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Ethical Dilemma Case Study Type: Case Study Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 3, 4, 5 Individual Assessment Task Description: A key theme in Strategic Human Resource Management is the importance of being socially responsible citizens, including ethical behaviours and decision-making

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Ethical Dilemma Case Study

Type: Case Study
Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 3, 4, 5
Individual Assessment
Task Description:

A key theme in Strategic Human Resource Management is the importance of being socially responsible citizens, including ethical behaviours and decision-making. For this task, you are required to prepare an Action Focused Executive Briefing of a case from an ethical perspective. The focus should be on a decision/course of action (what should be done), with the decision supported by your analysis of why that course of action is the optimal approach to the situation as compared to other alternatives. The case and rubric are available through the “assessment” tab in the MGTS7809 Blackboard site. Questions about the assessment should be posted in the relevant Discussion Board thread.

A case portrays an actual strategy situation. It provides a scenario for use in SHRM strategy diagnosis and SHRM strategy choice. For MGTS7809, cases serve four important learning objectives:

1. Cases offer an opportunity to diagnose an organisation’s business and HR strategies. Based on the analysis, you then develop strategic recommendations and courses of action;
2. Each case offers an interesting marketplace situation for learning and applying the concepts and decision-making processes developed in the course and MBA program;
3. Cases help to improve your analysis skills in preparing and presenting management briefings; and
4. The written Executive Briefing of the cases will help you develop your action focused, business professional writing skills.

Below is a suggested outline for preparing cases (note this is a suggestion):

• An action focused statement of the decision (the what; the action that should be taken);
• Comprehensive and concise analysis of the action to take, with consideration of alternative actions (maximum 2 alternatives due to space constraints), against key decision criteria (the why; this is where you integrate your analysis, facts of the case, key stakeholders, theories, etc. and create an argument for why each alternative is/is not better than the other alternatives and also what has been done before); and
• An action plan including implementing guidelines (think operational elements: feasibility, evaluation of effectiveness and accountability).
• It is not necessary to provide a summary of the case.

This assessment item is designed to provide you with an opportunity to apply your understanding developed in the course about SHRM ethics to an organisational issue. Consider this as briefing by an outside consultant (you, outside the case organisation) reporting to your client (me, a defined member of the case organisation). 

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

• The text of the Executive Briefing must fit on a maximum of two A4 pages (21 cm x 29.7 cm) with 2.54 cm margins all around.
• The font will be 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Spacing will be 1 ½
• There will be first sentence indentation of paragraphs.
• Text beyond the first two pages will be neither read nor assessed.
• Appendices may be used as supporting material. Appendices must be: (1) referenced in the text, and (2) kept in order of their reference. Be careful that the point you make in the text by using an appendix is clear and that, in combination, the appendices are logically consistent.

Criteria & Marking:

Action Focused Executive Briefings of the ethical dilemma case will be assessed on the extent to which they are well structured, argued and written in which the author:

• Provides a justified, realistic, feasible and optimal course of action to deal with the issue presented in the case based upon which option has the strongest ethical reasons behind it;
• Evaluates a maximum of 2 realistic alternative actions or policies that might be followed in responding to the ethical issue(s) in the case;
• Exhibits deep critical thinking about the case through integrating identification of the ethical issues within context, including conflicts of interest and the positive and negative consequences of the action and alternatives on stakeholders.

Please make sure that you address in your analysis the following two key issues, plus any additional ones that you also consider important:

- What work environment (ethical climate) and other factors (such as conflicts of interest) contributed to Sandi lane being threatened with the loss of her job and why is this an ethical dilemma for Lane? (helpful here to identify the key personal values of Sandi lane and how they are in conflict in the situation)

- What course of action would you recommend for Lane? (helpful here to use the EVLN framework to identify options, and pro’s and con’s of either taking or not taking each action).