You have hired an information technology firm as an independent contractor to design and build an e-commerce Web site for your company. You paid a large portion of the fee, $25,000, up front to begin the work. The owner assures you that the work is on schedule and will be completed on time, but as of a week before the due date, you have yet to see any designs.
You schedule a meeting at the information technology company's office to check on the project status. While waiting in the reception area of the office, you overhear employees talking about the impending closure of the business. You also hear that the programmer assigned to your project has not been paid and there is no money to pay him.
The company's owner mentions nothing of this during your meeting and assures you that the project will be completed as planned. You suspect that the owner is not being truthful. You know that if the business closes and you have not received the designs and software for the project, you will be out $25,000 and will have to file a lawsuit. (Adapted from Allen, 2003, pp. 44-45)
Analyze this ethical dilemma by addressing the following issues. (20 points)(A 1-page response is required.)
- Should you talk to the programmer and reveal what you have heard? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of talking with the programmer.
- Should you confront the owner? Why or why not?
- Should you approach the disgruntled employees to find a way to gather the data you need to win a lawsuit? Why or why not?
- What two (2) other issues are involved and how do you propose handling them?
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