...Tonekia L. Phairr Grand Canyon University: LDR 800 Ethical Dilemmas and Stewardship 2 February 2011 Introduction Dictionary.com defined decision making as the cognitive process of reaching a decision (2011). Ethics have often been tied to moral principles. There are times when the decisions made with have ethical principles attached to them. In some industries, ethical decisions are a requirement, whereas in others ethical decisions are sometimes thought of as optional. Making decisions is an integral part of the job for a leader. He or she will sometimes face dilemmas when it comes to making certain decisions. The one thing that separates good leaders from bad leaders is how they respond to those dilemmas. Leaders will sometimes have to make a choice will have an ethical choice attached to it. There has been a lot of research about what factors contribute to making ethical decisions. In order to get idea of the types of factors that affect ethical decision making, this paper will review three studies that researched the subject matter. The first primary source is a study that reviewed the prior research in regards to the emotional influences on ethical decision making. The second primary course will go into a more specific area of study of decision making factors. It will explore the organizational variables that are considered to be factors that have led to the moral decline of companies. There was also an indication within the study that the type...
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...An Analysis of Personal Ethics and Decision Making University of Phoenix COM 526: Managerial Communication Group MIAA0CWRK6 Barbara Nagle, MA August 11, 2008 An Analysis of Personal Ethics and Decision Making I am running late to work. I have a meeting scheduled with senior management at the start of the business day to propose a new project. The project will generate new revenue for the organization. I am two blocks from the office, and the meeting starts in five minutes. As I approach an intersection, I see the traffic light change from green to yellow. Two cars in front of me pass through the traffic light while it is yellow. I know I will not be able to traverse the intersection before the traffic light changes to red. No other vehicles appear to be crossing the intersection. What do I do? What would you do? Every day one faces decisions resembling the one presented in one’s personal and professional lives. Often one has little or no time to deliberate the alternatives. How does one analyze the available choices and make a decision? What guides the decisions? – Personal ethics. Ethics can be described as a set of values that guide individual or group conduct. One’s “set of values” is derived from one’s personal experience, one’s culture, and one’s workplace (Taft, 2007). Thus, personal, cultural, and organizational values influence one’s decision making process. Types of Values Personal values originate from one’s background...
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...When discussing ethics in decision making, there are a lot of factors that go into how the decision should be made. Your own personal feelings, the position that you are in, the possible outcomes, the backlash, and basic human rights are all things that one has to consider in the decision-making process. In the situation where a highly visible privately-owned television company is receiving criticism from politicians and the pubic due to its employee's discussion of political matters on social media, a decision needs to be made to make sure that these criticisms come to an end since public opinion can have a detrimental impact on a television companies well-being. As the CEO of the company, the decision that I will have to make will affect...
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...Chapter 5 – Business Ethics and Ethical Decision Making – Summary Business ethics comprises principles and standards that guide individual and work group behavior in the world of business. Stakeholders determine these conventions, and they may change over time. The most basic of these standards have been codified as laws and regulations. Business ethics goes beyond legal issues. Because individuals and groups within a company may not have embraced the same set of values, ethical conflict may occur. Questionable decisions and actions may result in disputes that must be resolved through some type of negotiation or even litigation. Codifying ethical standards into meaningful policies that spell out what is and is not acceptable gives businesspeople an opportunity to reduce the possibility of behavior that could create legal problems. Business decisions involve complex and detailed discussions in which correctness may not be clear-cut. It is important that a shared vision of acceptable behavior develop from an organizational perspective to create consistent and reliable relationships with all concerned stakeholders. Understanding the ethical decision-making process can help individuals and businesses design strategies to prevent misconduct. Three of the important components of ethical decision making are individual factors, organizational relationships, and opportunity. Significant individual factors that affect the ethical decision-making process include personal moral...
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...Personal Ethics Development PHL/323 September 5, 2011 Lance O’Dell Personal Ethics Development The way that individuals act or make decisions is often times realted to how a person has been raised or trained. These decisions many time can cause ethical dilemmas, make a person decide what is right or wrong, and can make a significant difference in people’s lives. Ethical decisions have become a very important part of the professional workplace and also in an individual’s personal development and how they decide what to do in everyday life. For most individuals ethical decision making is a process that is started when you are young and is at time developed through a series of right and wrong decisions, a process of learning on the go. There are many people that are involved in the teaching of ethics, a person’s parents, life experiences, and professional training. There is also an ethical system that affects how people learn ethics; relativistic would be the system that I personally would follow. The ethical decisions that are made will affect personal performance and potentially the future path that is taken; this will be personally and in the workplace. Finally, ethics have become a very important part of the professional workplace, typically through training. Ethics help companies meet and achieve goals and hopefully keep them on the right path. With proper ethics training a company can help with the decision making process and influence an individual’s...
