BUS 3007 FPX4801 Ethics And Enterprise Assignment
1 With 2025-2026 Updated Solutions
Ethical Decision-Making in a Call Center
Assessment # 1
Constance Mixson
BUS-FPX4801- Ethics and Enterprise
May 2025
Setting the Stage: Why Ethics Matter in the Call Center
Ethical decision-making is more than a policy requirement—it's a reflection of organizational
values and personal integrity. In demanding environments like call centers, ethical challenges
often arise in subtle ways. Employees face intense pressure to meet quotas, reduce handling
times, and maintain customer satisfaction, all while navigating complex situations. Under such
conditions, shortcuts and questionable practices may begin to feel justifiable, especially when
they appear to serve broader business objectives.
One issue that stands out is the manipulation of performance metrics. While these metrics are
designed to track productivity and efficiency, they can become distorted when accuracy is
sacrificed for appearance. This creates a dilemma for employees: comply with unethical
expectations or risk underperformance. This paper examines such a scenario and explores how
ethical theory, and reasoning can guide a more principled response.
Choosing the Right Lens: Comparing Ethical Frameworks
Ethical theories serve as vital tools for analyzing moral dilemmas by offering structured
guidance for determining right and wrong. Four well-established theories—utilitarianism,
deontology, virtue ethics, and ethical egoism- each provide a unique foundation for evaluating
actions in the workplace, including the issue of metric manipulation in call centers.
, Utilitarianism, founded by thinkers like John Stuart Mill, promotes decisions that result in the
greatest good for the greatest number (Mill, 2016). In a call center setting, a utilitarian might
argue that manipulating performance data is acceptable if it improves overall customer
satisfaction or secures business contracts, even if it compromises employee honesty or
individual accountability.
Deontology, based on the work of Immanuel Kant, is concerned with duties and principles
rather than consequences (Kant, 2018). This theory stresses that certain actions, such as lying or
manipulating data, are inherently wrong, regardless of any perceived benefit. Deontology
provides a rule-based framework that values consistency and fairness, making it well-suited for
structured environments like a call center.
Virtue Ethics emphasizes character and moral virtues over rules or results (Hursthouse &
Pettigrove, 2018). A virtuous employee or leader is someone who embodies traits like honesty,
fairness, and integrity. In this context, someone guided by virtue ethics would reject deceptive
practices because they undermine both personal character and the trustworthiness of the
workplace.
Ethical Egoism, in contrast, maintains that an action is morally right if it advances an individual’s
self-interest (Rachels & Rachels, 2019). An agent might rationalize metric manipulation as
ethical if it helps them retain their job or gain performance bonuses. While this approach may
benefit the individual, it can be detrimental to organizational integrity and team morale.
These theories differ significantly in their approach. Utilitarianism and egoism are both
consequentialist, yet utilitarianism prioritizes collective outcomes while egoism centers on
personal gain. Meanwhile, deontology and virtue ethics reject the idea that consequences alone
justify actions. Deontology insists on rule-following, while virtue ethics focuses on cultivating
moral character. Among them, deontology offers the clearest and most structured approach for
consistent ethical decision-making.
1 With 2025-2026 Updated Solutions
Ethical Decision-Making in a Call Center
Assessment # 1
Constance Mixson
BUS-FPX4801- Ethics and Enterprise
May 2025
Setting the Stage: Why Ethics Matter in the Call Center
Ethical decision-making is more than a policy requirement—it's a reflection of organizational
values and personal integrity. In demanding environments like call centers, ethical challenges
often arise in subtle ways. Employees face intense pressure to meet quotas, reduce handling
times, and maintain customer satisfaction, all while navigating complex situations. Under such
conditions, shortcuts and questionable practices may begin to feel justifiable, especially when
they appear to serve broader business objectives.
One issue that stands out is the manipulation of performance metrics. While these metrics are
designed to track productivity and efficiency, they can become distorted when accuracy is
sacrificed for appearance. This creates a dilemma for employees: comply with unethical
expectations or risk underperformance. This paper examines such a scenario and explores how
ethical theory, and reasoning can guide a more principled response.
Choosing the Right Lens: Comparing Ethical Frameworks
Ethical theories serve as vital tools for analyzing moral dilemmas by offering structured
guidance for determining right and wrong. Four well-established theories—utilitarianism,
deontology, virtue ethics, and ethical egoism- each provide a unique foundation for evaluating
actions in the workplace, including the issue of metric manipulation in call centers.
, Utilitarianism, founded by thinkers like John Stuart Mill, promotes decisions that result in the
greatest good for the greatest number (Mill, 2016). In a call center setting, a utilitarian might
argue that manipulating performance data is acceptable if it improves overall customer
satisfaction or secures business contracts, even if it compromises employee honesty or
individual accountability.
Deontology, based on the work of Immanuel Kant, is concerned with duties and principles
rather than consequences (Kant, 2018). This theory stresses that certain actions, such as lying or
manipulating data, are inherently wrong, regardless of any perceived benefit. Deontology
provides a rule-based framework that values consistency and fairness, making it well-suited for
structured environments like a call center.
Virtue Ethics emphasizes character and moral virtues over rules or results (Hursthouse &
Pettigrove, 2018). A virtuous employee or leader is someone who embodies traits like honesty,
fairness, and integrity. In this context, someone guided by virtue ethics would reject deceptive
practices because they undermine both personal character and the trustworthiness of the
workplace.
Ethical Egoism, in contrast, maintains that an action is morally right if it advances an individual’s
self-interest (Rachels & Rachels, 2019). An agent might rationalize metric manipulation as
ethical if it helps them retain their job or gain performance bonuses. While this approach may
benefit the individual, it can be detrimental to organizational integrity and team morale.
These theories differ significantly in their approach. Utilitarianism and egoism are both
consequentialist, yet utilitarianism prioritizes collective outcomes while egoism centers on
personal gain. Meanwhile, deontology and virtue ethics reject the idea that consequences alone
justify actions. Deontology insists on rule-following, while virtue ethics focuses on cultivating
moral character. Among them, deontology offers the clearest and most structured approach for
consistent ethical decision-making.
