Increasing Profitability While Maintaining Ethical Standard

Case Study

Alex Roqueta

Walden University

Case Study

Having reviewed the HBR case study (Humphreys, Ahmed, & Pryor, 2009), I’ve come to realize that there is a vast amount of “gray area” when dealing with the subject of ethics. In reading the commentary provided by the various individuals regarding Mr. Knox’s behavior as well as that of Mr. Silva, I’m not sure if I would be so quick to draw the ethical line in the sand. Clearly Mr. Knox intruded on Mr. Myers’ personal life to help them develop a friendship that might eventually lead to a sale. While his tactics may have been overly aggressive and somewhat devious, I probably would not have had the same reaction as some of the individuals that provided commentaries on his behavior. Was Mr. Knox unethical? I believe he was and where I his manager and he relayed this story to me, I probably would have counseled him on the need to sell the product based on its merits and other ways in which he may have gained an audience with Mr. Myers without relying on subterfuge. I would have explained to Mr. Knox that the damage to the company that could potentially result by engaging in this type of ruse could be substantial and have a much more negative impact than the added sales that he provided. On the other hand, Mr. Silva’s behavior of circulating an email that touted Mr. Knox’s methodology for landing this account as exemplary was unconscionable. By his actions, Mr. Silva was absolutely promoting unethical behavior as appropriate and warranted. Mr. Silva should be severely reprimanded, if not dismissed, for his behavior. By virtue of the email he wrote, he truly put the company in a very precarious position.

Instead of condoning this type of behavior, managers within the company should cite it as a sales philosophy that should be avoided at all costs. They should implement programs and training to help their sales staff by instructing them on more acceptable ways to gain an audience with a prospective client...