Abstract
The paper studies the ethics of withholding information about an impending layoff and describes those situations in which managerial secrecy might be justified. It describes a layoff situation in which a manager has the latitude to decide what information to release and when, lists the reasons managers commonly give for withholding the information and analyzes each reason from a consequentialist and a Kantian perspective. The paper uses Sisela Bok's analyses of lying and secrecy to create the prima facie case against secrecy in the situation.
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Victor Pompa, is currently a management education consultant at Digtal Equipment Corporation, headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts. He has 11 years of experience in the education divisions of high tech companies, both as manager and individual contributor. He holds a Bachelor' Degree in Liberal Arts from Colgate University as well as a Master of Arts in Educational Theory. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Human and Organization Development, specializing in Business Ethics, at the Fielding Institute, Santa Barbara California. The catalyst for promoting the author's interest in Business Ethics was readingMoral Mazes, the World of Corporate Managers and meeting the author, Robert Jackall.
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Pompa, V. Managerial secrecy: An ethical examination. J Bus Ethics 11, 147–156 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872322
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00872322