Ethics Wahala

It is surprising how ethics has a topic that addresses every aspect of our lives. Every day after ethics class, I wondered if I have ever been a good person because most of the discussions were centered around everyday activities. Most of the time, we often know what the best line of action is but we prefer what offers the highest benefit irrespective of the consequences.

Today we talked about acceptance of gifts from clients and how it tends to influence our future decision. As managers we owe a fiduciary duty – a position of trust- hence we should not take actions that would compromise the position of trust we hold.

The discussion was about a man named Tokunbo. He started his career in one of Nigeria’s new generation banks. He was hardworking and dedicated to his job. It was a well-paying job however, he decided to leave because he didn’t feel a sense of fulfillment reason being that the job was very demanding and he had no time for his family – no work-life balance. A lot of colleagues were curious about why he would leave a good-paying job for a government job in Nigeria. They were able to reason with him after he explained the reason to them.

Now, the almighty government work in Nigeria. Being a hard-working and qualified person, he reported to major personnel in the organization. His responsibility involved negotiating contracts with clients and getting the best possible deal that offered the best quality at the best possible price.

Being a novice in this sector, after one of his assignments in a foreign country, the client offered to pay his transport even after the company had settled that expense and also bought a present for his wife. A lot of my classmates believed he should not have accepted the gift.

I can imagine myself having my husband come to tell stories about the reason he did not accept a gift for me just because of one ethics class! He would go back!

On a subsequent event, another gift was offered by another client, this time a cash gift. The most tempting gift of all because we all need money at some point or the other. But this time, he was reluctant because he did not see a reason to be given such a huge sum of money as a gift for doing the job he is being paid for. If he should accept this gift, at what point should he call it quits.

After analyzing and discussing this case in class, I felt really bad because the faculty painted a scenario of receiving hampers from suppliers. This is a common practice in Nigeria, especially during the Christmas season. I can remember while working, I was always looking forward to the end of the year hampers from the various vendors and joked about how stingy some vendors were considering the size and content of the hampers.

Hmm, so accepting these hampers is ethically wrong? It is well.

On a final note, gifts have a way of influencing our decisions, hence as managers, we should avoid accepting of gifts.