As a hypothetical consultant in the ethics department of ABC, my job is to advise the employees about their ethical obligations in the corporate setting. The recommendations I receive in the capacity of an internal consultant are confidential. Because I am most concerned about how employees should resolves their ethical dilemmas as related to the workplace, any course of action and recommendation which I provide to the employee would be focused on balancing the interests of the individual with the company’s interests. Luke has come to know that the adult entertainment store which ABC plans to open is going to be situated in the neighborhood where his brother Owen lives. Luke’s concerns are genuine because the property values in the neighborhood …show more content…
The basic notion behind utilitarianism is that one’s actions should be directed at producing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The two actions that Luke can take is either to disclose to Owen about the company building an adult entertainment retail store in his neighborhood or to keep the information confidential. If Luke discloses to Owen, perhaps Owen will be able to move out of the neighborhood before the store is started to be constructed. In that case, Owen will be getting a reasonably okay price for his property. In this case, however, only Owen will benefit from Luke’s disclosure. In the other case, if Luke keeps the information confidential, probably Owen will not sell his property waiting for a better offer, and eventually when the store does get built in the neighborhood, hundreds of properties will see a decline in their value. Luke’s loyalties are not only with his family but for the company he works for. As a result of the disclosure, Luke will be violating his obligations of confidentiality to the company. ABC is a business organization and is in the business for the motive of making money. Moreover, ABC wants to cater to the needs of a market segment which wants an adult entertainment store. Through his disclosure, Luke will be jeopardizing the interests of hundreds of employees working with ABC and their families. If the store doesn’t get built, the company’s business interests will be negatively impacted. My recommendation to Luke based on the theory of utilitarianism is not to disclose the information to Owen. One can never predict the rise and fall of property values. Perhaps the building of an adult entertainment store in the