Ethical Delimma
Ethical Delimma
Ethical Delimma
immoral act. Employees must deal with pressures to perform and help the company succeed as
well as deal with personal temptations to take the easy way out.Ma.
Ethical
dilemma
Introduction
1. Recognize there is an issue.
2. Identify the problem and who is involved.
3. Consider the relevant facts, laws and principles.
4. Analyze and determine possible courses of action.
5. Implement the solution.
6. Evaluate and follow up.
Honestly there are more than three of such a contra virtual subject.
Choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
Different courses of action possible.
Involves value judgments about actions or consequences.
Data will not help resolve issue.
More items...
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Feb 11, 2015
Ethical dilemmas may occur because of conflicting values between two or more people in an
organization. One manager may value product quality over quantity while another manager may
value thriftiness. ... Without a culture of shared values, the least ethical choice may be
approved.
Related Articles
In a perfect world, businesses and their employees would always do the right thing.
Unfortunately, in the real world, ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the
moral and an immoral act. Employees must deal with pressures to perform and help the
company succeed as well as deal with personal temptations to take the easy way out. In
the end, workers will likely face many dilemmas in their careers; companies should
provide training and information to assist them in making the right decision.
Pressure from Management
Each company's culture is different, but some companies stress profits and results
above all else. In these environments, management may turn a blind eye to ethical
breaches if a worker produces results, given the firm's mentality of "the end justifies the
means." Whistle-blowers may be reluctant to come forward for fear of being regarded
as untrustworthy and not a team player. Therefore, ethical dilemmas can arise when
people feel pressured to do immoral things to please their bosses or when they feel that
Examples from the business world are legion. Enron's management aggressively
steered its employees and consultants towards a misleading form of accounting that
greatly inflated company profits. Wells Fargo pressured account executives to open
bogus accounts and services for customers who never requested them. GMAC
Mortgage, along with other financial firms, were fined millions of dollars for
"robosigning", a practice that had mortgages approved without the careful review
Individual workers may be under financial pressure or simply hunger for recognition. If
they can't get the rewards they seek through accepted channels, they may be
Though diversity is an important part of business, some people may not be comfortable
with people from different backgrounds and possibly be reluctant to treat them fairly.
This kind of discrimination is not only unethical but illegal and still remains common.
While these factors can cause ethical dilemmas for workers within their own companies,
doing business with other firms can also present opportunities for breaches. Pressure to
get the very best deal or price from another business can cause some workers to
negotiate in bad faith or lie to get a concession. Negotiators may also try to bribe their
way to a good deal. While this is illegal in the U.S., it still sometimes happens; in other
nations, it is more common, and sometimes even expected, which can put negotiators
in a difficult position.
These ethical dilemmas can be difficult for workers to grapple with, especially if they
organization's best interest to provide ethical training to its employees, to help them
identify unethical behavior and give them tools with which to comply. Every company
should have an ethical policy that spells out its penalties for infractions. Moreover,
management must lead by example, showing that the company takes ethics seriously
and that violators will be punished according to the organization's policies, including
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NO HIGHLIGHTING
Disaster Management Ethics - Trainer's Guide - 1st Edition (Disaster Management Training
Programme, 104 p.)
TOPIC 2: Providing humanitarian assistance to displaced populations and refugees
(introduction...)
21. Introduction
22. Three types of ethical dilemmas
23. Ethical issues
24. More ethical issues
25. Ethical Issue #1
26. Ethical Issue #2
27. Ethical Issue #3
28. Ethical Issue #4
29. Ethical Issue #5
30. Ethical Issue #6
31. Ethical Issue #7
32. Ethical Issue #8
33. Ethical Issue #9
34. Ethical Issue #10
35. Summary
CONTINUE?
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display
Review the three types of ethical dilemmas that Ken Wilson specified in his essay.
Return to the list of ethical issues developed by participants and identify what type of
dilemma each is, according to Wilson's typology. Are there other types that should be
included in the list? Is Wilson's methodology for resolution of the dilemma feasible?
If not, why not?
