The consultant would hire small business owners to 'shop' for financial services with the company's key competitor. The mystery shoppers would be given the funds to pay for a complete financial plan, plus compensation for their efforts. In return, they would be expected to share the plan and information about the competitor's services. The consultant was concerned. Something about the request did not seem right and he was not sure whether he should accept the contract.
Phone calls to two colleagues produced two very different view.
One said he would not touch the job because it involved misrepresentation. The other saw mystery shopping as a common business practice and expressed no ethical concern. He advised acceptance of the contract because an association with the firm would be great for future business. It is a critical step in an unfolding ethical decision-making process because issue interpretation is likely to set the premises within which subsequent thought processes take place. Characteristics of the moral issue are important influences on al stages of the ethical decision-making process.