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BMG 101 Ethics Lesson 5

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35 views

BMG 101 Ethics Lesson 5

Uploaded by

Reuben Simpamba
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Theories of Ethics

 There are several views of ethics and some of these are:


 The Utilitarianism:
 This view considers ethical behavior in terms of whether it delivers the greatest good to the greatest
number of people. It was founded by the 19th Century philosopher John Stuart Mill.
 This view tries to assess the moral implications of decisions in terms of their consequences. A manager
may make a utilitarian decision to cut 20% of a plant’s workforce in order to keep the plant profitable and
save the remaining jobs.
 The individualism :
 This is based on the belief that one’s primary commitment is long-term advancement of self-interests.
People supposedly become self-regulating as they pursue long-term individual advantage.
 For example, lying and cheating for short-term gain should not be tolerated, because if one person does it,
everyone will do it, and no one’s long-term interests will be served.
 The individualism view is supposed to promote honesty and integrity. But in organizations, it may result in
a pecuniary (economic, financial) ethic, described as the tendency to “push the law to its outer limits” and
“run roughshod over other individuals to achieve one’s objectives”.
Cont…

The Moral-rights:
 Ethical behavior under this view is that which respects and protects the fundamental rights of people. For
example to rights of all people to life, liberty and fair treatment under the law are considered inviolate.
 In organizations, this concept extends to ensuring that employees are always protected in rights to
privacy, due process, free speech, free consent, health and safety and freedom of conscience.
 The issue of human rights, a major ethical concern in the international business environment, is central to
this perspective
 The United Nations, for example, stands by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights passed by the
General Assembly in 1948.
The Justice View:
 This view of moral behavior is based on the belief that ethical decisions treat people impartially and
fairly, according to legal rules and standards.
 This view evaluates the ethical aspects of any decision on the basis of whether it is “equitable” for
everyone affected.
Cont…

 This view is further subdivided into three types:


 Procedural Justice: this involves the degree to which policies and rules are fairly
administered. For example, does a sexual harassment charge levied against a senior
executive receive the same full hearing as one made against a first level supervisor or
junior employee?
 Distributive Justice: this involves the degree to which outcomes are allocated without
respect to individual characteristics based on ethnicity, race, gender, age, or other
particularistic criteria.
 For example, does a woman with the same qualifications and experience as a man
receive the same consideration for hiring or promotion?
 International Justice: this involves the degree to which others are treated with dignity
and respect. For example, does a bank loan officer take time to fully explain to an
applicant why he/she was turned down for a loan?
Ethical Decision Making
Ethical Dilemmas.
 The real test of ethics occurs when you or anyone encounters a situation that
challenges personal ethical beliefs, values and standards.
 Often ambiguous and unexpected, these ethical challenges are inevitable and
everyone has to be prepared to deal with them, even students.
 For example, upon graduation, a student a student may get a job offer and accept
it, only to get a better offer two weeks later. Is it right for the student to renege
(break your promise or work, or go back on your word) on the first job to accept
the second?
Cont…

 A student knows that in a certain course his/her roommate submitted an


assignment paper downloaded or purchased from the internet. Is it right for
him/her not to tell the instructor or lecturer?
 One student tells another that a faculty member (lecturer) promised her/him a high
final grade in return for sexual or financial favors. Is it right for him/her not to
encourage this student to inform the lecturer’s department head?
 All these are situations that pose ethical dilemmas in the life of both individuals
and groups.
Cont…

 What are they?


 Suppose you see a person being mugged in the street. How will you behave? Will
you act in some way to help, even though you risk being hurt? Will you walk away?
Perhaps you might adopt a “middle way” and not intervene but call the police?
 Does the way you act depend on whether the person being mugged is a fit male, an
elderly person, or even a street person? Does it depend on whether there are other
people around, so you can tell yourself, “Oh well, someone else will help or call the
police. I don’t need to”?
 This situation described above is an example of an ethical dilemma – that is the
quandary people find themselves in when they have to decide if they should act in
a way that might help another person or group, and is the “right” thing to do,
even though doing so might go against their own self-interest.
Cont…

 An ethical dilemma is a situation that requires a choice regarding a possible


course of action that, although offering the potential for personal or organizational
benefit, or both, may be considered unethical.
 It is a situation in which action must be taken but for which there is no clear
consensus on what is “right” and “wrong”.
 The burden is on the individual to make good choices.
 A dilemma may arise when a person has to decide between two different courses
of action, knowing that whichever course he/she chooses will result in harm to
one person or group even while it may benefit another.
 The ethical dilemma here is to decide which course of action is the “lesser of two
evils”.
Cont…

 People know they are confronting an ethical dilemma when their moral scruples
come into play and cause them to hesitate, debate and reflect upon the “rightness”
or “goodness” of a course of action.
 Moral scruples are thoughts and feelings that tell a person what is right or wrong;
 They are a part of a person’s ethics.
Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas

 Step 1: Recognize the ethical dilemma


 Step 2: Get the facts
 Step 3: Identify your options
 Step 4: Test each option: Is it legal? Is it right? Is it beneficial?
 Step 5: Decide which option to follow
 Step 6: Double – check with spotlight questions: “How will I feel if my family
finds out about my decision?” “How will I feel about this if my decision is
reported in the local newspaper?”
 Step 7: Take action

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