Solving an Ethical Problem using Line Drawing Method

Line Drawing Method:

Line drawing is performed by drawing a line along which various examples and hypothetical
situation are placed.
At one end positive paradigm, an example of something that is unambiguously morally
acceptable.
At the other end, the negative paradigm, an example of something that is unambiguously not
morally acceptable, is placed.
Those examples that more closely conform to the positive paradigm are placed near it, and
examples closer to the negative paradigm are placed near paradigm.
Placing the moral problem under consideration in the appropriate place along the line.

Problem:
Adam and Tom were classmates in Upstate Polytechnic (both class of 1995). Although they
work in similar and often competing corporations (Adam works for Bigmouth Enterprises and
Tom for Sleek-street Inc.) they kept in touch during the years and they often meet during the
annual ASCE meeting, where they both serve in a technical committee. During the 2009
meeting, Adam confided to Tom that he is not happy at Bigmouth Enterprises, where lay-offs are
expected, and he is looking around... Tom knows that Adam is in the team that prepares the
bid of Bigmouth Enterprises for the bridge-to-nowhere project, for which Sleek-street Inc. is
bidding too. Tom suggests that they both have dinner the next day with Mr. Daddybucks, the
owner of the Sleek-street Inc. who happens to be in the ASCE meeting too. Tom immediately
tells Daddybucks about Adam and the bid. The dinner is wonderful: Mr. Daddybucks, a wine
connoisseur, is very graceful, opens two bottles of Chateau Petrus (1975) and orders afterwards a
50-year old Armagnac. During dinner, Tom exalts the virtues of his company and confides to
Adam, that if Sleek-street Inc. wins the bridge-to-nowhere contract, the company will
immediately need an experienced manager, like Adam, and will hire several other engineers and
project managers. During the conversation, he winks a couple of times to add emphasis. After
dinner Mr. Daddybucks whispers Tom that he should try hard to land this fish and, if he
succeeds there will be a lot of caviar and champagne for him. Three days later, Tom
receives short call (at home) from Adam, telling him that the bid of Bigmouth Enterprizes for the
bridge is slightly over $423 M. With Toms help, Adam passes more inside information. Sleekstreet Inc. submits a bid for $419 M and wins the contract. Tom is given a big promotion and a
$250,000 bonus.
Did Tom act unethically?

Line Drawing Method:

Feature

Personal gain
Company gain
Expectation of gain
Timing of gain
Coercion
Expectation of qpq
Responsibility
Repeatability

Positive(Ethical)
small
small
no
after
none
no
shared
never

Negative(Unethical)
large
large
yes
before
a lot
yes
sole
often

Conclusion:
Tom behave unethically, as we can conclude from this method that more features are ethically
wrong.

References:
https://prezi.com/wbf7vz-yhluo/ethical-problem-solving-techniques/