Ethical dilemmas are a common and happen to everyone in every day life. Whether it is at home, on the job, out in public, or in the news media, we have each been faced with an ethical dilemma at some point in our life. The decisions we make or what we see others make can speak volumes about ourselves or others. Personally, I will discuss three ethical dilemmas I have experienced or witnessed over the past few years. None of them are earth shattering, but it will show that ethical dilemmas can be seen from the most basic human level to a growing concern for organizations.
Discussion.
The first ethical dilemma that I will discuss deals with personal greed. A previous boss of mine was in a position of power. He controlled budget issues, manning, and had considerable control over spending for our unit. In essence, he decided who traveled to a temporary duty (TDY) location, whether it is for a training course, a planning conference, or even a small military exercise. Basically, all money matters went through him.
Due to our remote location in the Western Pacific Ocean, the distance affords military members the need to travel to distant locations throughout the region. These trips cost serious money especially when dealing with airfare which can range up to a few thousand dollars. As in most places of business, money is tight and must be accounted for to determine how many TDYs unit personnel can take. The military views training as a top priority. We train like we fight and fight like we train. .
In an austere locations, many of our conferences and training sites are located either on the continental United States (CONUS), Hawaii, Japan, or Korea. Every year, there are limited opportunities to travel to these locations. Since my boss was in a position to send our personnel on trips, then he also had the ability to send himself. Here in-lies the dilemma. He must choose what is best for the unit plain and simple without the appearance of impropriety.