Let's look at a couple of scenarios. As you read them, try to identify the origin or impact of individual ethical formation on a workplace behavior. Scenario 1: Ethical Bribery After taking a vacation to the beaches of Vietnam, Tom and Angela decided to relocate to the country and open a business. Their vision for a seaside eatery also included helping the homeless and disabled children they came across. In Vietnam, physical disabilities are taboo, and those who have them are often society's outcasts. Tom and Angela wanted to build a business that would help some of these individuals find an honest and moral way to make a living. The couple knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park, so they came to the country prepared to face big hurdles. One of their biggest hurdles had a name: Minh. Minh was a local government officer whose ''official'' duty was to provide regulatory oversight of the various tourism-related businesses. In reality, Minh dealt in bribes. He negotiated them, received them, paid them, and made good on the promises for which the bribes were paid. In his world, this wasn't the least bit unusual. It was just the way business got done. Obviously, coming from a capitalist country, Tom and Angela were initially repulsed by this behavior. In their eyes, it was illegal, unethical, and just plain wrong. The re-education of Tom and Angela was swift and harsh. Minh made certain that nothing happened for Tom and Angela until they played by his rules. After a few weeks of frustration, Tom and Angela came to a decision. A business that helped the disabled and homeless was more important. They accepted and participated in the not-so-secret scheme so that they could get their restaurant open and help disadvantaged people. Questions Was it ethical for Tom and Angela to pay the bribes? Was it ethical for Minh to demand the bribes, or to promulgate the system of bribery as a way to get things done? What are the cultural and/or societal differences that created a gap between what Minh found ethical compared to what Tom and Angela found ethical? Scenario 2: Ethical but Illegal? One of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act was to set a minimum standard of coverage for health insurance. In many cases, the required mandatory minimum coverage included some women's health benefits (such as birth control) that certain groups found morally objectionable. This, of course, created a crisis of conscience. The law required employers and payers to provide benefits for these services, but for some complying with the law meant compromising deeply-held moral positions on the value of life. Questions Were the ethical objections to providing certain benefits primarily formed by cultural influences or personal morality and values? How do you know this? Is this a no-win situation in which the only options are to break the law or compromise one's beliefs? If not, what kinds of solutions could help businesses and individuals resolve this issue in a way that respected the law and personal convictions?