Managerial Ethics Part III
A practical model for making good ethical
decisions
Copyright registered© 2002 Louis C. Gasper
Audio
Prof. Gasper’s decision model
1. Establish the facts
Audio
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
Audio
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?
Audio
Establish the facts
Is it primarily an ethical matter? Is it an ethical issue, or an ethical dilemma?
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
Is it an issue, or a dilemma?
An issue is usually easy to name
A dilemma resists being named
Audio
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
Audio
Is it an issue, or a dilemma?
An ethical issue usually involves only one “stakeholder”
An ethical dilemma usually involves several or many “stakeholders”
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
“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
Audio
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?
Audio
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
Audio
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?
Audio
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
Audio
Prof. Gasper’s decision model
1. Establish the facts
2. Discover all alternatives courses of action
Audio
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
Audio
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
Audio
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?
Audio
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?
Audio
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?
Audio
Is it part of the good life?
Is it in character? Does it make a good story?
Audio
Prof. Gasper’s decision model
1. Establish the facts
2. Discover all alternatives courses of action
3. Systematically evaluate reasonable options
4. Choose
Audio
Choose
The manager’s core functionis to choose
— Peter Drucker
Audio
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
Audio
Take action
Effective managementis practical management
Audio
End of Managerial Ethics Part III
Remember to complete the quiz on this part of the ethics lectures
Audio