As children, we are constantly taught a general scope of morality that we carry into adulthood. This includes values like honesty, respect, and responsibility. However, these values can get murky when we enter into a field that requires money to stay alive. I am not trying to insinuate that money is the root of all evil. But I do believe that desires for success and achievement fog up perspectives on values, making it even more difficult to make decisions that we can be proud of.
In the case study “Follow Dubious Orders or Speak Up”, Susan Kim is asked to misrepresent herself as just an MBA student while acquiring sensitive information from competitor companies. As a new intern at Zantech, Susan has not firmly established herself within the company, let alone the field. As a result, defiance at this stage in her career at Zantech can make her appear as defiant or hard to work with, leading to potential termination. With the high cost of living in San Francisco and without a financial safety net, Susan’s wellbeing could be put in severe danger should speaking up cost her the job. Although Susan may have the financial support of her current boyfriend and her parents may change their minds if she lost her job, this case study can also be used to highlight the tension that exists for low-income students attempting to start their careers. Without a safety net to fall back on, it is harder to feel comfortable speaking up as an intern, potentially chaining them to unethical activities.
Not only does Susan risk her job at Zantech, but she also risks her potential future in cybersecurity. Should competitors discover that she is working for Zantech and not working on an MBA project, she could make it more difficult for herself to find a job at other companies. By defying her values at this stage in her career, companies that better align her values would question her integrity and moral compass.
If I were in Susan’s position using the 3-step plan from “How to Speak Up When it Really Matters” I would follow these steps:
- First I would recognize the psychological task that is being asked of me. Not only am I being asked to sacrifice the morals that people I love have raised me with, but I am also putting my future into jeopardy without a sense of security. A company that I work at should align with my own values, rather than force me into breaking them. Another value that I hold strong is collaboration and the ability to respectfully receive criticism. As an employee, I yearn to learn from those with more experience, yet this experience should be reciprocated by higher-ups. Rather than assuming a position of ultimate knowledge, managers should acknowledge that they can learn from their employees to grow not only as people, but as employees/managers and a company.
- In order to lessen the social threat that speaking up creates, I would first start look into competitor companies that may hire me in case I am fired for speaking up. i would also attempt to form a more personal relation with my managers to get a shared understanding of values that goes beyond a manager-employee relationship. Non-western companies have different traditions in business, and one that is commonly found is the informality of business meeting. Rather than getting straight to business, these meetings often start with relaxed conversation to get to know each other. I would use this culture to my advantage, easing myself up to the point of speaking up.
- Finally, I would make a plan to speak up. This would likely involve an in person meeting. I do agree with the second expert-reviewer’s suggestion of creating a solution to the problem when speaking up. However, I think he disregards the fact that coming up with a solution may take time, and this time spent creating an alternative solution may be perceived as laziness or disobedience from a manager’s perspective if not communicated accurately. Instead, I would ensure that I communicate that I would like to collaborate with my managers in order to create a practice that is in line with the company’s and my own values.
