Susie, a Newly Graduated BBA in Accounting, Has Started Job

question 82

Essay

Susie, a newly graduated BBA in accounting, has started job with the state budgeting office.Susie has been placed over expense accounts.The state has a travel policy stating that a state employee may be reimbursed up to $90 per night for a hotel room and up to $40 per day for meals, as long as the employee turns in food receipts.On the first expense account Susie works on the employee has a hotel receipt for $130 a night but no food expenses.Susie processes the reimbursement for $90.The employee becomes irate as his reading of the travel policy is that he can be reimbursed for $130 a night for hotel and food with a receipt.The employee claims this has never been a problem in the past and has always been reimbursed $130 a night whether for hotel only or both hotel and food.
Discuss which ethical theory supports Susie and the employee's take on the travel policy.Which would you choose and why?
This is written to have no right answer, but rather to have the student display his grasp of the theory and critical thinking skills.The employee is using egoism to try to justify his position.Susie is using Kant to justify following the rules of the state.Some students may mention that using utilitarianism the state and employees will all be better off if the rule is $130 per night on travel.Could the student give any examples where that might cause problems?

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Definitions:

Heritability

A measure of how much of the variation in a trait among individuals within a population can be attributed to genetic differences.

Genomic Imprinting

A genetic phenomenon by which certain genes are expressed in a parent-specific manner, affecting the phenotype of an organism without altering the DNA sequence.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, comprising all the inherited alleles, that determines specific characteristics or traits.

Reaction Range

The genetically determined limits within which an individual's psychological traits can be shaped by environmental factors.