History
Public Dynamite – The Case of Joe the Public Works Director
Read the case below then answer the 10 questions that follow below:
Joe has lived in this city of 25,000 residents most of his life, and now he is a civil engineer and the public works director. He’s invited several neighbors and friends, some of whom work with him at City Hall, to his home for cocktails to mark the holiday season. He agrees cordially when a neighbor asks whether she may bring along her dinner guest – a reporter for the local newspaper. Unfortunately, Joe succumbs to too much holiday spirit and drunkenly collapses in the kitchen before the guests depart.
Has Joe done anything unethical, or has he just been stupid?Should the reporter print the story?Is Joe’s home a protected reserve?
Changing the circumstances clarifies the mode of reasoning and pinpoints critical factors in making judgments. Closed questions force decision making; open-ended questions encourage analysis. Would your answers to the three preceding questions change if:
4. Joe’s drinking were habitual, perhaps affecting his performance on the job?
5. Joe had made several racist remarks during the party?
6. Joe were chief administrative officer in a city of 300,000?
7. Would your answers to the first two questions change if it had been an office party in a local restaurant?
8. Do the public opinion polls affect your answers? Explain
9. Should public opinion affect a manager’s ethical choices? Explain
10. Do people in public lives have a right to any privacy? Explain
