Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Gender discrimination concerning pay, promotion opportunities, and career development remain a concern in most workplaces. It is socially, and morally wrong to mistreat employees, unfavorably, or differently because of their gender. There are two options that the board members can select to solve the dilemma Oilee Services is encountering. First, the board of directors can decide to demote Julie from the position of the account and allow Bob to occupy the role of the company to close the deal with the Greesee Inc. Nevertheless, the management team and board of directors can choose to turn down the offer, by making decision congruent to the company’s values, and commitment to ending discrimination at work.
The Role of the Board of Directors
The board of directors are responsible for acting in ways that align with the society, individual, businesses, and shareholders’ values, and expectations. Concerning Julie’s case, the board of directors should strategically make sound decisions that will not influence the financial performance as well as well as ruining the corporate image and relationship with the society. The managers will need to avoid discriminating against gender in the workplace and a violation of employee contract. Consequently, as a board member, one would have the power and responsibility of ensuring equality, and respectful treatment irrespective of the presence of a lucrative deal.
Moral Considerations for Oilee Services
Regarding Oilee Services’ case, the moral option would be to turn down the contract thus avoiding violating the company’s values, commitment to equality and evading gender discrimination. There is freedom of contract which encompasses basing business deals on an agreement, and that the result of commitment should be of a free choice that is influenced by external control thus it is ethically wrong for Greecee Inc. to refute and discriminate women employees due to cultural perception about women. The right policy that substantiates these ethical claims is that generally speaking, treating someone unfavorably, differently, or unfairly because of their gender is ethically wrong. The moral analogy that can be integrated to support the argument, in this case, is that the board of directors should treat relevantly, similar cases similarly, that is employees should be equally treated and promoted on merit and qualifications regardless of gender, and that Greece's claims of undermining women is morally irrelevant and should not be upheld. Furthermore, although societies are accustomed to perceiving women as inferior beings, it is not always the case, and thus it need not be.