Show the list of issues to participants and compare it to the list they developed. Are
there any additional issues listed?
OPTIONAL EXERCISE: Review issues from the list that have not been adequately
covered by the group. Overheads 24-33 each focus on one issue and excerpts from the
module have been inserted below to inform your review. The text of the module
provides additional background on each of the issues and may helpfully inform your
leadership of discussion on this topic.
The strategies for pressing these interests include: a thorough knowledge and active
deployment of international humanitarian and refugee law; an in-depth understanding
of the political and military agendas of the various parties (and hence the ability to see
windows of opportunity); a reputation for being trustworthy and nonpartisan; having
well-presented and highly reliable firsthand knowledge; judicious use of local and
international media; active networking to mobilize opinion and build agreements; and,
forging links with progressive organizations and social movements in the affected
region which can, in turn, put pressure on the authorities and the military.
Is it possible to arrive at common ethical standards when the ethical values motivating
different agencies vary considerably (depending on the nature and origin of the
agencies)?
Are there ethical standards that may prevent collaborative efforts between some
organizations? What might justify an uncoordinated or even uncooperative approach?
Trading rights of access to beneficiaries in return for keeping quiet about human
rights abuses
On the other hand, ethical dilemmas are extremely complicated challenges that cannot be easily
solved. Therefore, the ability to find the optimal solution for ethical dilemmas is critical to
everyone.
Every person can encounter an ethical dilemma in almost every aspect of their life, including
personal, social, and professional.
The biggest challenge of ethical dilemma is that it does not offer an obvious solution that would
comply with ethical norms. Throughout the history of humanity, people always faced ethical
dilemmas, and philosophers aimed and worked to find solutions to the problems.
Ethical dilemmas are especially significant in professional life, as they frequently occur in the
workplace. Some companies and professional organizations (e.g., CFA) adhere to their
own codes of conduct and ethical standards. Violation of the standards may lead to disciplinary
sanctions.
Almost every aspect of the business can become a possible ground for ethical dilemmas. It may
include relationships with co-workers, management, clients, and business partners.
The people’s inability to determine the optimal solution for ethical dilemmas in the professional
setting may result in serious consequences for businesses and organizations. The situation may
be common in companies that value results the most.
In order to solve ethical problems, companies and organizations should develop strict ethical
standards for their employees. Every company must demonstrate its concerns regarding the
ethical norms within the organization. In addition, companies may provide ethical training for
their employees.
More resources
CFI offers the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)™ certification program for
those looking to take their careers to the next level. To keep learning and advancing your career,
the following resources will be helpful:
Business Ethics
Top Accounting Scandals
Types of Due Diligence
Whistleblower Policy
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Societal Dilemmas
An article on ListVerse compiled a list of Top 10 moral dilemmas and asked
readers to consider what they would do in those situations. Here is an example
of one of the Top 10 ethical dilemmas they proposed:
A pregnant woman leading a group of people out of a cave on a coast is stuck in
the mouth of that cave. In a short time high tide will be upon them, and unless
she is unstuck, they will all be drowned except the woman, whose head is out of
the cave. Fortunately, (or unfortunately,) someone has with him a stick of
dynamite. There seems no way to get the pregnant woman loose without using
the dynamite which will inevitably kill her; but if they do not use it everyone will
drown. What should they do?
The Institute for Global Ethics also proposed the following ethical dilemma to
promote a global understanding of ethics and to promote ethical decision
making:
The mood at Baileyville High School is tense with anticipation. For the first time
in many, many years, the varsity basketball team has made it to the state
semifinals. The community is excited too, and everyone is making plans to
attend the big event next Saturday night.Jeff, the varsity coach, has been
waiting for years to field such a team. Speed, teamwork, balance: they've got it
all. Only one more week to practice, he tells his team, and not a rule can be
broken. Everyone must be at practice each night at the regularly scheduled
time: No Exceptions.Brad and Mike are two of the team's starters. From their
perspective, they're indispensable to the team, the guys who will bring victory
to Baileyville. They decide-why, no one will ever know-to show up an hour late to
the next day's practice.
