For approximately three years, I have been employed as a CSR (customer sales representative) with MarketSource; a marketing firm that is the primary marketing and sales contracting firm for Hewlett Packard. On behalf of Hewlett Packard (HP), the MarketSource representatives are assigned to visit retail stores such as Best Buy and Office Depot to provide information, demonstrations, and push sales for Hewlett Packard’s product lines. There is one district manager that oversees as many as three states; therefore there is no direct supervision and the job is highly autonomous. It is the representative’s duty to call a hotline number to login in and out for each of their assigned visits. The company relies on this honesty system to track contact time on behalf of the firm and HP. When hired, each employee is given a company handbook that outlines the job requirements, contractual compliance statements, code of ethics, and other information that pertains to the job and its conditions. Each representative must sign a document stating that the employee has read the handbook in full, he or she will comply with the company’s zero tolerance honesty-policy along with other regulations, and he or she will act honorably in the best interest of the firm.
Most weekends my colleague and I work the same shifts. His normal routine involves logging in, departing, and then returning to log out. He defines me as a trustworthy non-confrontational person that would not inform our boss with regards to his unethical behavior, or risk breaching a friendship. Unfortunately, the code of ethics portion of the handbook does not permit employees to login then leave to go wherever they fancy. Many companies face the same ethical dilemma presented; dishonestly and ultimately stealing from the company. The common morality theory acknowledges that these principles are “applicable to all persons in all places, and all human conduct is rightly judged by its standards.” In this...