Ethical Case Study Analysis: Marilee Jones

Ethical Case Study Analysis

Synopsis

Zachary M. Seward in the article MIT Admissions Dean Resigns after Fake Degrees Come to Light quotes Marilee Jones, “I did not have the courage to correct my resume when I applied for my current job or at any time since.” The article highlights the predicament of an admission officer’s 28-year lie about her academic qualifications. Marilee Jones, the admission officer at MIT was recruited in 1979 as a junior member of staff. However, she advanced through the ranks to become a well-sought after admission officer. Furthermore, Seward notes, “The revelation was a shocking turn for Jones, who had been highly regarded in her field and widely praised for MIT’s efforts to reduce student anxiety in college admissions.”

Miss Jones had worked at MIT for 28 years and her achievements were evident. However, she was continually haunted by her initial lies on her education qualification which she could not manage to correct in her subsequent years of employment. At the face of it, Miss Jones can be excused for raising her profile in the competitive field of employment. Though she had the opportunity of making amends, however, she chose otherwise. As a consequence, she lost whatever she was protecting – her job and her reputation. A lie is a betrayal of the employer’s trust. Therefore, irrespective of the reasons behind the falsehood, the punishment thereafter is justified.

At the beginning of Miss Jones’ career in 1978, there was no requirement for a degree for her to manager administration affairs. In later years, she was promoted due to her exemplary performance. However, MIT did not conduct a further background check on her qualifications. Besides, Miss Jones did not reveal any discrepancies from her initial resume in her subsequent application to head the admissions office. Ethically, MIT had a moral backing to ask for her resignation due to a number of