Executive Headhunters Have Approached Charles About Taking the Position of Senior

Executive headhunters have approached Charles about taking the position of senior vice president of marketing for a well-known company. Although this company has been highly successful since 1995, Charles has heard persistent rumors of overly aggressive marketing tactics, questionable reporting of sales data, and an atmosphere of intolerance of criticism. The CEO is a powerful and charismatic individual, who built the company from a small regional firm to an international powerhouse in only a decade. The other top managers have been hand-picked by the CEO, as have a number of the members of the board of directors. The salary for this position is very high and includes generous stock options. It would be a major step up in Charles' career and would position him to move to CEO of another company in the future. Charles has prided himself on his high moral values and is viewed as an exceptionally ethical person by his peers. What should Charles do?

A) Charles should take the job because he can effect real change in the culture of the organization, and take advantage of the personal financial and career opportunities.
B) Charles should realize that personal moral values and the realities of the corporate world differ in both quality and degree. Consequently, he can take a job in an ethically borderline company without tainting his personal moral standing.
C) Charles should not rely on rumors to dissuade him from making an advantageous career decision.
D) Charles should not take the job because the culture of the organization is set by the CEO and other top managers. He would have little influence on the organizational culture as one of many top managers.