In many ways, ethics may feel like a soft subject, a conversation that can wait when compared to other more seemingly pressing issues (a process for operations, hiring the right workers, and meeting company goals). However, putting ethics on the backburner can spell trouble for any organization. Much like the process of businesses creating the company mission, vision, and principles; the topic of ethics has to enter the conversation. Ethics is far more than someone doing the right thing; it is many times tied to legal procedures and policies that if breached can put an organization in the midst of trouble. Show
Part 1 The Importance of Ethical StandardsLeaders have to develop ethical standards that employees in their company will be required to adhere to. This can help move the conversation toward using a model to decide when someone is in violation of ethics. There are five sources of ethical standards:
While many of these standards were created by Greek Philosophers who lived long ago, business leaders are still using many of them to determine how they deal with ethical issues. Many of these standards can lead to a cohesive ethical decision-making model. Part 2 An Empirical Approach to an Ethical Decision-Making ModelIn 2011, a researcher at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Canada completed a study for the Journal of Business Ethics. The research centered around an idea of rational egoism as a basis for developing ethics in the workplace. She had 16 CEOs formulate principles for ethics through the combination of reasoning and intuition while forming and applying moral principles to an everyday circumstance where a question of ethics could be involved. Through the process, the CEOs settled on a set of four principles: ProsperForms — receive reports from your team members on autopilot. 100+ forms available: reports, logbooks, requests, etc. or build your own. View and manage data on Timeline and Dashboard screens, generate consolidated PDF reports. Get Started
These were the general standards used by the CEOs in creating a decision about how they should deal with downsizing. While this is not a standard model, it does reveal the underlying ideas business leaders use to make ethical choices. These principles lead to standards that are used in ethical decision-making processes and moral frameworks. Part 3 The Ethical Decision-Making ProcessBefore a model can be utilized, leaders need to work through a set of steps to be sure they are bringing a comprehensive lens to handling ethical disputes or problems.
While each situation may call for specific steps to come before others, this is a general process that leaders can use to approach ethical decision-making. We have talked about the approach; now it is time to discuss the lens that leaders can use to make the final decision that leads to implementation. ProsperForms — receive reports from your team members on autopilot. 100+ forms available: reports, logbooks, requests, etc. or build your own. View and manage data on Timeline and Dashboard screens, generate consolidated PDF reports. Get Started Part 4 PLUS Ethical Decision-Making ModelPLUS Ethical Decision-Making Model is one of the most used and widely cited ethical models. To create a clear and cohesive approach to implementing a solution to an ethical problem; the model is set in a way that it gives the leader “ethical filters” to make decisions. It purposely leaves out anything related to making a profit so that leaders can focus on values instead of a potential impact on revenue. The letters in PLUS each stand for a filter that leaders can use for decision-making:
These filters can even be applied to the process, so leaders have a clear ethical framework all along the way. Defining the problem automatically requires leaders to see if it is violating any of the PLUS ethical filters. It should also be used to assess the viability of any decisions that are being considered for implementation, and make a decision about whether the one that was chosen resolved the PLUS considerations questioned in the first step. No model is perfect, but this is a standard way to consider four vital components that have a substantial ethical impact. ProsperForms — receive reports from your team members on autopilot. 100+ forms available: reports, logbooks, requests, etc. or build your own. View and manage data on Timeline and Dashboard screens, generate consolidated PDF reports. Get Started Part 5 The Character-Based Decision-Making ModelWhile this one is not as widely cited as the PLUS Model, it is still worth mentioning. The Character-Based Decision-Making Model was created by the Josephson Institute of Ethics, and it has three main components leaders can use to make an ethical decision.
There are multiple components to consider when making an ethical decision. Regulations, policies and procedures, perception, public opinion, and even a leader’s morality play a part in how decisions that question business ethics should be handled. While no approach is perfect, a well-thought-out process and useful framework can make dealing with ethical situations easier. Sponsored: ProsperForms is a cloud solution to dramatically reduce the time you spend creating reports
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Step 2: Click the "Open Submission Form" button to fill in and submit the report. Data such as the report type, date and name will be added automatically. As soon as a new report is added, participants with “View” rights can view it in real time. Step 3 (Optional): Generate a report and export it to PDF. (Skip this step if you share status reports online and don’t print them.)Click “Generate Report”. Done! Get Started Now When confronted with a situation that seems to present ethical issues How should you analyze it?When considering ethical issues, it is advised that you follow a stepwise approach in your decision-making process:. Recognize there is an issue.. Identify the problem and who is involved.. Consider the relevant facts, laws and principles.. Analyze and determine possible courses of action.. Implement the solution.. What are the 5 steps you should take when confronted with an ethical dilemma?The Leader's Choice: Five Steps to Ethical Decision Making.. Assessment: Make sure you have all the facts about the dilemma. ... . Alternatives: Consider your choices. ... . Analysis: Identify your candidate decision and test its validity. ... . Application: Apply ethical principles to your candidate decision. ... . Action: Make a decision.. What steps should be performed after recognizing an ethical issue?After recognizing an ethical issue b) gather the critical facts and information. This step provides the necessary details for considering alternative approaches and identifying the relevant rules, laws, and regulations that may apply to the issue.
What are the 5 ethical issues?5 Common Ethical Issues in the Workplace. Unethical Leadership.. Toxic Workplace Culture.. Discrimination and Harassment.. Unrealistic and Conflicting Goals.. Questionable Use of Company Technology.. |