Requested to Falsify Data
originally titled: An
Excess?
[Prepared with James Jaksa.]
I
Stephanie Simon knew Environmental Manager Adam Baines would
not be pleased with her report on the chemical spill. The data
clearly indicated that the spill was large enough that
regulations required it to be reported to the state. Stephanie
perceived Adam to be someone who thinks industry is
over-regulated, especially in the environmental area. At the
same time, he prided himself as a major player in maintaining
XYZ's public reputation as an environmental leader in the
chemical industry. "We do a terrific job," he often said. "And
we don't need a bunch of hard to read, difficult to interpret,
easily misunderstood state regulations to do it. We got along
just fine before the regulators ran wild, and we're doing fine
now."
When Stephanie presented her report to Adam, he lost his
temper. "This is ridiculous! We're not going to send anything
like this to the state. A few gallons over the limit isn't
worth the time it's going to take to fill out those damned
forms. I can't believe you'd submit a report like this.
Stephanie, go back to your desk and rework those numbers until
it comes out right. I don't want to see any more garbage like
this."
What should Stephanie do?
II
Stephanie refused to rework the report. Instead she went
back to her desk, signed the report, wrote a memo about her
conversation with Adam, and then returned to Adam's office. She
handed him the report and said, "You don't want to see any more
garbage like this? Neither do I. Here's my original
report--signed, sealed, and delivered. I've had it here. I'm
not fudging data for anyone." As she turned to leave, she
added, "By the way, Adam, before you get any ideas about making
it hard for me to get another job, I have a nice little memo
about our earlier conversation. I won't hesitate to send it
right upstairs at the slightest provocation."
Discuss Stephanie's way of handling this problem.
III
Bruce Bennett was pleased to have the job vacated by
Stephanie Simon. It was an advancement in both responsibility
and pay. He knew about the circumstances of Stephanie's angry
departure. All went well for the first several months. Then
there was another spill. Bruce's preliminary calculations
indicated that the spill exceeded the specified limit requiring
a report to the state. He also knew how Adam would react to the
"bad news".
Bruce had worked hard to get his present position, and he
looked forward to "moving up the ladder" at XYZ. He certainly
did not want to go job hunting at this time in his career. He
thought, "These numbers are so close to falling below the limit
that a little 'rounding off' here or there might save us all a
lot of grief."
What should Bruce do?
IV
Imagine how the above situations would be evaluated from the
following perspectives:
- A member of the state's environmental protection
agency.
- The CEO of XYZ.
- Attorneys at XYZ who handle environmental affairs.
- Other industries faced with similar environmental
problems.
- Members of the community whose health may be adversely
affected if XYZ and other industries do not responsibly
handle environmental problems. To what extent do you think
Stephanie, Bruce, and Adam should take into consideration
these perspectives in determining what their responsibilities
are?