Ellen St. James, a marketing director for Telemax, Inc., is walking through an antique store with Monica, a customer and friend. Ellen is in charge of a project called Stardust, a new telecommunication product in which her company has invested heavily. Monica informs Ellen that she has learned from a marketer at PCI, one of Telemax's major competitors and the industry leader, that they are planning to introduce a product similar to Stardust. Ellen is immediately upset, but tries to hide this fact from Monica. Ellen states that she has heard about this product and asks Monica if she was able to find out when the product will be introduced. Monica states that she had asked the marketer this question, but he did not give her a straight answer. Ellen is having lunch with Carl, her former subordinate at Telemax. Ellen and Carl start talking about work and Ellen confides to Carl that Stardust will be available in 90 days. Ellen explains that she needs to know when PCI is introducing its product because, if Stardust is introduced after or at the same time as PCI's product, Telemax probably will not be able to gain the needed market share. Ellen asks Carl for advice on how to get this information and he gives her several suggestions, including putting someone on PCI's payroll, asking her customers for information, hiring a private investigator, and pushing Stardust through Telemax's quality assurance department. Ellen, however, does not feel comfortable using any of these tactics. Carl recalls that Ellen hired an ex-PCI employee, Frank Cilento, and recommends that she finds out what he knows or can find out. Ellen remarks that Frank is up for a promotion. As the vignette closes, Ellen is left to consider whether to use the possibility of promotion as leverage with Frank.3
Questions
1. What are the main ethical issues, if any, in the Telemax, Inc., case? Describe each ethical issue.
2. What are Ellen's options?
3. How do the three levels of moral development relate to Ellen's situation?
4. What would you do?