The team presented on an ethical dilemma faced by an accountant who discovers an accounting error at their company. They analyzed the situation from three perspectives: completely ethical (reported by Tameka Kelly), somewhat ethical and unethical (Judith Joseph), and completely unethical (Maudenett Jean Baptiste). The team concluded that ethical and business decisions are often intertwined, and business considerations usually prevail over ethics. However, the level of ethics followed depends on how the individual is influenced by personal and greater good factors like job preservation and company survival.

1. Team 3 Presentation
Jon Hinz
Tameka KellyJudith Joseph
Maudenett Jean Baptiste
GEB 2430 Business Ethics Dr. Deborah Hopkins

2. The Ethical Dilemma
 You are a mid-level accountant in a major multinational. You discover that there has
been a consistent error in your company's accounting procedure for several years.
Correcting the error could have serious results for the company. It may well have to
lay people off because of the resulting losses.
 What do you do?
 What are the ethical considerations that enter into your decisions and actions?
 What are the business considerations that enter into your decisions and actions?
 What are the influences that affect your attitudes and actions?
 Is there any conflict between your ethical and business considerations?
 If so, how do you resolve them?

3. The Solutions
• We decided to examine this situation from three different points of view,
applying what we have learned in this class when answering the questions.
• The Three Points of view are:
 Completely Ethical- Tameka Kelly
 Somewhat Ethical and Somewhat Unethical-Judith Joseph
 Completely Unethical-Maudenett Jean Baptiste

4. Completely Ethical
• I would report the error to the supervisor with possible actions on how to
correct the error.
• Procedures would have to be changed and employees trained to prevent a
similar error from occurring in the future
• As accountants we would have to refer to GAAP ( Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles) for advice
• Ethical Considerations
• Employee Layoffs-Who will lose their job?
• Not telling could cost me my job and my integrity

5. Completely Ethical
• Business Considerations:
• Prevention of a greater loss and maintaining a viable business
• Keeping the company open for as many employees as possible
• Making expense cuts in other areas to prevent as many layoffs as possible
• Find ways to improve revenue to rebuild the damage

6. Somewhat Ethical
• Your first responsibility is to increase the company’s cash flow
• Save the company money by auditing
• Audit company records to find errors
• Bring information to your superior(s)
• Provide proof of others errors
• Propose a plan to rectify the errors

7. Somewhat Ethical
Business Considerations:
• Self preservation of employment and income- save jobs and ensure
continued employment.
• Inform superiors of error- keeping my reputation and job intact
• Ethical Considerations:
• Concern for who is losing their job, lost wages and benefits
• Concern for lost company revenue and business reputation

8. Completely Unethical
• “Forget” to report accounting error to supervisors and hope no one will notice, after all
no one has noticed yet.
• Go about Job, “Business as Usual”
• Discourage audits or internal procedures that might lead to discovery of problems
• Keep superiors and co-workers in the dark as to scope and nature of problem.
• Business Considerations:
• Maintain status quo
• Prevent embarrassment and Corporate reputation damage

9. Completely Unethical
Ethical Considerations:
• Justify inaction and silence from an ethical point of view
– “I was silent to protect our jobs and Corporate reputation”
– “Reporting the error would mean a lot of extra work for all of us”
• Concern for company only in as much as it relates to self preservation
• Concern for co-workers who are friends, only

10. Conclusions
• Ethical and Business decisions are often inter-twined making a decision based solely
one or the other point of view extremely difficult
• Often the well being of a company and the “greater good” are made more significant
than the needs of the individual
• When conflict arises between ethical and business considerations history has shown
that business considerations more often than not, prevail.
• Socio-Economic standpoint will play a role in ethical decisions, the more one has to
lose the less likely they are to speak up.
• Resolution between ethical and business decisions will be based on personal points
of view

11. Conclusions
• The completely ethical person is influenced by the greater good, the survival of the
business and as many jobs as possible.
• The completely ethical person is not conflicted between the ethical and business
decisions and therefore needs no resolution.
• The somewhat ethical person is influenced mainly by personal survival first company
survival second.
• The somewhat ethical person is conflicted between ethical and business decisions.
Resolution favors business decisions while maintaining a positive personal image.
• The completely unethical person is solely self motivated & out for themselves only.
• The completely unethical person is not conflicted, not concerned with the greater
good and cares only about the company for self preservation.

12. Thank you.
Jon Hinz
Tameka KellyJudith Joseph
Maudenett Jean Baptiste