Natalia DoboszBusiness Ethics Case StudyProf. Tim McCormickMay !" !#$Off Duty Smoker%n the &'ff Duty Smoker( case study" )e learn about *ob" Personnel Mana+er" )ho )as hirin+ for the floor mana+er ,osition at his store. -e kno) that both candidates )ere ,retty similar in terms of .ob /ualifications. That0s )hen he decided to +o )ith his ,ersonal reasons" )hich he called &soft reasons(. 1e re.ected Cathy because it seemed to him like she0s a smoker and he didn0t like that. 1e )ent )ith his ,ersonal feelin+s about the .ob candidate and some)hat backed it u, )ith reasons su,,ortin+ the +ood of the com,any" ,articularly health insurance. -hat *ob did )as unethical2 he should ha3e strictly stuck to ho) fit the candidates )ere for the ,osition and not follo) his feelin+s about them and their lifestyle. *ob re.ected Cathy because he thou+ht that she is a smoker. 1e didn0t kno) for sure thou+h. She could .ust as )ell be ha3in+ her ,artner0s ci+arettes and smell like smoke because hesmokes. 4nother thin+ is that she could not be .ust a re+ular smoker but instead smoke only occasionally. 5or e6am,le" she could only use ci+arettes )hen she +ets ner3ous" like before that inter3ie). Should he then look at her the same as he )ould look at the ,erson )ho smokes on a daily basis7 % don0t think so. Besides" *ob didn0t e3en ha3e any ,roof to say that the other candidate for the .ob )as a non8smoker. 1e .ust didn0t see any si+ns of that ,erson smokin+. Thisis a lot to consider and this is )hy *ob shouldn0t ha3e .ust assumed that Cathy is .ust another smoker. Moreo3er" if Cathy )as to actually smoke" it doesn0t mean she )ould be a )orse mana+er. She could much better than the other non smokin+ mana+er but *ob didn0t kno) that because he didn0t inter3ie) her any further. Based on my lon+ e6,erience in the )orkin+ field" % ha3e seen no )ay in ho) smokin+ affected anybody0s .ob ,erformance. %n fact" some of the smokers % ha3e )orked )ith )ere one of the best and most ,roducti3e em,loyees. 'ne mi+ht ar+ue that smokers ha3e to lea3e once in a )hile for a ci+arette break but if they really look into it" em,loyees make breaks in their )ork for many 3arious reasons. Some ,eo,le may lea3e to smoke" some +o constantly to the bathroom" some may take snack breaks" or be on their ,hone durin+ )ork. Therefore" .ust because somebody lea3es to smoke does not make them any )orse than those )ho take other ty,es of break. 5urthermore" *ob used an ar+ument that he0s doin+ a fa3or to the com,any0s health ,lan by not hirin+ Cathy" )ho0s a smoker and )hose insurance ,lan is more e6,ensi3e than the others.1o)e3er" if he thinks that )ay that )ould also mean that he )ould not hire ,eo,le )ho are o3er)ei+ht" older" and ha3e health ,roblems. 5or one thin+ it is a discrimination" )hich his com,any could be sued for" )hile for another thin+ it is definitely unethical to not hire ,eo,le based on such criteria instead of their ,redicti3e .ob ,erformance. This )ay instead of sa3in+ com,any money" he can actually make com,any lose money if the store )as to be sued for discriminatin+ certain +rou,s )hen hirin+ ,eo,le. 4s )e learn in the article" other ty,e of ,roblems that em,loyees ha3e to face can ,roduce hi+her costs to the com,any than the smokers )ould. Some of the reasons mentioned )ere &de,ression" stress" and obesity(. This is )hy *ob0s ar+ument is not com,letely 3alid. Both candidates had e/ual /ualifications2 therefore" they should ha3e recei3ed e/ual chances of +ettin+ the .ob. -hat *ob should ha3e re3ie)ed )as not candidate0s ,ersonal choicesand lifestyles but ho) +ood of mana+ers they actually are. 1e should ha3e asked them more in de,th /uestions about their mana+ement techni/ues" the )ay they interact )ith customers and em,loyees.1e should ha3e asked them ,ersonality /uestions to unco3er any ,otential traits that )ould make one better o3er another. %0m sure there are different mana+ement assessment tests that he could make those candidates fill out to see" )ho does better .ob on them. 4dditionally" )hat he should ha3e done is +ettin+ a second o,inion on those ,eo,le )ithout re3ealin+ his o)n .ud+ment to that ,erson. -hether" it )ould be consultin+ his boss or another mana+er" *ob shouldn0t definitely make a decision by himself" )hen confronted )ith candidates of similar /ualifications. That )ould be the only ethical choice in this situation. The only thin+ % could see that Cathy could ha3e done better is the )ay she ,resented herself. E3en if she is a smoker" she shouldn0t ha3e made it ob3ious to her future em,loyer .ust as )ell as she shouldn0t be makin+ it ob3ious on the .ob to)ards her future customers. This is one thin+ that *ob could her ,rofessionally .ud+e her on. 1o)e3er" this is somethin+ that is easily fi6able and a sim,le con3ersation )ith Cathy could chan+e the )ay she ,resents herself asa mana+er. E3ery mana+er needs +uidance on ho) to im,ro3e themsel3es and % am sure that the other candidate )ho +ot hired )ould need some sort of +uidance too2 if not about his ,resentation" it )ould be about somethin+ else. 4s )e can see throu+hout the ,a,er" *ob0s decision to re.ect Cathy for the ,osition because of her sus,ected smokin+ )as definitely unethical and unfair. The reasons that he used )ere ,ersonal rather than ,rofessional. Moreo3er" some of his ar+uments )eren0t e3en lo+ically 3alid" es,ecially )hen lookin+ from a business ,ers,ecti3e. 1e should ha3e +i3en both candidates e/ual treatment and e/ual chance of +ettin+ the .ob by conductin+ further inter3ie)s and askin+ someone else for a second o,inion on those a,,licants. 1o)e3er" this story teaches usho) careful )e ha3e to be )hen inter3ie)in+ for certain ,ositions. 4s )e learn" hirin+ ,rofessionals sometimes use their ,ersonal rather than .ust ,rofessional o,inions. 5uture candidates ha3e to ,resent themsel3es to their best ability" as the ,resentation is bein+ .ud+ed too. 'n the other hand )hat this case can teach hirin+ ,rofessionals is not to be .ud+mental and not to use their ,ersonal reasons )hen ,ickin+ candidates for a ,osition. 4s it )as ar+ued in this ,a,er" often ,ersonal reasons and ,re.ud+ments may not be 3alid in the )ork,lace.