Jeff is furious. They have deliberately disobeyed his orders. The rule says they
should be suspended for one full week. If he follows the rule, Brad and Mike will
not play in the semifinals. But the whole team is depending on them. What
should he do?
Information Access
The advent of email in the business world surely has created new ground for
moral dilemmas involving information access and privacy.
Tony, a data analyst for a major casino, is working after normal business hours
to finish an important project. He realizes that he is missing data that had been
sent to his coworker Robert.Tony had inadvertently observed Robert typing his
password several days ago and decides to log into Robert's computer and
resend the data to himself. Upon doing so, Tony sees an open email regarding
gambling bets Robert placed over the last several days with a local sports book.
All employees of the casino are forbidden to engage in gambling activities to
avoid any hint of conflict of interest.
Tony knows he should report this but would have to admit to violating the
company's information technology regulations by logging into Robert's
computer. If he warns Robert to stop his betting, he would also have to reveal
the source of his information. What does Tony do in this situation?
Alan's daughter seems very happy in her school and he cannot violate patient
confidentiality by informing the school of a teacher's mental illness but he is not
comfortable with a potentially unstable person in a position of influence and
supervision over his eight year old daughter. Can Alan reconcile these issues in
an ethical manner?
Branches of Ethics
You can study ethics from both a religious and a philosophical point of view.
There are five branches of ethics:
Normative Ethics - The largest branch, it deals with how individuals can
figure out the correct moral action that they should take. Philosophers such
as Socrates and John Stuart Mill are included in this branch of ethics.
Meta-Ethics - This branch seeks to understand the nature of ethical
properties and judgments such as if truth values can be found and the
theory behind moral principals.
Applied Ethics - This is the study of applying theories from philosophers
regarding ethics in everyday life. For example, this area of ethics asks
questions such as "Is it right to have an abortion?" and "Should you turn in
your friend at your workplace for taking home office supplies?"
Moral Ethics - This branch questions how individuals develop their
morality, why certain aspects of morality differ between cultures and why
certain aspects of morality are generally universal.
Descriptive Ethics - This branch is more scientific in its approach and
focuses on how juman beings actually operate in the real world, rather than
attempt to theorize about how they should operate.
Knowing how to best resolve difficult moral and ethical dilemmas is never easy
especially when any choice violates the societal and ethical standards by which
we have been taught to govern our lives.
Legal Test
Is there a law being broken? If yes, the issue is of
disobedience with enforceable laws, as opposed to the
unenforceable principles of a moral code. If it is legal,
there are three more tests to decide whether it is right
or wrong.
Stench Test
Does the course of action have the stench of corruption?
This is a test of your instincts and determines the level
of morality on a psychological level.
Front Page Test
How would you feel if your action showed up on the
front page of the newspaper the next day? Most people
would never do certain things if there was a chance that
other people would find out about it. This is a test of
your social morals.
Mom Test
This test involves asking oneself, ‘What would mom
think if she knew about this?’ When you put yourself in
the shoes of another person (who cares deeply about
you), you get a better idea of what you’re doing.
These are the basic tests to find out if what you’re doing
is right or wrong. However, you often face situations
where you find yourself in a conflict between
two right things.
What is an ethical dilemma?
An ethical dilemma is a conflict between alternatives,
where choosing any of them will lead to a compromise
of some ethical principle and lead to an ethical violation.
A crucial feature of an ethical dilemma is that the
person faced with it should do both the conflicting acts,
based on a strong ethical compass, but cannot; he may
only choose one.
Not choosing one is the condition that allows the
person to choose the other. Thus, the same act is both
required and forbidden at the same time. He is
condemned to an ethical failure, meaning that no matter
what he does, he will do something wrong.
Ends Based
The utilitarian approach or the ends-based approach
says that the actions are ethically right or wrong
depending on their effects. It argues that the most
ethical choice is the one that does the greatest good for
the greatest number.
Rules Based
This approach rests on the belief that rules exist for a
purpose and must therefore be followed. Basically, stick
to the rules and principles and don’t worry about the
result!
Care Based
This approach puts love for others first. It is most
associated with ‘Do unto others as you would have them
do unto you’.
