As a new systems analyst at Premier Financial Services, you are getting quite an

Question

As a new systems analyst at Premier Financial Services, you are getting quite an education.
You report to Mary, the IT manager, who also chairs the systems review committee.
Several months ago, the committee rejected a request from Jack, the finance director, for
an expensive new accounts payable system because the benefits did not appear to outweigh
the costs.
Yesterday, Mary’s boss called her in and asked her to reconsider Jack’s request, and to
persuade the other members to approve it. Mary wanted to discuss the merits of the
request, but he cut her off rather abruptly. Mary happens to know that Jack and her boss
are longtime friends.
Mary has confided in you. She is very uncomfortable about the meeting with her boss,
and she believes that his request would undermine the integrity of the systems review
process. Mary feels it would be unethical to grant preferred treatment just because a
friendship is involved. She is thinking of submitting a request to step down as review committee
chair, even though that might harm her career at the company.
Is this an ethical question, or just a matter of office politics? What would you say to Mary?

Explanation / Answer

Answer:

Yes, the situation somewhat do point out towards the matter being of office politics. Mary's boss and Jack have been friends from a substantial period of time, which cannot deny the fact that Jack might use this situation to his benifit. This somehow strengethens Mary's suspicion about Jack trying to use company resources for his personal good.

But, we cannot just overlook, Jack has been the financial director of the organization, and has provided his analysis and reported that the current system's running cost outruns its productivity.

So, what i would suggest to Mary is, though her conjecture have some ground to build a strong arguement against the politics carried upon by the bug guns, but she should also take time and try to gather as much intel about the current accounts payable system, just inorder to give Jack and 'herself' a fair trial. Because if what Mary thinks is not correct at all, then she will have to face terrible consequences in terms of her career as well.

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