Faced with the opportunity to salvage her own research budget due to the unexpected "gift" of a competitor's new product announcement found on an airplane, an auto industry market intelligence manager must make an important ethical decision. On the one hand, the information contained in this report, labeled as a "draft" designed for "Confidential- Restricted Circulation" in the rival firm, is exactly the information she needs for her own company; using it could eliminate the need for costly research while meeting her own needs. On the other hand, her firm has recently hired a new ethicist whose policies include requiring any Autocorps employee in possession of a competitor's firm to turn it back to its rightful owner or face dismissal.
Shaw and Barry (1998) commented that this type of information can be classified as proprietary intellectual property. It was bought and paid for by a rival firm, intended for that firm's exclusive use, and not destined for public consumption. For the Autocorps employee, any possible monetary savings for her department and firm are clearly offset by the potential for legal liability should it be learned that she misused this information. Additionally, from career perspective, she could lose her job (and be faced with difficulties in finding another should the reason for her termination become public).
The most prudent decision that can be made, therefore, is to: 1) inform her company's ethicist of the situation; 2) work with the ethicist to return the document to its owners; and 3) conduct the research for which she has already contracted. By bringing the situation to the attention of the corporate ethicist, she establishes herself as an ethical manager and as a person who will respond affirmatively to the company's ethical standards. This will also enhance the company's reputation. Even absent a violation of law or regulation, a decision to use the materials inappropriately could
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