48
Owlcation»
Humanities»
Philosophy
A Summary of the Terms and
Types of Ethical Theories
Updated on September 6, 2012
Evie Lopez
more
Contact Author
Do you have an Ethics class you need to take as a prerequisite or an elective? Here’s a summary
of the terms, types, and critiques of ethical series that may help you successfully pass the course.
First, we need to define ethics. What is ethics? Ethics is a branch of philosophy addressing
questions about morality.
Ethics is divided into two different ways of looking at the morality of humanity. They
are Consequential and Non-Consequential.
CONSEQUENTIAL ETHICS
In Consequential Ethics, the outcomes determine the morality of the act. What make the act
wrong are the consequences. It says, it will be legitimate to lie in order to get out of a serious
problem, such as to save a persons life. In other words a white lie is fine. So the essence of
morality is determined by the result or outcome of the act.
-vs-
Non-Consequential
Non-consequential ethics says morality is determined by higher authority, some sense of duty,
the nature of the thing, love, virtue involved, the right thing to do, or intuition. The source of
morality comes before the act is done.
1. Intuitionism- Intuitionism says, each person has an in-built sense of right/wrong, a gut
feeling, a hunch, and impulse.
Critique:
Intuition varies from person to person
Intuition lacks solid evidence
Assumptions and values:
It assumes that each person is sovereign in making decisions. For example, “it’s my
decision; mine alone, my sense of right or wrong.
The values are caring, giving, love, support, and justice but it is interpreted according to
the assumption behind it. In other words, why do I care about you? Because it’s in my self-
interest to care about you, not because you’re a human being.
2. Natural Law Ethics- Natural Law ethics says, respect your natural inclinations.
It says, the universe is governed by rational thinking. There’s an orderly way of things.
It may or may not include God. There’s just some order behind this.
Humans are governed by natural inclinations (natural law). According to ancient
philosophers, we’re driven by these basic inclinations:
- Respect/ Preserve life
- Propagate human species (family)
- Search for truth (we want to know the truth)
- Have a peaceful society (we can’t live in chaotic social environment)
Ancient philosophers say we have the inclinations that are governed by the following
hierarchy of laws:
- Eternal – Grand Plan
- Natural – Human conduct
- Moral – Human conduct (it governs the conduct)
- Physical – Sciences (our community, our government)
- Civil – Practical (our community, our government)
Thomas Aquinas says God is behind this eternal plan. However, the ancient laws say
there is something orderly in the universe. Thomas Aquinas gave it a religious twist, he said
we have a moral obligation to the natural law.
Critique:
Positive view of Human. We are rational individuals. We need a rational, stable
relationship, regardless of what’s right or wrong, or what social impact our behavior has on
others.
Discounts human feelings, a natural law (rational is in control).
Aristotle and Plato
3. Virtue/Character Ethics
Aristotle
A great deal of our western culture is based on the virtue/character ethics ideal.
It says, everything has a purpose and function.
- the ultimate human goal is self-realization, achieve your natural purpose, or human nature by
living consistent with your nature.
It asks, what is the moral decision based on? What kind of person (character) should I be
become?
It says, cultivate virtues/character traits or habits. In short, morality is a learned behavior.
It also says, virtues are learned by…
- Imitation. At first, as a young child. For example, a child learns by imitating or we imitate
others (i.e. teachers, leaders, etc.), and gradually we…
- Internalize the best way to act, not because we have to do it or because someone says you have
to do it, but because it’s the right thing to do. Then you…
- Practice, and it becomes habitual. A virtue (love, care, give, bear, just) is a habitual way of
acting consistent with your purposes or the purpose of the nature of the thing you’re involved
with.
How would you define virtuous? Virtue is the “mean” between excess and defect (Golden
Mean or Golden Rule).
The examples below come straight from Aristotle. For example, in the social setting, in a
dangerous situation the excess way to act would be rash, the virtuous (means) way to act is
with courage, and the defect would be to act with cowardice.
Obsequious (too
Social Relations Friendly Rude
friendly)