Did Wilson Mutambara act wrongly? Explain why or why not. Assess each of the arg
ID: 470727 • Letter: D
Question
Did Wilson Mutambara act wrongly? Explain why or why not. Assess each of the arguments he gives in his own defense. What other courses of action were open to him? What would you have done in his place? (At least 500 word reply)
Please make sure to assess each of arguments seprarly that why Wilson or the NewCom’s were wrong or right. I need a complete answer with a strong support for each part of this question, thus, please read the question carefully and answer all the parts ony by one. Please provide the answer without grammatical errors. I submitted the same question two times and both tutors provided wrong answrs with full of grammatical mistakes. In this case action of Wilson is wrong even though he wants to support his relatives educational life. The business has some rules and all the employees should obey them. Please answer the question by considering this fact. Thank you
Please read the below case to answer this question:
“The Housing Allowance”
Wilson Mutambara Grew up in the Slums outside Stanley, capital of the sub-Saharan African country of Rambia.72 Through talent, hard work, and luck he made it through secondary school and won a scholarship to study in the United States. He eventually received an MBA and went to work for NewCom, a cellular telephone service. After three years in the company’s Atlanta office, Wilson was given an opportunity to return to Rambia, where NewCom was setting up a local cellular service. Eager to be home, Wilson Mutambara couldn’t say yes fast enough.
NewCom provides its employees in Rambia with a monthly allowance of up to $2,000 for rent, utilities, and servants. By Western standards, most of the housing in Stanley is poor qual- ity, and many of its neighborhoods are unsafe. By providing the allowance, NewCom’s intention is to see that its employees live in areas that are safe and convenient and that they live in a style that is appropriate to the company’s image.
To claim their housing allowance, NewCom’s employees in Rambia are supposed to turn in receipts, and every month Wilson Mutambara turned in an itemized statement for $2,000 from his landlord. Nobody at NewCom thought it was unusual that Wilson never entertained his coworkers at home. After all, he worked long hours and traveled frequently on business. However, after Wilson had been in Rambia for about fifteen months, one of his coworkers, Dale Garman, was chatting with a Rambian customer, who referred in passing to Wilson as a per- son living in Old Town. Garman knew Old Town was one of the slums outside Stanley, but he kept his surprise to himself and decided not to mention this information to anyone else until he could independently confirm it. This wasn’t difficult for him to do. Wilson was indeed living in Old Town in the home of some relatives. The house itself couldn’t have rented for more than $300, even if Wilson had the whole place to himself, which he clearly didn’t. Dale reported what he had learned to Wilson’s supervisor, Barbara Weston.
When Weston confronted him about the matter, Wilson admitted that the place did rent for a “little less” than $2,000, but he vigorously defended his action this way: “Every other NewCom employee in Rambia receives $2,000 a month. If I live economically, why should I be penalized? I should receive the same as everyone else.” In response, Weston pointed out that NewCom wanted to guarantee that its employees had safe, high-quality housing that was in keeping with the image that the company wanted to project. Wilson’s housing arrange- ments were “unseemly,” she said, and not in keeping with his professional standing. Moreover, they reflected poorly on the company. To this, Wilson Mutambara retorted: “I’m not just a NewCom employee; I’m also a Rambian. It’s not unsafe for me to live in this neighborhood, and it’s insulting to be told that the area I grew up in is ‘unseemly’ or inappropriate for a company employee.”
Barbara Weston pointed out that the monthly receipts he submitted had been falsified. “Yes,” he admitted, “but that’s common practice in Rambia. Nobody thinks twice about it.” However, she pressed the point, arguing that he had a duty to NewCom, which he had violated. As the discussion continued, Mutambara became less confident and more and more distraught. Finally, on the verge of tears, he pleaded, “Barbara, you just don’t understand what’s expected of me as a Rambian or the pressure I’m under. I save every penny I have to pay school fees for eight nieces and nephews. I owe it to my family to try to give those children the same chance I had. My relatives would never understand my living in a big house instead of helping them. I’m just doing what I have to do.”
Explanation / Answer
Yes,In my opinion Wilson Mutambara acted wrongly.Because Newcom paid him the allowance to live a good standard of life which will suit the image of the company as well as his position in the company and this is a part of the company policy which Wilson, as an employee, should obey and comply to.
The argument given by Wilson on his defence that he is under pressure as a Rambian to support his relatives' educational life is not justified because this is his personal obligation and he should not mix it with his professional obligations.Moreover,the means through which he was fulfilling his personal obligation was not ethical.It is unethical of him to recieve the $2000 allowence from the company when he is actually living in a house which rent less than that.
Another argument he made in his defence was that it is not unsafe for him to live in this neighbourhood and it's insulting to be told that the area he grew up in is inappropriate for a company employee.This argument is justified on his part as he is emotionally attached to this area whe he was brought up but he also had certain duties towards his company as to maintain its image,which he has violated.
Another argument made by Wilson was that he should recieve a $2000 allowance every month like all other Newcom employees and he should not be panalised for living economically.This argument was also not justified because in order to be entitled to the house allowance he actually should live in a house that costs that much and suits the company standard.
To wilson's defences Weston's reactions were right that the company wanted its employee to live in a safe and high quality housing keeping in mind the image of the company and as an employee Wilson should comply to it.
Instead of falsifying the monthly receipts to fulfill his personal needs Wilson would have alternatively cut down some of his other day to day expenses and try to save more and more on his salary.
If I were in his place I would move to a better place which suits the image that the company wants to project and which also suits my position in the company understanding my duties and obligations which i have towards my company