Reference no: EM133040289

Illegal Dumping and Whistle-blowing

Joseph is very satisfied with his job at the hotel resort, which is a subsidiary of a well-known international hotel chain. He has been working at the hotel, in an urban area situated on a river, for almost a year, and he is earning enough money to cover much of his college tuition. He also has a good relationship with his colleagues and supervisors.

Joseph got the initial job interview through a friend who was working there, and he feels very grateful to everyone who helped him get the job. After six months on the job, he got a small promotion and pay rise, and he was responsible for reservations, customer service and training new employees in these areas, including two interns who go to the same college as Joseph.

One day after a stressful encounter with a hotel guest, Joseph goes for a walk outside to get some air. He notices an eagle flying towards a nest under the highway overpass and the swaying tall green reeds that line the river in the marsh in the background. As he is thinking how tranquil it is out here along the river, he senses a very bad smell and walks around closer to the water. There is black ooze running into the river, and he follows it back around to find the source of the foul-smelling liquid, a hose leading up to a deep pit with a grate on top of it. By now, the smell is so bad that he cannot take it much longer, but he wondered what was causing the odour and why there was a hose running out of the nearby hole in the ground. His immediate plan was to tell his supervisor what he has found, but then he has second thoughts. He wonders if some employees at the hotel were in fact responsible for the situation, and thinks twice about being the one to inform everyone. But Joseph realised what he had found was raw sewage from the hotel bathrooms draining into the river, which is a serious environmental violation.

Joseph is in a dilemma. On one hand, he has his social and legal obligations. On the other hand, he has his loyalty to his company and co-workers. He also fears losing his job, which he desperately needs to pay the bills.

Question:

(a) Critically discuss the relative interest of the various stakeholders who may be affected by the decision of Joseph.

(b) Discuss whether it is ethical or unethical for Joseph to whistle-blow on his employer. Justify your answer with relevant ethical theories.

(c) Discuss the decisions that might be made by Joseph at each level of Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development.