Real-Life Decision Making
You work as the head of the forensic accounting department of a mid-sized accounting firm. One of the greatest challenges and frustrations of your job is the diversity of the work that you do. It ranges from investigating profit loss claims due to fire to looking into missing inventories.
One day you are approached by a potential customer inquiring whether you would do a loss of profit calculation on a business that has burned to the ground.
On the face of it, the job would be quite challenging and lucrative for your company. But the customer who approached you is rumored to be a member of the Mafia. So while the business you're working on may be above board, the owner may not be.
In forensic accounting, a reputation of honesty and integrity is absolutely necessary to your success. You may damage that reputation if word in the business world has you associated with a member of the Mafia.
So now you're faced with a decision.
You can take the interesting work and ignore the reputation of the owner, or you can turn down the work.
Remember -- you're in the business to make profits, so this decision cannot be made lightly.
What do you do?