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Task Force
Case
15. Non-academic Settings
Situation
G.T. Research Associates is hiring part time employees for a six month
project to do telephone interviews. They were awarded this contract
because they substantially underbid two other research consulting firms
and they are eager to "get off the ground" with their new venture. They
are able to hold down their costs because they have access to a large
pool of part-time undergraduate students who have been in their classes
and who have few other job opportunities in this small community. The
wages they pay are low and they save on training costs because students
have had some beginning research training in their courses.
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Questions
1. Are the employers' wage setting practices in this
captive labor
market ethical? What are their obligations to former students and other
potential employees in ensuring fair employment practices? Would this
be different at an expensive liberal arts college compared to a
community college located in the inner city?
2. What is the likelihood that these researchers can
draw on the
semi-trained skills of their former students? DO they have an
obligation to the granting organization to ensure that they have a
sufficient employment pool? A well-trained employment pool?
Reflect on the above questions and form your
own answers before clicking the Discussion
key to review the commentary provided with this case.
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Discussion:
G.T. Research Associates, as a small business, is required to comply to
all federal and state labor laws which protect the rights of employees
and ensure fair labor practices. Although G.T. Associates may not pay
high wages or offer benefits to its employees, it must follow the
regulations related to withholding, unemployment compensation,
workmen's comp., etc. As long as G.T. Associates advertises for these
positions and students apply on other own volition, there are no
ethical violations and it cannot be argued that G.T. Associates is
"exploiting" the students. On the other hand, if the adjunct professor
who owns and operates G.T. Associates required the students to conduct
interviewing as part of their course grade (even if they were paid),
this would be an ethical violation since the students would have felt
"coerced."
As for the quality of the employment pool, G.T. Associates should have
made it clear that the employment pool consisted of students who have
already had some research training. It is still the responsibility of
G.T. Associates to guarantee the quality of the interviewers;
therefore, any additional training should be provided prior to
beginning the work. If G.T. Associates does not provide this training
and the performance of the students is poor, G.T. Associates will pay
the price in the long run. The quality of the final product is the
responsibility of G.T. Associates, not the individual students hired to
conduct the interviews. Therefore, if the product is not up to
standards, it will be difficult for G.T. Associates to grow and
prosper.
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