In a previous position, my boss wanted me to exaggerate data. When I told her I was uncomfortable with that, she told me to just do as I was told. So I did. I did keep printed emails from her in case I ever got thrown under the bus for anything and then eventually left the position. I'm just wondering how others would have handled a situation like that.
Boss asked me to exaggerate data
- Thread starter BeMD13
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I suppose it depends on what the implications of exaggerating this data would be vs. how much I needed to keep that job. Was this for scientific research? How much did she want to exaggerate the data?
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Exaggerating any data big or small is a serious no no. Even the smallest exaggerations or change could still make a huge effect down the line....
How recent was this OP?
How recent was this OP?
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I'm confused, why would your boss want students to get extended time on tests? Did she actually believe the have some sort of disability or was she trying to game the system?
It was to game the system. Longer time meant higher scores. Higher scores meant a better reputation for her school.
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I feel like this would be a good MMI question. Like on one hand, lying to give your students more time on a standardized test is unethical, but on the other hand this could be a public school whose funding is tied to these test scores, and the net benefit of having more resources at the school for the students could outweigh the initial lie.
That's a good point and I wish that had been the situation. It was one if the wealthiest schools in the district though and she liked getting her top school award every year. I just wonder if there was a better way I could've handled it. I guess the only other option would've been to be a major whistleblower. I didn't want to do that either.
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Hrm well I certainly don't envy you, that sounds like a terrible place to be in. I suppose if there were some way to anonymously report it to the district I might have done that, but honestly I can't say for sure that I would have. It's a shame that you're boss' ego was so fragile that she felt needed to put her (and your) career at risk for an award.
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It'll probably always gnaw at you a little bit, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It made you aware. Aware that unethical behavior happens at every level, that it won't always be abundantly clear what you should do next, and that you'll likely be faced with unethical behavior in one form or another in the future. Plenty of people don't encounter this sort of situation until much later. Makes sense that you lost some sleep over it, but if nothing else, it'll make you a better physician down the line.
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It was unethical and you know it. You knew it at the time but were in a tough position. Furthermore, she made you do the lying so she could, if needed, throw you under the bus if the lie were ever discovered. Welcome to the sleazy side of academia...
@rilte4 is right. You were put in a tough position and you made a choice. You're not happy with it now, and I don't blame you. But who's to say how the opposite choice would have turned out? Give it some thought now though, and rethink your actions with your 20/20 hindsight in mind. You will be put in similar situations in the future and some serious thought now might better prepare you for when the next time arises. There are many more possible actions than either complying or whistle-blowing - those are binary extremes. There's usually a middle course that can be navigated --
This could be fudging data. I personally would not have gotten involved. This could even be illegal. I would have left the position.
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Easy for you to say if you are not supporting yourself. If the OP needed the pay check to keep a roof over her head or was doing this as part of the requirements for graduation (e.g. as part of student teaching), it would be difficult to leave without first lining up another position, something that is not easily done in education in mid-year.
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I once worked for a person whose ethics were not as high as I believe they should have been. However, he was among the top 5-10 most powerful and influential people in my field at the time, and had no patience for having his more questionable decisions questioned. Fancy language and tap-dancing kept things inside the line for a little while, but eventually, a colleague and I were both cornered into (two different) 'lie or leave' positions. We thought that together, we would have enough credibility to warrant a "course correction" by going to the very top guy -- but no deal. Money is money, and the big boss was now put into the uncomfortable position of losing his credible deniability. Our boss's ethical 'flexibility' was an open secret anyway. My colleague and I both started job searches within a day or two of blowing the whistle and both left within weeks.
Bottom line -- It's easy to say what you would do when you're full of bravado and light on fiscal responsibilities. After all, more often than not, ethical dilemmas do involve various shades of grey... It helps to fine-tune your own moral compass, to refine some non-committal responses to give yourself time and breathing room, and to mentally rehearse some conversations that allow the other party to take an alternate course while also saving face. Skillful manipulations --
