Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You use whatever means are necessary to gain ownership of the land.
You decide to gain ownership of the land for your company through deceitful practices. After two more meetings with the owners, you convince them they are signing a contract that allows your company to lease the land for a period of five years. After that time, you tell them, the land will be theirs again.
A check is sent to the owners for the agreed-upon amount. Your company begins the oil exploration. A well is found, and it produces well. Your commissions on the well are sizeable, since the company owns the land. For a while, you enjoy the success your negotiations have brought to the company.
Then the five-year time period expires. The previous owners of the land think they must renegotiate the lease. They contact your company during a time when you are away from the office, and learn that they are no longer the owners of that land.
The previous owners contact a lawyer, who is more than willing to take on their case. When you return to your office, you find that a lawsuit has been filed against you and your company. Furthermore, your boss is furious about your deceitful practices.
He fires you, and you lose the lawsuit against the previous owners. You must pay the previous owners damages in the amount of $500,000. Plus, you can no longer work as a petroleum landman because your reputation for being less than ethical has spread quickly in this small field.
"Ethics and honesty are two of the most important traits a petroleum landman can have," says Debbie Langley. She is a petroleum landman. "People want to deal with honest negotiators. And in this business, there are plenty of opportunities to be dishonest. The landmen that have, and practice, ethical behaviors go a lot farther in the field."