You are the new vice-president for HR of a company that has not been performing well, and everyone, including yourself, has a mandate to deliver results. The pressure has never been greater. Shareholders are angry after 31 months of a tough market that has left their stock underwater. Many shareholders desperately need stock performance to pay for their retirement. Working for you is a 52-year-old manager with two kids in college. In previous evalua- tions, spineless executives told him he was doing fine, when he clearly was not, and his performance is still far below par. If you are to show others in the company that you are willing to make tough decisions, you feel you must fire this individual.
What factor(s) in this ethical dilemma might influence a person to make a less-than-ethical decision?