REPORT

The Importance of Ethical Decision Making

WGU Toy Company

A decision with ethical concerns is significant and comes with greater consequences than ordinary, everyday decisions. Key to ethical decision making throughout the organization is providing a written code of ethics for your business. By having a written code of ethics the importance and value of knowing right from wrong behavior is emphasized. This provides an atmosphere where moral values and principles are a priority. Instead of having employees unsure about making decisions, these written ethical principles deliver guidelines to maintain consistent and appropriate decisions. Having a code sets the tone and drives expectation for its use. It makes it clear that your company wants you to make the ethical choice, and they will support and defend you when you do.

Another key to ethical decision making is training. This integrates the ethics code into the workplace. “These should be embedded as part of the culture in the organization” (Abdullah, 2013). Providing employees with tools for critical thinking and good decision making empowers employees from the very start. Training creates recognition for ethical issues and provides guidance for finding and making an ethical choice. It prepares employees for forward thinking to handle unanticipated situations and face new problems. It reinforces the significance of every employee’s responsibility to uphold the company’s principles. It gives the employee a chance to ask questions and have full understanding of the ethics code. It can be provided through a number of methods to meet varied learning styles. For example, visual learners may prefer newsletters and handbooks while a kinesthetic learner might prefer role play. Training gives an opportunity to stress the importance of keeping ethics in mind in every aspect of the job.

Benefits of