An Ethical Dilemma

Dealing with an organizational ethics is such a tricky dance. A case in point is the supervisor who has to balance what is best for the entire organization against what might be best for an individual employee. Let's say the employee is a hard worker, does good work and demonstrates on a weekly basis they are more than capable of taking on greater levels of responsibility. As a result, they ask the boss for a pay raise and a promotion. The boss easily recognizes the merits of the employee's case and even agrees with this person. But the boss also recognizes a few other realities: extremely tight budget and other employees who work hard, too.

This scenario represents a case of what might be best for the individual versus what might be best for the overall organization. Sometimes those two are not always compatible or the same. If the boss agrees to both or even one of the worker's requests, then they risk upsetting other workers as well as placing unexpected strains on the organization's budget to the point of possibly interfering with plans for various program initiatives that now have to be curtailed because the boss has decided to redirect monies to give this person a pay hike. Additionally, if the person is granted a promotion, then how might that affect overall office morale, particularly among those who believe they work just as hard as the one being promoted? Will they be disgruntled? Will they resent the employee? Will they might perceive as being an unfair decision on the boss's part affect their work productivity?

So, what has started out as a fairly straight forward and even reasonable request has evolved into an organizational dilemma. In this case, there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer. What emerges, at least in part, is a challenge to the boss on several levels. As a leader, what are their priorities? Do the needs of the organization out weigh everything else? Or is giving worthy employees the support they deserve the best way to go? And as a communicator, how well does the leader communicate their vision, particularly at times like this when it is put to the test by what can be construed as positive circumstances? It is, in short, an ethical dilemma.