The Ethical Dilemma At Northlake Case Study Summary

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Synopsis: The Ethical Dilemma at Northlake case study opens with Frank threatening to blow the whistle on the company’s report that covers the industry’s perspective on the proposed government legislation. Frank works for Amalgamated Forest Products, which has their corporate offices in a small town in Northlake. The company has been experiencing difficult financial times due to the recession, and this has created a hardship in the three small communities where the mills are located. Jim McIntosh, his boss, is irate about Frank threatening to reveal the fabricated numbers and other issues about the report. Jim uses bullying tactics to intimidate and convince Frank that he is making a huge mistake if he blows the whistle on the company. …show more content…

It is my recommendation to remove Mr. Letourneau from duties to obtain a strong leader committed to addressing these ethical issues for the company. His unethical behavior is encouraging employees and forcing them to engage in this practice. Organizations need a leader to model the way and reinforce the company’s core values. The organization should have governance practices and policies in place with a policy for violators to discourage employees from attempting unethical behavior. The employee manual should address this policy along with ethical guidelines so employees understand appropriate behavior. The company will need to continue reinforcing these values through training, workshops, or communication from the leadership. When an employee violates ethical policies, the manager needs to handle the punishment according to the employee handbook so it is fair and appropriate for all employees. Serious violations can result in legal trouble for both the organization and the individual so there should be no exceptions to the policy. The organization’s code of conduct should identify the company’s ethical values of integrity and ethical behavior. The principles should include a policy on reporting unethical practices, and this should forbid bullying and retaliation for whistle-blowers. The company should encourage employees to report unethical behaviors internally without fear of losing their job or

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