by Danny Mucinskas
Every day, people face situations in which the “right” course of action is unclear. These dilemmas may involve competing priorities, conflicts between the personal and professional, and clashes between excellence, ethics, and engagement at work.
Our dilemmas database (link here) includes dozens of narratives, inspired by real-life events, that have been used in classrooms and other learning environments to illustrate the principles of “good work” and to help prepare students to make sometimes difficult decisions.
We have added a new set of seven dilemmas to our expanding collection. Responding to current social issues and events, the stories represented in this batch are focused on life during the COVID-19 pandemic, questioning the boundaries of truth and lies, and whistleblowing in a case of racial inequity.
Click on the titles below to read the new additions. We encourage you to consider these dilemmas with students or colleagues and to use the reflection questions at the end to guide your discussions.
Speaking Up, or Staying Silent? - A college student observes a roommate who is a close friend cheating during an online test.
Confronting Coworkers - A marketing professional accidentally finds out that her coworkers have been disparaging her appearance during a virtual team meeting.
To Tell, or Not to Tell? When Friends Break Rules - A college student feels increasingly uncomfortable with the way his friends are disregarding their school’s COVID-19 precautions.
Test Inequity: When to Blow the Whistle? - A nonprofit employee, fed up with the way her colleagues have ignored racial bias in one of the organization’s products, weighs whether to go public.
Marketing Misrepresentation - A woman overhears her boyfriend lying about his credentials in order to persuade clients to subscribe to a service.
An Appropriation of Identity - A transplant to a new city finds out that her new friend has been lying about her race in representing her online business.
Travel During COVID: Personal vs. Professional Safety - An inspector must decide whether to comply with her company’s request that she travel during the height of the pandemic.
As always, the stories represented in these new dilemmas are based on real-life experiences and difficult decisions. We are still actively seeking new stories. If you have faced an ethical dilemma in school or work please consider sharing your story anonymously (link here).