Managerial Ethics Part III

A practical model for making good ethical

decisions

Copyright registered© 2002 Louis C. Gasper

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Prof. Gasper’s decision model

1. Establish the facts

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Establish the facts

Is it primarily an ethical matter?

Acknowledgment:Much of the following discussion

is based on parts ofBarbara Lee Toffler’s book,

Tough Choices

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Is it primarily an ethical matter?

Does it involve a personal relationship?– Which is not remote– Which involves an obligation

Will someone be hurt, or react as if they will be hurt?

Are there competing ethical claims? Will I intervene in someone’s personal life? Is my responsibility unclear?

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Establish the facts

Is it primarily an ethical matter? Is it an ethical issue, or an ethical dilemma?

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An ethical issue is decided by making policy, which may allow and require that the decision be made by a superior

An ethical dilemma can only be decided by the person in the dilemma

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An ethical issue is a situation in which there is one satisfactory choice in that kind of situation

An ethical dilemma is a situation in which no choice is satisfying or attractive in that particular situation

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An ethical issue is resolved by deciding the generally right thing to do, which becomes the norm for all such cases

A dilemma by its nature cannot be resolved, but it must be decided; the decision applies only in that one situation

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

A good decision about an ethical issue can be made while abstracting from the particular situation which forced the issue

Being in the context of an ethical dilemma is essential to making a good decision about it

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

A competent person can find the decision which will properly resolve an issue

A dilemma may not present any good option, despite the best efforts to find one

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An issue is usually easy to name

A dilemma resists being named

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An ethical issue is ordinarily seen as definitely an ethical matter

An ethical dilemma is often not clearly an ethical matter

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An ethical issue usually involves only one “stakeholder”

An ethical dilemma usually involves several or many “stakeholders”

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Is it an issue, or a dilemma?

An ethical issue involves a single value or end to be attained

An ethical dilemma features multiple conflicting values and ends

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Establish the facts

Is it primarily an ethical matter? Is it an issue or a dilemma? What claims are there?

– Including the expectations of society

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Expectations of society

In international business, we often have to ask, “Which society?”

There may be– Our “home” society– Our “host” society– The society that is our company, its people, and

its culture

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“Man is a political animal” — Aristotle

A character is not perfected unless it fits into the society that is a person’s home

We must decide where home is Acts must always suit our character for our

home society

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Establish the facts

Is it primarily an ethical matter? Is it an issue or a dilemma? What claims are there? Who is involved? How urgent is the matter? What rules are involved? What will be the consequences? What is my responsibility?

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Kinds of responsibility

Role — dealing with the problem is in my job description

Causal — I contributed to the problem Capacity — I’m the one who can do

something about the problem

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Establish the facts

Is it primarily an ethical matter? Is it an issue or a dilemma? Who is involved? What claims are there? How urgent is the matter? What rules are involved? What will be the consequences? What is my responsibility? Where is the authority to act?

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Where is the authority to act?

Ultimately, authority and responsibility will always find each other — Peter Drucker

Responsibility often implies authority Consider carefully the organizational

consequences before taking authority

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Prof. Gasper’s decision model

1. Establish the facts

2. Discover all alternatives courses of action

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Discover alternatives

Including those “off the wall” or “outside the box”

Brainstorming may be useful Right now, practice opening up your mind to

alternatives by reading imaginative literature

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Prof. Gasper’s decision model

1. Establish the facts

2. Discover all alternatives courses of action

3. Systematically evaluate the reasonable options — what remains after eliminating the evidently silly or impractical alternatives

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Evaluate the options

What good can be accomplished? Do we have the capacity to carry through? Is it virtuous?

– Is it good and not evil?– Does it build excellence?– Is it part of the good life?

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Is it good and not evil?

Is it done for the sake of the good? Is it fitting in the circumstances? Is the required concrete action good?

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Does it build excellence?

Is it just, courageous, orderly, and — above all — does it show good judgment?

Does it evidence the particular virtues our company values?

Will I be a better person for doing it? Will the company be a better company?

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Is it part of the good life?

Is it in character? Does it make a good story?

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Prof. Gasper’s decision model

1. Establish the facts

2. Discover all alternatives courses of action

3. Systematically evaluate reasonable options

4. Choose

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Choose

The manager’s core functionis to choose

— Peter Drucker

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Prof. Gasper’s decision model

1. Establish the facts

2. Discover all alternatives courses of action

3. Systematically evaluate reasonable options

4. Choose

5. Take action

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Take action

Effective managementis practical management

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End of Managerial Ethics Part III

Remember to complete the quiz on this part of the ethics lectures

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