Most companies will never be in this position though. What if you were an executive and you suddenly found yourself in a position to pocket hundreds of millions of dollars simply by firing a few employees. At the very least, that's a moral dilemma. It would be very easy to go from 'upstanding and moral' to going flat out existential in that situation. It's a scummy thing to do, but the human brain can justify a lot of crap in those types of situations.
You can always hire a relative/mistress to a no-show/do-nothing job and further dilute the option pool in your favor. It's easier on the conscience as you effectively cancel the stealing out by adding to the employment rolls.
Beware the shuffling of chairs, granting of titles, lateral promotions, unannounced appearance of new employees cutting back on company snacks. These are all clues that lead to a financial event where unless you're in the driver's seat, you're bound to take a hit.
For those of you with the altruistic bent, please watch the Spanish Prisoner. It's a classic example of fuckery.
It's only a moral dilemma if you believe pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars is a moral imperative.
If not, you have exactly two choices. One is moral, one is not. The dilemma is between your greed and your morality, not between seemingly contradictory moral imperatives.
