If I choose to speak up to my boss, I may leave a bad impression on my boss and appear to be difficult to work with. I may lose the internship and have a gap on my resume if I can’t find another internship timely. This will negatively impact my job search in the future. On the other hand, if the company greatly impacts the field I intend to work in, losing an internship from them may harm my reputation in the field.
If I choose to accept an ethically dubious task and the word leaks, I may have a bad reputation in the industry for lacking honesty and integrity. In this company, I might not be able to learn about ethical practices in the industry at the beginning of my career, which will harm my performance in other future workplaces.
Following the steps in “How to Speak Up When It Matters,” I first need to analyze the pros and cons of speaking up, such as comparing the risks of each option as I just did. Secondly, to lessen the social threat that speaking up creates, I will research how Zantech and my managers usually respond to different opinions. If I decide to speak up, I would also make sure I speak in a positive tone, focusing on the risks of an ethically dubious task to the company as a whole. I will try my best not to let Mr. Moon feel offended. Lastly, I will make a plan about how and when I will speak up. I will try other methods to get the information I need first. If that works, I will propose to my managers to use the new ways of getting the information and mention that I am uncomfortable misrepresenting my identity, and the risks associated with the old method. I will make drafts of emails and double-check. I will also prepare for what to reply to various responses I may get. More importantly, I will start looking for other internship opportunities so that if I get fired, I may have a new workplace.
