Facebook – The Social Network

The controversy faced by the social networking website revolved around its founding members. Three Harvard University students (Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra) appointed Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook) to create a social networking website. However, Mark Zuckerberg decided to partner with another friend and created the website without informing the others. The Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra accused Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea and decided to sue him for intellectual property theft.

Analysis of issue

Several ethical issues can be identified in the scenario mentioned above. Mark Zuckerberg dishonored his work commitment to work on the website. He also violated trust by stealing a business idea for his own selfish benefit. As business professionals, it is imperative to abide by the commitment made to team members or employers. Integrity and loyalty towards one’s team is of paramount importance in any life setting. The business world is known to be competitive. In the race to succeed, every employee at some point in life faces an ethical dilemma of whether or not to step over the toes of another co-worker. However, one must hold his or her ground and display dignity, team spirit and respect. Abiding by personal/organizational ethical code of conduct will not only bring success but will also help in making the world a better place to live in.