During the spring, I worked in the billing department of a large organization as a student worker. All of the sec-retaries who worked in the billing department were close and would talk to each other about almost any-thing_ One of the most talked-about topics was the office manager of the billing department and how much we would like to find another job to get away from her, because we did not like working with her. While I was working in the department, I became very close friends with the senior secretary, who worked with me in the front office.
During the same spring, my friend was offered a very prestigious job at another company. She told faw of us about having applied for the job, but she did not want us to let the office manager know about it in case she did not get it. I was her friend, so I was not going to say anything about the situation. After a few weeks of waiting, she was offered the job, which she took immediately. After confirmation about the new job, she told the office manager about it and gave two weeks' notice. All \vas well until the office manager came up to me one day and asked me if I had known anything about the secretary planning to leave. I was not sure what to say. t did not want to lie to the office manager, but I also did not want to break a promise I had made to a good friend. What was I to do?
1. Is this ethical dilemma at the personal level or the Organization at level?
2. What ethical principles are at stake in this situation? Rights? Justice? Caring? Others?
3. What should the person who faces this ethical situation do?