Unit 8- Integrity in Leadership
Mary (Cummings) Brickley
Kaplan University

Integrity in Leadership
The integrity of a business and its leadership is vital to a successful business. No matter how great a product or service might be, if there are habits of illegal or immoral activity, customers will stop supporting the business associated with the offensive activity. Customers want to feel good about where they shop or do business. They can choose where they spend their money and if there is scandal, they will choose the competition. Lack of integrity in a business will soon be visible with some sort of scandal. Illegal activity will eventually be caught and publically displayed and destroy a company’s reputation. That is exactly what Dalman is facing if he would choose to accept the inspector’s offer and provide the food for the holiday party. After thanking his manager for bringing the information to his attention, Dalman should first find out if there is a “grandfather” clause in the new laws. Often when a new law such as this is passed, businesses are given time to change or if it would require a major expense, they sometimes offer a clause where the current owner does not need to change due to existing circumstances. This clause would only help the current owner and any future owners would have to make sure they were in compliance. Dalman also needs to consider reporting the inspector for inappropriate behavior. The inspector’s offer to the manager is equivalent to a bribe and would be considered illegal. Dalman and his manager could face bribery charges if they accept the offer and someone would find out about it and press charges. Dalman should consult his company’s legal counsel and see what they suggest. The city could require proof and if the inspector came back, it could be worse for the business. However, the city needs to know that their inspector is behaving in this manner. The inspector has probably made similar demands on other businesses in the area and Dalman could see if others would support him in his complaint against the inspector. Dalman must report it and have the support and guidance of his legal counsel. I would also suggest that Dalman ask for the inspector’s supervisor to come and inspect the facility and review the enclosure situation. This would allow Dalman to converse with the supervisor about the inspector’s behavior and ask for suggestions of how to change the placement of the enclosure. It would open an opportunity for dialogue and communication. Asking for a re-evaluation by the supervisor and Dalman reporting the original inspector’s behavior should show the city officials that Dalman is a man of integrity who is trying to do the right thing with his business and within the community. Once Dalman has a solution to the compliance in place, he could offer to cater the holiday event at a discount or as a donation without receiving anything in return. He could also offer to host or provide food for a shelter or other charitable organization in the city to show his support for the community. This would really backfire the original inspector’s bullying tactics and it would be viewed as a great thing for the community for his customers and neighbors. By doing the right thing, Dalman is sending a huge message to his employees, customers and the community. He could even use it as an opportunity to get some positive publicity showing the community that he is doing everything in his power to comply with the new law. He could even hire some of the local displace persons from a previous assignment to do the work of moving the enclosure so it is in compliance. Again, this would send a positive message to the community and his support for it. It would be totally unethical for Dalman to allow the inspector’s offer to be accepted. This could heavily backfire on his business. There is no guarantee that the inspector would approve the structure as it is even if they would provide the holiday food. The inspector is behaving in an illegal manner and needs to be reported. He is probably making similar offers to other businesses as well. Therefore, it is my strongest recommendation for Dalman to consult with his legal counsel and then report the inspector’s behavior while at the same time looking for ways to comply with the new law.