Sally Bateman and Kara McAfree have recently begun working as trainees selling furniture for a large department store. Sally has a very aggressive style, whereas Kara strongly believes in giving the customer the best information possible and then selling them a product that best fits their needs. Sally Tries to Steal Kara's Customer One day, two of Kara's customers came in shopping for furniture. Sally told the couple that Kara was out of the store. After Sally determined they were shopping for a new dining table and chairs, she showed them a certain style and told the couple it was brand new. The couple left the store. Kara happened to overhear the conversation and approached her co-worker with some concerns. Sally initially thought Kara was frustrated because the couple were Kara's customers and she wanted to make sure she got credit for the sale. Kara's main concern, however, was that Sally lied to the customers about the table being new when it was in fact a year old. Sally told Kara that everyone uses "hype" to make sales and if she wants to make her sales figures, she will have to do it too. Kara Is Concerned about Her Performance Performance appraisals are quickly approaching, and Kara knows she is getting a poor review because her sales pale in comparison to Sally's. She talks to a co-worker about the review process and asks him if she should tell management that Sally's high numbers are the result of her stealing customers and lying about products. He tells Kara he thinks that would be a bad idea because it might make her look like she is making excuses. He makes it sound as if management may condone the use of sales hype.

Questions

1. Describe the situation faced by Kara.

2. What would you do if you were Kara?

3. What are the ethical considerations, if any, in this case?

4. What level of moral development are Sally and Kara operating at in this business situation?