You are about to make a major hire for your sales team. As the sales manager, you have the final say in which of the three final candidates will get the offer. The last step of your hiring process is to check references. You decide that you will see if the applicants have a FaceBook page and see what information you can glean from that site. On the unsecure wall of your favorite candidate, you discover that she has several threads of conversation about the political situation in China. From the posts, you can determine that she is actively supporting those who are agitating for greater personal and political freedom. Some of the people whose conversations she is following are advocating going against the government, even to demonstrations and other acts of civil disobedience.

What would you do given that one of you major markets is China, you find yourself wondering if someone who is against the current political system in China would in fact be a good sales rep in that market

Apply the Baird Method to the above ethical dilemma

1. Be Attentive clarify facts and issues pinpoint the ethical issue
2. Be Intelligent identify constraints explore values in tension and options
3. Be reasonable choose the best path of action
4. Be responsible strive for ethical maturity. act with courage, communicate
5. Return to awareness evaluate your decision reflect on results and improvement