...On January 13th the Costa Concordia ran aground off the Tuscan coast. The news agencies have reported that Captain Francesco Schettino ran aground while attempting to pass near the islands so that a member of the crew could waive to his family on shore. The Captain made the situation worse when he abandoned ship while passengers were still on board fighting for their lives. The entire world is left wondering what in the world was this guy thinking. Captain Schettino obviously made a few bad decisions and acted unethically but he is not alone (Walford, 2012). You simply need to open the paper to find dozens of other seemingly capable people making horrible decisions. This paper will explore the common characteristics of poor decision making, resisting requests to act unethically, and the way to lead ethically. Common Characteristics of Poor Decision Making There are three common characteristics of poor decision making. They are failing to remember goals, overconfidence, and complexity of the issues. “Failing to remember goals or focusing on the wrong goals leads to poor decision making” (Mallor, Barnes, Bower & Langvardt, 2010). An example of a business focusing on the wrong goals is the railroad industry. At one time the industry dominated transcontinental transportation in the United States. The railroad industry focused on being in the railroad business rather than the transportation industry. Had it focused on meeting the transportation needs of its customers it would...
Words: 1072 - Pages: 5
...Module Three Questions Segment One: Teen Pregnancy 1. If this was your client, what would you say and do? Be specific. Why would you respond this way? The first thing I would do is remind the client of the rules of confidentiality to maintain a level of trust. Then I would review the situation with her and ask her what would it take for her to be able to discuss the pregnancy with her parents. Provide assistance by asking the client if I could call a meeting with her and her parents and give her an opportunity to tell them in a safe environment what is going on. I would also try to find out who it is in her life that she does trust and who she could tell, maybe a favorite aunt or uncle or maybe a trusted teacher or parent of a friend who could help her inform her parents. I would encourage her to tell her parents mainly because eventually there will be no way of hiding the fact that she is pregnant and that it may be best for her to tell them instead of waiting and have them find out through rumours or by someone else. I would respond this way because if I went to her parents it would be breaking confidentiality and it would destroy any level of trust that had been developed between the client and myself. 2. What is an Informed Consent Form and why is it important? What would you include on your own Informed Consent Form regarding confidentiality? Why? Informed consent is a legal procedure to ensure that a client is fully aware of all the costs and...
Words: 4062 - Pages: 17
...Ethics in Action Lisa O’Connor Legal Environment BUS670 Anthony Patete September 24, 2012 Ethics in Action Ethics today plays a big part of everything we do socially, individually and the business we work for. Understanding the common characteristics of poor decision making, how to resist making unethical decision and leading the way ethically are great tools we can use to achieve ethical decision in all aspects of our lives. Common Characteristics of Poor Decision Making “Man’s most enduring stupidity is forgetting what he is trying to do” (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, & Langvardt, 2010 p. 115). Failing to remember goals is the first characteristic that needs to be addressed when discussing poor decision making. In many scenarios the end goal is the driving force to making good decisions. The problem is in most cases the end goal is lost in the journey to the destination. The company I work for recently decided to bring SAP ERP software onboard to all our sectors. The goal was to become more competitive in the aerospace industry and to harmonize the sites to common practices. The problem we encountered was each site was very different with business practices and by trying to harmonize all the business sectors to do the same procedures we wound up spending more money and creating inefficiencies across the sites. Instead of making us more competitive it cost us more to do the same jobs. We lost sight of the end goal of becoming...
Words: 1170 - Pages: 5
...This case study features John, a CFO of a startup company. He reports to the recently hired CEO, Ralph. They work at a small tech startup company that is funded through venture capital. There is a great deal of pressure being placed on John to produce successful results as only 10% of startups actually succeed (Patel, 2015). Ralph has asked John to record the revenue of an impending sale to reflect on this quarter’s financial statement, which will be prepared in a few days time. John is hesitant about recording unrealized revenue because it does not follow standard financial reporting guidelines. Ralph insists though, because the next round of funding in coming up as well and would make the company appear more attractive to the investors. Using the five ethical tests: The Utilitarian Approach, The Rights Approach, The Justice Approach, The Common Good Approach, and The Virtue Approach, I will demonstrate the ways in which this case is unethical and show that John should not recognize the revenue until the sale is complete. The first test we will examine for this case is the Utilitarian Approach. We begin by asking if everyone involved benefits more than they suffer from inflating the revenue. In the short term, everyone in the company could benefit from John’s decision to add the potential sale as revenue because it would appear that the company was more financially successful. This fact alone could permit the second round of venture funding to be accessed. The CFO...
