Business Law and Ethical Behavior - Case Studies

Instructions: Use the following case studies in the written assignment.

Cast Study 1:

Jamie and Dustin both work part-time at the local lumber supply company. Dustin stepped down from his full time position of estimating and started working part time in a different department, working only on the weekends. The store manager asked why Dustin would want to leave such a great position after he helped Dustin out by giving him the spot in the first place. Dustin told the store manager that he planned on going back to school and wanted to devote his time doing that. Jamie overheard the whole conversation while he was standing not too far away. Later Jamie asked Dustin why he was stepping down, only to find out that he had taken another job estimating granite countertops and is only working weekends until he can collect his end of the year bonus check. The company would consider this a conflict of interest. What should Jamie do?

Cast Study 2:

We all know that conducting personal business during work hours is a no-no, yet we all do it. Often times it is immediately seen as an ethical dilemma that should be avoided at all cost as it often times goes against the employees handbook or employment contract. But at what point is it considered an emergency type of situation and thus no longer ethical?

Diana is a receptionist at a law firm and she is tasked with handling incoming phone calls, incoming and outgoing mail and anyone who walks in through the front door. Diana's daughter, Michelle, is 13 years old and stayed home from school today because she was feeling slightly under the weather. Diana knew there was no food in the house but forgot to leave money for Michelle to order pizza for lunch. At roughly 1:45 Michelle called her mother, at work, to ask her to order a pizza with her credit card and have it sent to the house. Diana was not at lunch and was still on the clock. She hung up with her daughter, called the local pizza place and ordered her daughter a pizza to be sent to their home. During this time, no one called in on any of the three other lines they have, no one walked into the firm and no one needed her assistance. Was she ethically wrong? What would you have done? What would you do if you saw a co-worker engage in such actions? Caveat: Diana left for work at 6:30am this morning and will not arrive back home until a quarter to 8:00pm this evening.

Cast Study 3:

You are walking through the hallway at work when you see a small clear sandwich bag with money totaling $85.00. There is no name on the bag, there are no offices on that floor and there are no cameras or further indication of whose money this may be. What do you do with the money?