Final answer:
Ethical dilemmas arise when individuals in positions of authority, like managers, face situations that contradict moral principles, such as accepting bribes or engaging in quid pro quo sexual harassment, which compromise their decision-making and promote conflicts of interest.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ethical dilemmas often occur in business settings when individuals face situations that challenge their moral principles. An example of such a dilemma is when a manager takes a bribe, kickback, or an extraordinarily lavish gift in return for making a decision that favors the gift giver. This constitutes a conflict of interest and breaches ethical standards. One specific form of this unethical behavior is known as a kickback, which implies a situation where a manager or official receives payment or gifts as an exchange for preferential treatment. In another related unethical context, when a supervisor offers a work-related reward for a sexual favor, it is referred to as quid pro quo sexual harassment. Furthermore, laws concern titles and gifts, mandating that federal officials turn over gifts from foreign nations to prevent conflicts of interest.
In a mini-case study, ethical challenges arose when a project manager wanted to misrepresent data in a report to secure future funding. This presented an ethical issue for the evaluator, who felt the need to maintain the integrity of the evaluation process. Likewise, in the historical context of machine politics, favors are often exchanged for votes, leading to a system that lacks transparency and efficiency, indicative of yet another type of ethical dilemma where personal benefits are prioritized over fair and democratic processes.