Words: 1035 - Pages: 5
...Comparing and Contrasting the Code of Ethics Aquila' Mahdi Counseling 501 Liberty University February 26, 2012 Dr. S. Sadik Abstract This paper will attempt to examine the code of ethics from the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). It will take a look at the differences and similarities shared between the two organizations, respectfully. It will examine confidentiality, dual roles and sexual intimacies. Comparing and Contrasting the Code of Ethics This paper will attempt to examine the code of ethics from the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). It will take a look at the differences and similarities shared between the two organizations, respectfully. It will examine confidentiality, dual roles and sexual intimacies. Establishing trust between the client and therapist is crucial in developing a relationship within the therapeutic structure. In the role of counselor, it is imperative that confidential information shared by the client isn’t divulged outside of the confines of therapy unless the client has given the therapist permission to do so. The only exception in which a therapist can break the client-therapist confidentiality is within the context of the law. It is important for a therapist to discuss confidentiality and its limitations within the initial consult of therapy. When counseling a family or more than one person during a...
Words: 1272 - Pages: 6
...1 Macro Trends Brian Howard BUS620 Robert Tielman June 17, 2012 2 In the US, the number of health problems and a general concern for living a healthy lifestyle have resulted in the growth of reduced fat products and nutritional products in the US foodservice industry. The foodservice industry grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2 percent from 2006 to 2011 and is expect to grow at a rate of 1.9 percent until 2016. The macro trends, such as employment and Gross Domestic Product growth in the economy, are expected to remain strong on account of lower inflation figures and improving employment figures in the country. As a result of economic uncertainty, US consumers are evaluating their spending and value buying is becoming a major driver in the US foodservice industry. Consumers are not only considering price as a key facet of value, but also considering quality, taste, and convenience as aspects of value buying...
Words: 784 - Pages: 4
...University of Phoenix Material Ethical Actions Worksheet Write a 100- to 150-word response to each of the following questions: Was there anything in either the University Of Phoenix Student Code Of Conduct or the Student Code of Academic Integrity that surprised you? If so, what was it? Why were you surprised? If not, why not? Actually, everything listed in the Student Code of Conduct and the Student Code of Academic Integrity seemed normal to me. There was one thing though. In the testing, one of the questions gave an example that a student brought a knife in his lunch. I understand how a knife can be used as a weapon however; I don’t think that should count as breaking the rules. If the student actually wanted to harm someone, I do not believe the weapon would be with his lunch. And in that case, would a butter knife be considered a weapon? You can do more damage to someone with a text book or pencil than you could with a butter knife. What did you learn about the behaviors considered important for an ethical learner or student in the University of Phoenix learning community? I learned quiet a lot in the behaviors portion. I have always said “It is your life, live it the way you want.” Well I never thought that if, for example, my roommate was drinking and throwing parties every night it would affect me studying or completing my work. Vis versa also! You have to take into question how your actions are going to affect the people around you. If you study constantly...
Words: 459 - Pages: 2
...Associate Level Material Appendix G Ethical Actions Worksheet Was there anything in either the University Of Phoenix Student Code Of Conduct or the Student Code of Academic Integrity that surprised you? If so, what was it? Why were you surprised? If not, why not? * * There wasn’t anything in either handbook that took me by surprise. From the readings this is every day practices if you are a person with any kind of ethics, morals or values. You should take pride in yourself, and your school. In everyday life we all have rules and regulations that one must follow; I don’t see the student code of conduct materials any different from any other rule that needs to be followed. Over time, ethical leadership shapes a culture that governs itself according to shared values. These codes of conduct, academic integrities, and rules must be in place for community structure. Without these rules in place there would be no order on or off school campus. We are all adults and must act as such we should not need anyone to tell us how we should or should not act. * * * What did you learn about the behaviors considered important for an ethical learner or student in the University of Phoenix learning community? * Sensibility is a very important behavior for a student at the University of Phoenix. A student may get upset about something written but there sensibility will keep them from making an issue of it, and just from reading a few of the post on phoenix...
