Case Study: An Ethical Dilemma?
Due to growth in your biopharmaceutical company, you have just added two new research scientist
positions. After some investigation, you have determined that the least amount you could offer
candidates for the job is $135,000. Because most of your employees have been with the company
for a long period of time, you are particularly interested in hiring some research scientists who have
recently completed their graduate work. In the past, you have had problems hiring employees
because your company is not yet well known, and it is located in South Dakota. After the first round
of interviews, you identify a candidate who is from the area, who wants to stay in the area, and who
has acceptable, though not exceptional, credentials. She is an acceptable candidate who will do a
good job but who doesn’t meet your need for “fresh” ideas in the same way as would a recent
graduate. You offer her the job, with a salary of $105,000, and she accepts, without negotiating for
any increase in the salary. Shortly thereafter, you interview a male candidate who is just completing
his degree and who has exactly the credentials you are seeking. During the course of the interview
process, you learn that he has two other offers, he has two other interviews scheduled, and his
offers are both considerably higher than you are going to pay the person you just hired. You are
pretty sure the latter candidate will accept the job if you offer him $135,000. What are you going to
do?
After reading; answer the questions below.
1. Identify the issues in this case.
2. Make a decision about what to do.
3. How should you respond to the female employee if you hire the male employee for
more money and she finds out that you did so?