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...Personal Values Development PHL 323 Ethics in Management Workshop #1 1. Introduction. One of the most interesting developments in life is one’s innate desire to shape their personal values as it relates to ethics in management. Personal values are the deeply held beliefs of individuals and groups (i.e., organizations, communities, nations, schools, etc.) that drive the choices we make. Most people are unconscious of the values that shape our lives and institutions until they are faced with a crisis that requires a choice. High ethical standards require both organizations and individuals to conform to sound moral principles. As leaders, people must be conscious of the values they hold for themselves and those they seek to lead. Moreover, they must make choices and decisions regarding any conflict between personal values and institutionally held values. This paper will briefly describe the “values” and “ethics” by which the ground rules are laid in terms of ethics development. In addition, this paper will discuss the developmental aspect of my personal values and the criteria and decision-making factors I utilize to revise them. 2. Defining My “Values” and “Ethics.” My values are simply the things I value most in life, the things I need to be present and active in my life in order to be happy. Another way of looking at it may be that if these things were not present in my life then I would be worse off. Furthermore, values define...
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...commitment, and performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 97, 341-363.Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/821301766 The authors of this business journal explore the recent activities of today’s retail giants and how their ethical behavior affects their brand, objectives, performance and stakeholders. The authors investigate the origins of certain variables that affect the ethical values of an organization. In addition, a review is performed on how both ethics along with these variables contribute to the success of the organization with respect to quality and quantity of output. A link is established between power, ethics and commitment to productivity. Brickley, J.A., Smith , C.W. & Zimmerman, J.L. (2002). Business ethics and organizational architecture. Journal of Banking and Finance, 26 (9), 1821-1835. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4266(02)00193-0 This journal implies that there is potential for a balance between economics and business ethics in several instances. One instance is found in the presumptions of how organizational members make decisions and from what ethical foundation they are considered? In addition, the importance of the union between business ethics and organizational structure is visited considering their value to the motivation of the internal stakeholders. The journal explores another instance where there may be a balance between business ethics and economics by evaluating an organization’s brand...
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...Ethical Decision Making Introduction Implementing a framework for ethical decision making within the Toy Company should be the first step to supporting overall company adoption of core ethical business approaches. So what exactly does ethical decision making address? From the base definition, it addresses the ability of an employee to make a decision when no apparent answer is obviously right or wrong. It addresses decisions based on differing perspectives, beliefs or bias. Ethical decisions may also incorporate ethics related to obedience, general care, or reason. In relation to obedience, decisions may not solely be based on legal concerns. Ethical decisions based on obedience may also address the moral implications of the decisions outcome. Moreover, ethical decisions made with care will introduce empathy or require the ability to see things from others perspectives. Finally, ethical decisions addressed with reason permit the company to base decisions on experience to predict the most likely outcome. Suggested Strategies for Implementation Following are two suggested strategies by which the Toy Company may ensure multi-level participation into ethical decision making models. 1. Implement a Code of Ethics and integrate that code into the company's mission statement and policies. By researching, reviewing, developing, and implementing a Code of Ethics into all facets of the company the employees will have a guideline detailing the base values governing ethical considerations...
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...Ethical Decision Making Ethics are principles that define behavior as fair and proper and they are concerned with how a moral person should behave when it comes to making an ethical decision (Josephson Institute of Ethics, 2002). Evaluating and deciding among competing options is often key in making a fair choice since principles do not always dictate a single "moral" course of action. The decision of whether to lay off workers to enhance profits or to cut corners on quality to meet a deadline are examples of some choices regarding ethics business owners may face (Poznak Law Firm, 2003). The use of extremely low-wage foreign workers, like in the Nike organization case, is a current concern and the subject is a complex one. There are many valid differences of opinion regarding what constitutes ethical behavior and how ethical decisions should be made and the subject is a complex one (Poznak Law Firm, 2003). There are always pros and cons involved with any choice and the decision itself can be quite time consuming. When it comes to deciding whether or not to use cheap labor to cut costs, businesses must examine the ethics behind their decision-making processes. Four approaches that business owners commonly use to analyze ethical dilemmas are the utilitarian approach, which focuses on taking the action that will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people; the moral rights approach, which is concerned with moral principles, regardless of the consequences;...
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...Journal of Business Ethics (2007) 73:219–229 DOI 10.1007/s10551-006-9202-6 Ó Springer 2006 A Model of Ethical Decision Making: The Integration of Process and Content Roselie McDevitt Catherine Giapponi Cheryl Tromley ABSTRACT. We develop a model of ethical decision making that integrates the decision-making process and the content variables considered by individuals facing ethical dilemmas. The process described in the model is drawn from Janis and Mann’s [1977, Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict Choice and Commitment (The Free Press, New York)] work describing the decision process in an environment of conflict, choice and commitment. The model is enhanced by the inclusion of content variables derived from the ethics literature. The resulting integrated model aids in understanding the complexity of the decision process used by individuals facing ethical dilemmas and suggests variable interactions that could be field-tested. A better understanding of the process will help managers develop policies that enhance the likelihood of ethical behavior in their organizations. KEY WORDS: decision making, ethical framework, ethics, process, stress Roselie McDevitt Sc.D. is Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Dr. McDevitt teaches financial and managerial accounting. Her Primary areas of research are accounting education and accounting ethics. Catherine Giapponi is an Assistant...