Words: 491 - Pages: 2
...Runaway Ethics: Determining Preferred Courses of Action Through Ethical Analysis of the 2009 Toyota Motor Company Automobile Recall In September 2009, Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota issued a recall of 3.8 million vehicles due to “unintended acceleration” that was believed to be caused by loose floor mats becoming lodged under the gas pedal due to a design flaw in the pedal layout. Since the initial recall, which affected seven models ranging from 2004 to 2010, more details have emerged. Instances of surges in acceleration in Toyota vehicles have been investigated by the NHTSA on six separate occasions since 2003 and over two thousand owners have claimed to experience the phenomenon. Consumer Reports examined cases of unintended acceleration surges in the United States for 2008 and forty-one percent of all instances involved Toyota vehicles. Most tragically, sixteen people have been killed in accidents resulting from unintended acceleration in Toyotas and over two hundred-forty have been injured. As a short-term fix, Toyota brand dealers began removing floor mats or fastening them to the floor pan in order to prevent lodging under the accelerator. More recently, dealerships have begun reshaping or shortening accelerator pedals until replacements become available for installation. However, some consumer groups have criticized Toyota’s sluggish and secretive response, and a national class-action lawsuit has been filed against Toyota alleging that the floor mats...
Words: 2062 - Pages: 9
...corporate managers. Unethical practices are actions taken by employees that disobey professionals’ code of ethics. Body As we all know, most of corporate scandals come from three elements: unethical practices, poor internal controls and dysfunctional behaviours of corporate managers. Unethical practices are actions taken by employees that disobey professionals’ code of ethics. Body As we all know, most of corporate scandals come from three elements: unethical practices, poor internal controls and dysfunctional behaviours of corporate managers. Unethical practices are actions taken by employees that disobey professionals’ code of ethics. Body As we all know, most of corporate scandals come from three elements: unethical practices, poor internal controls and dysfunctional behaviours of corporate managers. Unethical practices are actions taken by employees that disobey professionals’ code of ethics. Body As we all know, most of corporate scandals come from three elements: unethical practices, poor internal controls and dysfunctional behaviours of corporate managers. Unethical practices are actions taken by employees that disobey professionals’ code of ethics. Body As we all know, most of corporate scandals come from three elements: unethical practices, poor internal controls and dysfunctional behaviours of corporate managers. Unethical practices are actions taken by employees that disobey professionals’ code of ethics. Body As we all know, most of corporate...
Words: 1481 - Pages: 6
...Under this form of ethics you can't justify an action by showing that it produced good consequences, which is why it's sometimes called 'non-Consequentialist'. The word 'deontological' comes from the Greek word deon, which means 'duty'. Duty-based ethics are usually what people are talking about when they refer to 'the principle of the thing'. Duty-based ethics teaches that some acts are right or wrong because of the sorts of things they are, and people have a duty to act accordingly, regardless of the good or bad consequences that may be produced. Some kinds of action are wrong or right in themselves, regardless of the consequences. Deontologists live in a universe of moral rules, such as: It is wrong to kill innocent people It is wrong to steal It is wrong to tell lies It is right to keep promises Someone who follows Duty-based ethics should do the right thing, even if that produces more harm (or less good) than doing the wrong thing: People have a duty to do the right thing, even if it produces a bad result. So, for example, the philosopher Kant thought that it would be wrong to tell a lie in order to save a friend from a murderer. If we compare Deontologists with Consequentialists we can see that Consequentialists begin by considering what things are good, and identify 'right' actions as the ones that produce the maximum of those good things. Deontologists appear to do it the other way around; they first consider what actions are 'right' and proceed...
