Ethical Behavior and Labor Standard Manipulation at Work

Introduction: Productivity-Based Pay and the Labor Time Study

Employees in the painting department at the company are compensated on the basis of productivity. Because Ron deliberately slowed his normal work pace while establishing the labor time standard for the painting of a new product, the production expectations of the company are skewed. Employees in the paint department whose skills are equal to or superior to Ron's will be easily able to meet and/or exceed the production standard he set and gain an economic benefit. Those workers whose skills are inferior to Ron's will also benefit from the lower standard because they will not have to work as hard to meet minimum production requirements. In effect, everyone in the paint department will be paid more for less work.

Who Was Harmed by Ron's Actions

There are many aspects to consider when determining who was hurt by Ron's actions. Obviously, the company was hurt, since the cost of the new product will be higher due to increased wages paid during the production phase. This will affect profit and have an impact on shareholders. These increased costs will also raise the price of the new product, which may affect sales.

The consumer will be affected because the retail price will be higher. Carrying this scenario further, one may argue that because consumers are spending more capital on the new product, there will be less disposable income to spend on other products and services — meaning that other businesses, such as restaurants and retail stores, will suffer as well. If, on the other hand, this new product is used in the production of other goods, the cost of those goods will increase as a result.

Evaluating Ron's Ethics Through Normative Theory

The study of ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. Ethical theories can be divided into three general subject areas: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. For the purposes of this discussion, the focus will be on normative ethics. Normative ethics encompasses the study of moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct (Fieser, 2009).

Duty-Based Ethical Frameworks Applied to Ron's Conduct

Duty theories base morality on specific, foundational principles of obligation that we have as human beings. Samuel Pufendorf, a German philosopher from the 17th century, asserted that we have three absolute duties: avoid wronging others, treat people as equals, and promote the good of others. John Locke, a British philosopher also from the 17th century, argued that the laws of nature mandate that we should not harm anyone's life, health, liberty, or possessions (Uzgalis, 2010). Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century German philosopher, established a set of categorical imperatives governing how one should conduct one's life, one of them being to treat people as an end, and never merely as a means to an end (Johnson, 2010).

A more recent duty-based theory comes from British philosopher W.D. Ross, which emphasizes prima facie duties. Like those before him, Ross argues that our duties are part of the fundamental nature of the universe and that his list of duties reflects our actual moral convictions. They are: (1) fidelity — the duty to keep our promises; (2) reparation — the duty to compensate others when we harm them; (3) gratitude — the duty to thank those who help us; (4) justice — the duty to recognize merit; (5) beneficence — the duty to improve the conditions of others; (6) self-improvement — the duty to improve our virtue and intelligence; and (7) non-malfeasance — the duty not to injure others (Skelton, 2010).

In light of these theories, and the various ways Ron directly and indirectly damaged others, one can easily support the claim that Ron acted unethically. Even if one were to argue that Ron's actions benefited the employees in the paint department, the motivation behind his actions can only be viewed as an attempt to defraud his employer.