Read the following scenario:

You are a division manager at Austen Pharmaceuticals. You directly supervise 50 employees. All are average or above average employees. Many individuals on your team have been with the company for several years. Several new employees, mostly women and minorities, were hired to remedy the lack of diversity in the workplace. Due to financial difficulties within the company, each division manager has been instructed to decrease his or her employee payroll by 15%.

Post a 200- to 350-word e-mail to your direct supervisor explaining how you are approaching this ethical dilemma. Include information about how you intend to make this decision. How are you morally justifying your decision? Remember to use professional e-mail etiquette when composing your e-mail.