Our second case study on ethical decision-making focused on saving face in a center for children in Kenya. My team consisted of Jordan, Karli, Jessica, and Belle. We agreed that the best solution would be for Jack to approach the children separately and give them real gifts by themselves. This would happen privately and wouldn’t involve the center while mending his relationship with the children. After hearing the class discussion, I personally think that the solution of him wearing a black hat in solidarity is a better course of action.
Step 1: Determine the facts in the situation.
- Jack is in Kenya for 5 months
- The center is for former street youth
- Jack was the gift distributor because he was a guest
- Gifts were from a separate unnamed donor
- The kids thought that Jack got the kids the gifts
- The 4 kids didn’t get gifts and blamed Jack
- The 4 kids without gifts were unhappy
- The 4 kids got a black hat at the end
- Jack wants a good relationship with the kids and the center
- The people at the community center don’t care that the kids didn’t get gifts
- Jack is one of Khanjan’s former students!
Step 2: Define the problem and the stakeholders – those with a vested interest in the outcome
We saw the problem as that 4 kids did not get gifts during a ceremony, and were given black hats afterward unceremoniously which alienated them from their peers.
Stakeholders:
- Jack
- Kids
- Center
- Funders of the gifts
- Funders of Jack’s venture
Step 3: Determine and distinguish between the personal and professional motivations of the stakeholders.
- Jack
- Personal: He wants to be liked
- Professional: wants to have a good long term relationship with the children while he is in Kenya.
- Kids who didn’t get the gifts
- Everyone wants to be recognized in the ceremony and receive the same gifts
- No one wants to be left out
- Kids who did receive gifts
- Personal: Feel superior to other kids who didn’t get gifts, might make fun of other children
- Center
- Personal: think Jack is dramatic and they just want to stop being bothered, might be offended if Jack comes in and criticizes them.
- Professional: They don’t want Jack to become a children’s rights activist → criticism for things that they are doing because they are working with what they have, they want to focus on bigger problems in the center and dont want
- Funders of gifts
- Want to maintain a good reputation and a good relationship with the center for future gift-giving which is really just a form of publicity.
- Funders of Jack’s venture
- Professional: don’t him to get sent home and lose their investment
Step 4: Formulate (at least three) alternative solutions – based on information available, to have a win-win situation for your relationship and your venture.
- Solution: Jack can approach the children separately and give them real gifts by themselves – privately don’t involve the center
- How does it solve the problem?
– Pros: kids have the gifts
– Cons: this will not improve their standing with the other children because it is not in the ceremony - How does it save the face of those involved: Jack saves face with the children they will like him now
- Implications on relationships
– Short-term: kids will be happy and have a good relationship with Jack
– Long-term: they might still feel awkward that they were left out and have strained relationships with the other kids - Implications on the venture
– Short-term: kids more willing to take part in his study and may give better anecdotal evidence
– Long-term: would need to get to the root of the problem – why did they withhold info from him?
- Solution: Hold another non-related party but have Jack present those 4 kids gifts
- How does it solve the problem?
o Pros: kids will get the gifts ceremoniously and be recognized in front of their friends
o Cons: kids might be embarrassed - How does it save face of those involved: children are saved face because they are given gifts in front of their friends, Jack saves face with the children
- Implications on relationships
o Short-term: Kids will be happy
o Long-term: center might feel overlooked and resentful Jack worked around them - Implications on the venture
o Short-term: it will be costly to buy new gifts and throw a new party - o Long-term: could harm the professional relationship between Jack and the children and Jack might have trouble continuing the work
- Solution: Do not give the children gifts
- How does it solve the problem?
o Pros: no cost and the center is left unbothered.
o Cons: kids are sad and don’t get gifts - How does it save face of those involved – center does not have to deal with shmees.
- Implications on relationships
o Short-term: kids may not like Jack or the center
o Long-term: kids might be less willing to work with Jack and help him accomplish his goals - Implications on the venture
o Short-term 4 kids are upset still but other kids probably don’t care
o Long-term the center will be happy you obeyed them, con- might be more confident in rolling over Jack in the future
Step 5: Seek additional assistance, as appropriate – previous cases, peers, reliance on personal experience, inner reflection
Some of us have met “Jack” at Mountaintop and know that he is a nice person, and think that he would give the children gifts. We also know that he had budget limitations in Kenya.
Step 6: Select the best course of action – that solves the problem, saves face and has the best short- term and long-term implications for your relationship and venture. Explain reasoning and discuss your solution vis-a-vis other approaches discussed in class.
Solution 1: it won’t harm Jack’s relationship with the center, and the kids will like jack and be willing to work with him over the next 5 months. He needs to have good relations with both the center and the kids and this solution makes that possible. The kids wouldn’t save face in front of the other kids but they wouldn’t feel slighted by Jack anymore.
Step 7: List the sequence of actions you will take to implement your solution.
- Jack will buy the gifts
- Jack will give the children gift without the center seeing
However, another table team brought up the potential of Jack wearing a black hat in solidarity with the children who were given different gifts. This is assuming that Jack is admired and respected by the children but it was the course of action he ended up taking and seemed to work well. I learned about proactive scenario planning on this case because I tend to make a big deal about issues I see as unethical, so seeing a simple solution was good for me.
We also learned a fun word from Khanjan in class today: “Brouhaha”. He is like a walking thesaurus.