Reference no: EM133143706
Question - Case Study - Sometimes an entrepreneur will do anything to keep the business alive, even to the point of breaking the law. Chris Neary was successful in the advertising industry. He had worked as the marketing director for TELUS Communications, a wireless telephone company, and in 2007, at age thirty-one, he started his own advertising agency, just before the 2008 recession. He was forced to refinance his home twice in order to keep his business going. As he came close to bankruptcy, Chris decided to smuggle about 50 kilograms of marijuana from Canada into Seattle and earn about $10,000, equal to one month's cash flow. On April 26, 2010, he and four others were arrested in Washington State and charged with drug-trafficking. On September 27, 2010, Chris was sentenced to eight months in prison for conspiracy to import marijuana, with two years of probation that could be served in Canada. Why would Chris even try such a plan? In a published interview, Chris admitted that he was desperate to save his business. "I was so hell-bent on making my business the same kind of success I've had in the rest of my career, I just overlooked the ramifications of it," he said. He continued, "I felt it was up to me to turn things around and I tried to do everything myself. I didn't ask anyone's opinion on it. I just did it." Chris acknowledged how dumb this was and cooperated fully with the authorities. He admitted his mistake and how this event changed his life. "I've had humility slap me in the face, and I want to stay accountable to it and move forward."
Case Study Questions -
1. Why would a businessman become so committed to their business, to the point of intentionally engaging in an illegal activity?
2. What ethical principles did Chris ignore? Which principles might have justified his actions?
3. Assume that after he serves his eight-month sentence, Chris starts another advertising agency with a new partner. Do you believe that Chris has any ethical responsibility to reveal his drug-trafficking conviction to his new partner before they started the business? Why do you feel this way?