Ethical and Unethical Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical and Unethical Decision Making - Essay Example The given case includes an ethical dilemma which will be thoroughly analyzed using the relevant theories of ethics. It will mainly involve the employee’s duty to the employer. Stakeholders in this case study include Zach Micheals who is a graphic designer; Altiora University where Zach studied; XJ7 Studio where Zach did his internship and worked on a major project; Tangent where Zach works after completing the degree and The Charleston Technical University, for which Zach creates a web portal using his previous work. In the given case, the ethical dilemma arises when Zach Micheals is asked by his boss to work on a new project using the files of his earlier work for Altiora University. The files were unlawfully stored by Zach when he was working on this project, but his intentions were only to keep backups for safe-keeping. Moving the project files outside the company was unlawful as it was against one clause of the signed agreement. After passing out from the Altiora University, he receives a job in Tangent Studio, a rival of XJ7 Studio, where Zach completed his internship. Zach uses his previous work and modifies it for Charleston University web portal. In other words, he unethically and unlawfully uses the intellectual property of someone else without taking any permission from the real owner. Zach may not be considered ethically wrong when he created backups of the project since his intentions were good, but later, when he uses this for Charleston University web portal, it was not only unethic al and an unlawful act. This is called â€Å"computer theft†. According to Manuel Valasquez, â€Å"to convert company resources to the employee’s own use are forms of theft because to do either is to take or use property that belongs to another (the employer) without the consent of its rightful owner† (Velasquez, 2006).