It was 9:05 p.m. and Tyler Simms was facing a dilemma. He was at the office working late, again, completing a report that his boss asked him to have ready for the next morning. She had received the draft report ten days earlier but waited until 4:33 p.m. that afternoon to return it for revision. Tyler felt that there was no excuse for the rushed revision because there had been plenty of time for his boss to give the feedback necessary to prepare the final draft. Tyler was becoming increasingly annoyed at having to work overtime under these circumstances. She had done this to him six times in the last month, and the practice was disrupting his family life. Other than for this annoyance, he liked his job, it paid well, and there were career opportunities. His dilemma was what he could do about this situation without risking his career.

The telephone rang. It was his wife, who was experiencing a problem of her own. She had been helping their six-year-old daughter with a school project and was missing some supplies to complete it. It was getting late and she did not think she could get to any stores in time. Furthermore, she would have to get their one-year-old twin boys out of bed to go to the store with her. She said that she needed poster board, coloured markers, and tape. Given where his office was located, Tyler did not think he had time to get to a store stocking these supplies. He knew that the supplies were in the stationery cabinet in the outer office, to which he had access. He also knew that there was an explicit company policy not to use stationery for personal reasons. While on the phone, he wondered whether he should mention to his wife the existence of the supplies in his office. He also pondered whether he should immediately leave and go to a store to buy supplies. If he did, there was a risk of not completing the report. Thus, a second dilemma emerged.

Questions

What are the issues involved with these dilemmas?

Who are the stakeholders?

What ethical principles could be applied to this situation?

What should Tyler do? Justify your choice using ethical reasoning.