Consider this scenario: You have just begun volunteering at a local campaign office for the state representative for your district. You have never gotten involved in a real political race before and you are excited. As soon as the campaign manager discovers that you are an English major and technologically savvy, the campaign manager puts you to work, "Get on the Internet and find some dirt on the opposition candidate. I don't care what you find. I don't care if it's true, as long as someone else said it first. We don't want anyone to think we're making this stuff up."
You are immediately troubled by this request. You are excited to perform some research and investigate the opposing candidate, you are worried about the statement that the campaign manager said about not caring if the information is true. What are some actions you can take to handle this situation that you feel might be jeopardizing your ethics?
A) Just do it, it isn't a paid job and you want to dig up dirt on the opposing candidate.
B) Just do it, but only report true information to the campaign manager.
C) Tell the campaign manager you majored in English, but it was in historical literature, so you do not know how to research very well.
D) Be polite and kindly ask the campaign manager to please clarify the request to research inaccurate information.

Question

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Because society changes, your ethical obligations and intersections may also change. Your ethical obligations are dynamic instead of static, and the right decision in earlier cases could prove the wrong guide for decisions in later cases. You may often find yourself in an ethical situation without a clear right or wrong answer or challenge your ethical obligations to one or more of the entities you are associated with. If you find yourself in a situation where you are asked to perform an unethical activity, there are several actions you can take to make an ethical decision:
1. Politely ask to have the situation clarified; perhaps you misjudged their moral considerations.
2. Consider the different cultural perspectives of the situation; perhaps it is not unethical in one of these cultures. If it is not unethical in one's cultural, you might explain how it is perceived as morally wrong in your culture.
3. If explanations and negotiations don't satisfy you and if time allows, visit with a supervisor or mentor for guidance.
4. Review the code of conduct of your profession or company for passages that might support or challenge your position.
5. Explain, in writing, that you don't feel comfortable doing X but you could do Y. This has you suggest an ethical alternative. (Make sure to cite from the passage of text from the Code of Conduct.)
6. Never be impolite or accursing, but make it clear that others are affected by the unethical decision, not just the employer or colleagues, but you and the public, if this is the case.
7. Discuss the situation with your supervisor or mentor (in writing, if possible).
8. Finally, keep in mind that you bring two important credentials to a job: a knowledge of your field and a reputation for integrity in the exercise of this knowledge. If you damage your reputation for integrity, your knowledge of your field can't be trusted. In other words: Always make the decision that you could live with if your decision were made public.

Consider This Scenario: You Have Just Begun Volunteering at a Local