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...Ethics Game Simulation Luz Del Solar MGT/216 Lurleen Evans October 2011 Ethics Game Simulation Nowadays it is very hard to manage a business with good ethics and making profitable decisions at the same time, especially in a business world where the moral, values, and ethics are acceptable only after the profit is ensure. A valuable professional would make the difference and face the situations taking in to consideration ethics first. The ethics simulation game would provide two different dilemmas that would help the students to practice their managerial skills trying to make the best ethical decisions possible. In the simulation game, two dilemmas were presented. First the laboratory communicated to Quality Management that the analysis has shown that there is contaminant in the GBS – Fibranafren, which is an ingredient used in the majority of the company products. The results from the laboratory arrived after the products were already released and after taking into consideration the facts that everything indicates that the products are contaminated. However, the contamination is bellow FDA standards, and it would only affect a limited group of people with continued use of the product. The dilemma in this case is, whether the company should warn the consumers about the contamination and what kind of information should be provided to them. In the second scenario the FDA increased the official standards and under this new regulation the contaminated...
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...the You Decide presentation, make the decision it calls for, and write your weekly paper to make your decision and explain, in the given format, your reasoning and justification for it. Your dilemma is that you have to make a painful medical decision and to explain, in writing, who benefits from what you decided, who gets denied a needed benefit, and why. The document is to be in the form of an official memorandum that will be kept for the record and could be potentially read by not only your Peer Review Committee, but also possibly those involved in charitable fundraising to support hospital development and others with financial interests in the choice made. You will see in the You Decide tab that there is time pressure in the simulated situation to make your decision, so remember that you would not have the luxury to dawdle in the decision-making process, and as the decision-maker, you would not have the luxury of consulting others. It all falls on YOU! Include in the document the utilitarian ethical philosophy of John Stuart Mill (from the lecture and audio for this week) and ONE OTHER ETHICAL PHILOSOPHER of your choice that we have studied to date, and use both of those philosophies to bolster your decision. This paper will be at least two double spaced pages but limited to three pages. Remember both professional written form and potential audience, as well as tone when writing this sensitive paper. Lecture The history of ethics is as long as education itself, and it...
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...HEALTH CARE ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Michael B. Boone Code of Ethics A Look at the American Red Cross Date: January 25, 2015 The American Red Cross has been known to be one of the most humanitarian organizations in the United States and throughout the world aiding and helping in different series of generous contributions in many disaster areas as well as bringing health care advancement to communities in the Unites States and in the world that need help in development (Dulles, 2014). For an organization it is important to make sure that their values and organizational ethics are reflected in what they do and how they do within the organization as well as the community. In order to speak about ethics it is important that we understand the definition of ethics. Ethics are the ideologies in which a person runs his or her choices. In an organization such as the Red Cross a code of ethics are the principles that guide the organization, its decision making , its programs and the way that they conduct business (Kelchner, 2010). A review of the American Red Cross Mission Statement is their basic core beliefs. It states, “The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of others” (American Red Cross, 2007). The organization was founded by Clara Barton and friends to assist in the issue of service members and their families in 1881. To this day, the Red Cross’s mission...
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...INTRODUCTION To be truly comprehensive, ethic s awareness inventory address ethics and core values play in decision-making. Our institution have become more diverse. Reexamining the values and perspective should identify how these influence so many ethical dilemmas. When working with people, it is imperative that we appreciate that each person’s intrinsic values are different. Because values are so ingrained, we are not often aware that our responses in life are, in large part, due to values, we hold and unique to our ethical decision-making. An individual’s personal values and ethics help guide decision-making. Organizational values also play a role in making decisions. Ethics awareness inventory help identify a person’s ethical perspective and how that perspective may conflict organizational values to influence decision values. Thus far how the result of individual’s awareness inventory most likely correlate to the decision –making process will be explain in the following chapter, as well as the results collaborate in the organizational decision- making. Based on Mark Travis awareness inventory result, he most likely aligned with obligation and least likely aligned equity, this core values intends to ethical perspective on obligation to do what is morally right. He believes people are the most valuable asset. This result Is aligned with Home Depot business code of conduct and ethics. “The Home Depot has strong commitment to ethics and integrity, and our core values ...
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...can be said to be inherently ethics-laden tasks because every managerial decision affects either people or the natural environment in some way—and those effects or impacts need to be taken into consideration as decisions are made. A narrower construction of the ethical role of the manager is that managers should serve only the interests of the shareholder; that is, their sole ethical task is to meet the fiduciary obligation to maximize shareholder wealth that is embedded in the law, predominantly that of the United States, although this point of view is increasingly accepted in other parts of the world. Even in this narrow view, however, although not always recognized explicitly, ethics are at the core of management practice. The ethical role of managers is broadened beyond fiduciary responsibility when consideration is given to the multiple stakeholders who constitute the organization being managed and to nature, on which human civilization depends for its survival. Business decisions affect both stakeholders and nature; therefore, a logical conclusion is that those decisions have ethical content inherently and that managerial decisions, behaviors, and actions are therefore inherently ethical in nature. Whenever there are impacts due to a decision, behavior, or action that a leader or manager makes, there are ethical aspects to that decision or situation. While some skeptics claim that business ethics is an oxymoron, the reality is that decisions and actions have consequences...
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