(Ethics) Angie and Neal Fry Are Department Managers in the Housewares

question 149

Essay

(Ethics)
Angie and Neal Fry are department managers in the housewares and shoe departments, respectively, for Calhouns, a large department store. Neal has observed Angie taking inventory from her own department home, apparently without paying for it. He hesitates confronting Angie because he is due to be promoted, and needs Angie's recommendation. He also does not want to notify the company management directly, because he doesn't want an ethics investigation on his record, believing that it will give him a "goody-goody" image. This week, Angie tried on several pairs of expensive running shoes in his department before finding a pair that suited her. She did not, however, buy them. That very pair was missing this morning.
Calhouns recently replaced its old periodic inventory system with a perpetual inventory system using scanners and bar codes. In addition, the annual inventory is to be replaced by a monthly inventory conducted by an independent firm. On hearing the news of the changes, Neal relaxes. "The system will catch Angie now," he says to himself.
Required:
1. Is Neal's attitude justified? Why or why not?
2. What, if any, action should Neal take now?

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Definitions:

Dependent Variable

In an experiment, it is the variable being tested and measured, and is thought to be influenced by the independent variable.

Independent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is manipulated or changed by the researcher to observe its effects on the dependent variable.

Placebos

Inactive substances or treatments used in controlled experiments to test the effectiveness of another substance or treatment.

Experimenter Bias

A process where the scientists conducting an experiment inadvertently influence the results, affecting the validity of the data collected.