In order to accommodate his promotion, Jim relocates to a new state, purchases a new home, and begins to successfully plug into the new community. One morning, Jim arrives at his desk and finds a hand written note attached to a document. The note is from one of the Sales Vice Presidents who reports to the Regional Vice President of Sales. It indicates that "Attached is a copy of the sales compensation plan for the leading competitor firm" and that Jim should review, analyze, and figure out how his firm could take advantage of this information.

Jim knows that to be successful in his new position and to stay in the Leadership Development Program, he has to prove himself and demonstrate to the Sales Vice Presidents that he brings added value to the firm. However, Jim is uneasy about what he is being asked to do - he is unsure if it is ethical, and he feels there's a lot at stake for him personally if he jeopardizes his position.

Jim decides to seek out his HR Manager for advice and guidance.

You are the HR Manager in this scenario.

•Using the Eight Steps Approach, what would you do and what advice would you give Jim?

Step 1: Gather the Facts

Step 2: Define the Ethical Issues

Step 3: Identify the Affected Parties (Stakeholders)

Step 4: Identify the Consequences

Step 5: Identify the Obligations

Step 6: Consider Your Character and Integrity

Step 7: Think creatively about potential actions

Step 8: check your gut

•What challenges did you encounter in applying the Eight Steps Approach?