belong to her. It is John’s handwork. In addition, she threatens to lower John’s assessment and even fire him in case he reports her to her boss about the lying concerning the owner of the project. However, Janice promises to raise the salary for her underpaid assistant if he agrees to let her present the program as her original work.
Primary and Secondary Stakeholders
The primary stakeholders of the issue are Janice and John, who work together where Janice is the boss and John, the assistant. Janice’s boss is the secondary stakeholder as he is the one asking Janice to develop a program to solve company challenges.
Possible Alternative
John can decide to let his boss Janice presents the project as her own. This will make him get a raise in assessment and even raise his payment. He will be able to take care of the needs of his family, which is currently struggling. The other alternative is to report his boss Janice to her boss concerning her lying about the owner of the program. By doing this, he will risk being sacked and lowering his assessment, as promised by Janice.
Ethical Alternatives
Based on the provision of utilitarianism, Janice should go ahead and present the program as hers. This is because; the program, if accepted by her boss, would be a game-changer for the company. The program will help the company achieve its goals and targets. It is, therefore, good for the benefit of the many who works in the company. In addition, John will personally benefit in that he will get a good assessment and pay rise. This will enable him to take care of his family’s needs financially, which he is currently struggling with. Janice would also impress her boss and keep her position as a chief researcher for the company hence able to take care of her family too.
The rights of John are being violated by Janice as he is the designer of the program and should be recognized and even promoted for the job well done. Janice is obligated to acknowledge her assistant as the original designer of the software program.
The alternative of Janice saying the truth about the developer of the software program is the best alternative for all the stakeholders. He will probably get the right assessment and be promoted in his position. The action violates the principle of justice in that Janice will take credit for something she never contributed to developing, and the real developer will not be recognized. The alternative of Janice saying the truth about who developed the program is the most consistent with justice. John should tell the truth concerning the program.
Practical Constraints
Janice being the boss to John, is the practical constraint. She is likely to be listened to more by the boss compared to John. If John dares to tell the truth, he is likely to be fired and lose his job hence the source of livelihood. John should take the opportunity of foregoing his project credit to his boss and, in return, get a good assessment and pay rise.