In an office, Neela leaves a confidential file on her desk before heading to a meeting. Neither Jamal, who works with Neela, nor Xiuying, who came to the office later for a job interview, are aware of the importance of the file. However, Laksha, the office manager, knows that the file is confidential and essential for an upcoming audit. She also knows that Neela is aware of this. Laksha steps out to grab a coffee, telling Jamal to keep an eye on the office, without mentioning the file specifically. In the meantime, Xiuying, out of curiosity, starts flipping through the file. If Neela finds out that the file has been compromised, who would she be most likely to hold responsible for this breach initially, and why?
Provide a brief response.
Neela would most likely hold Jamal responsible for the breach initially because, in her absence, he was specifically tasked by Laksha to keep an eye on the office, which implied monitoring any sensitive material present. Although Laksha did not mention the confidential file, it was her awareness of its significance and her choice to entrust Jamal with the oversight of the office that likely extended his responsibility to cover the file as well. While Neela might eventually question Laksha's decision not to specify the confidentiality of the file to Jamal, Neela's immediate response would be based on her expectation that Jamal, being her coworker and left in charge, would have the common sense to protect work-related materials, confidential or not, in her absence. Additionally, Xiuying, being an interviewee and unfamiliar with office protocols, might not have known the importance of the documents she was perusing, thereby displacing some of the immediate responsibility from her to Jamal in Neela's perspective.