Jason’s Dilemma Jason Jones was preparing a proposal for First National Bank tha

Question

Jason’s Dilemma

Jason Jones was preparing a proposal for First National Bank that had to be one of the best opportunities for him as an independent consultant. He had previously worked for Sherwood Research Company for two years, both part time and full time and had learned many of the “tricks of the trade” from that experience. He left them about nine months ago to start his own research consulting firm which included conducting custom research for clients. He knew that Sherwood Research was in bad financial shape when he left them and that situation had gotten even worse.

Two of their primary “tricks” in preparing a proposal was to put the proposal in a bound folder that made it look very expensive and professional and the other was to have very detailed set of research objectives in every proposal.  Most of the other things they did were pretty standard in the research industry.

Jason knew they would be bidding on the same project and with Sherwood’s higher overhead would have to have a higher bid than his own bid. So he decided to use their “tricks” in presenting the proposal and to include an additional element they didn’t usually use-a thorough review of previous research prior to actually beginning the project.

When he went to make his presentation and turn in the proposal, Phil Sherwood was in the lobby waiting to make his company’s presentation. Although Phil was courteous, it was obvious that he was not pleased to be bidding against a previous employee. When Jason learned that he had won the bidding, he felt even worse about the situation.

Questions:

Did Jason violate any ethical standards in bidding on the project?

What could he have done differently when he learned that Phil would be bidding on the project?

Explanation / Answer

Jason Jones did not violate any ethical standard by bidding on the project. Even though he was groomed by Sherwood Research, it was merely a part of his growing experience. Had he worked with any other firm he would have gained valuable experience too. By working with Sherwood Research, Jones did get understand the basic tricks Sherwood used to create a good impression on the clients. He merely adopted the tactics used by another organization. Jones’s decision to exploit the weakness of Sherwood clearly shows that it was a point which was discussed within Sherwood but no action was taken on it. Had any action be taken on it, no such issues would have occurred. While some may argue that he should not taken the project after knowing Phil Sherwood was interested in the same, Jones was merely acting to ensure he had client and project to work on at the end of the day. Neither did he use any of Sherwood Research`s personal data not did he use his contacts to identify the financial implications. He only used his experience while working with them.

One point which Jason Jones could have done differently was align himself with Sherwood and identify if they were really serious about the client. He could also have had a word with Phil regarding his own firm`s work and the importance of this project to his organization.

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