Words: 5289 - Pages: 22
...Ethics is a set of moral principles; a theory or system of moral values. Normative ethics is an ethical system with standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. This ethical system can be broken down into three categories: virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, and deontological ethics. Normative ethics' golden rule is to do unto others what we want others to do to us. This establishes a single principle against which we judge all actions. The study and application of ethics has created a variety of approaches to the basic questions of what should I do?, what do i value?, and why do I value that? The purpose of this paper is to discuss the similarities and differences between virtue ethics, utilitarian ethics, and deontological ethics both morally and ethically. Virtue ethics is the character of a moral agent as a driving force for ethical behavior. For example, a person using the virtue approach would focus less on lying in a particular situation and instead consider the decision to tell a lie or not to tell a lie. Virtue ethics places less emphasis on learning rules, and instead stresses the importance of developing good habits of character. Utilitarian ethics is a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain or the greatest happiness of the greatest number. For example, a utilitarian approach implies that no moral act like stealing, or a rule like keeping your promise, is in intrinsically right or wrong. The rightness or wrongness...
Words: 560 - Pages: 3
...Ethics Essay Ethics, according to dictionary.com, is the branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions. Or as the textbook states, ethics is the science concerning the “right and wrong” of human action. This paper will be discussing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. There will be a description of the differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality. It will contain a personal experience to help explain the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the three theories. The three main views of the normative ethics theory is virtue ethics, deontological ethics, and utilitarianism. Virtue ethics focuses on the virtues, or moral character, while deontological focuses on duties and rules, and utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of ones actions. Virtue ethics is called agent based or character ethics, as well. According to the textbook, when using the virtue ethics approach, one should take the viewpoint that in living their life they should try to cultivate excellence in all that they do (Boylan, 2009). Virtue ethics suggests that people should develop their character so that they will lead a good life. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism. This means that the moral worth of an action is determined...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
...Running head: Ethics Essay Ethics Essay Crystal Sircelj ETH/316-Ethics and Social Responsibility August 20, 2012 Carmela David Ethics Essay Ethics consist of concepts of right and wrong behavior. Different philosophers, such as Socrates, Aristotle, Bentham, and Kant dabbled in the theories of ethics. Virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontology deal with approaches to ethics. All three theories consist of similarities and differences as they address ethics and morality. This paper will also include a personal experience as it relates to the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as it applies to deontology. Virtue ethics is an approach to ethics where a person possesses the habits and characteristics that wills him or her to achieve excellence (Boylan, 2009). This approach differs from utilitarianism and deontology in that a person is judged morally wrong based on an action even though the person possesses characteristics to want to achieve excellence. Virtue ethics is based on morality and not on ethics. This approach does not define how one should act but on the traits necessary to achieve excellence. Utilitarianism theory is the approach where the action or decision should be what is best for the greater good of the people. This approach differs from virtue ethics and utilitarianism...
Words: 678 - Pages: 3
...Ethics Essay ETH/316 Ethics Essay Virtue theory has a definition of cultivating excellence in life and constituting an aspect of the “good person” (Boylan, 2009). Virtue theory is a theory that emphasizes that role of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than doing one’s duty or action in order to bring about good consequences. Utilitarianism according to Boylan (2009),” is a theory that suggests that an action is morally right when that action produces more total utility for the group than any other alternative and sometimes this has been shortened to the slogan, “The greatest good for the greatest number”. (p. 153). Deontological ethics, in philosophy, ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions. Deontological places a special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions (Britannica Encyclopedia, 2001). The common similarities between each ethics give the impression that they are one. Virtue ethics determine the good and bad trait of each person. Utilitarianism holds almost the same ethics values, which is to find the good in the person’s action. The Deontological ethics action is morally good because of an action, and the result of that action is good. Deontological ethics holds acts that are morally obligatory of their consequences for human actions. The difference between each ethics is that Utilitarianism is about morality...
Words: 581 - Pages: 3
