Reference no: EM133167440

CASE STUDY

Hamid was a full-time HR student who undertook his research project while on an unpaid internment in a large not-for-profit organisation operating in a social care setting. The organisation's work focused on delivering medical supplies to people suffering from a range of chronic and life- limiting conditions, mostly supplying organisations within the UK NHS funding system. For his internship Hamid was assigned to a project involving a review of training and development provision in the organisation. During the course of his internship, and with the encouragement of the organisation, Hamid designed his research project to evaluate learning and development provision at the organisational level and to consider how e-learning might contribute to the development of the organisation. As a part of his research Hamid examined organisational data relating to course bookings for training programmes delivered by outside consultants. Once he had gathered these data Hamid's analysis suggested that, alongside a range of very cost-effective training programmes delivered by outside consultants, there was also evidence of a pattern of activity where the Operations Director was booking courses delivered by a freelance consultant for quality management training at a volume that was beyond the requirements of the organisation. When he checked his data Hamid found that half of the courses were booked and paid for in advance but then cancelled as a result of a lack of sufficient staff being available to attend. When he was undertaking analysis of the financial data associated with training expenditure Hamid was surprised to find that, although other providers had issued credit notes to the organisation when their sessions had been cancelled there was no evidence of any credit notes provided by the consultant who undertook the quality management training. Towards the end of his internship Hamid was asked by the Operations Director to make a booking worth £2,000 for him at a spa hotel using a voucher code. The director explained that this was for the purpose of evaluating the venue as a possible location for training programmes in the future. The voucher Hamid used clearly indicated that it was provided by the quality management training consultant about whom Hamid had concerns. Indeed, Hamid's understanding was that the organisation had recently upgraded its in-house training accommodation in order to reduce spending on outside venues. Hamid was concerned. He was an unpaid intern and the spa visit was to be undertaken by the Operations Director during the working week. Hamid began to wonder if his research project had uncovered fraudulent practice by the Operations Director.

1. In this situation what ethical concerns might Hamid need to take into account?

2. Consider the issues from the perspective of:
• the organisation in which he was working;
• ethical assurances of confidentiality of information that Hamid had made.