Ethical Decision Making

Ethical Decision Making

OMM 640 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

When making ethical decisions it is not an easy procedure. Most people will have to consider all options and weigh out which would be best for them and all parties involved. There are multiple principles to consider. Evaluating and choosing an ethical action requires moral reasoning, the process in which individuals define whether an action is morally right. Throughout this paper we will reference the article Business Best: Bill Daniels’s Principle-Based Ethics. This document displays a great example of an ethical decision made with moral reasoning. We will discover which branch of ethical tradition Bill modeled from, which character based approach describes Bill, and different factors to motivate individuals to have higher levels of moral reasoning.

A great chunk of ethical thought will be solely based on the agents characteristics and are considered in a two part tradition: : 1) a firm understanding that individuals with caring characteristics will act ethical and right, and 2) Attempting to consider the norm is second when it comes to preserving relationships or doing what’s right. Bill’s behavioral dimension within the reading displays the agent branch of ethical tradition. In reading we discover that Bill constantly strives to keep a sense of integrity when making business and personal decisions. Things that could be gathered from the reading are that Bill adopted his ethical values at an early age and have consistently upheld them. Agent-centered philosophy, which, differ from consequentialist and non-consequentialist philosophy, are more apprehensive with the general ethical status of people, or agents, and are less apprehensive to identify the morality of specific actions.

An individual’s characteristics can help others when making supportive decisions to partner with that individual. Your character plays an important role with moral responsibility. When reviewing Bill’s decision to personally assume responsibility of his client’s debt, it is determined that he possessed the virtue character based approach. Virtue ethics consider the moral character of individuals in making good decisions (Provis, 2010; White & Taft, 2004). This approach will allow for Bill to maintain integrity and to possibly regain his client should he decide to reinvest in the insurance industry. It is Bills caring and responsible characteristics that will cause Bill to have unbreakable partnerships and friendships throughout life. The major understanding of ethical principle argues that ethical procedures should be unfailing with ideal individual virtues. A great example of person displaying such characteristics would be Aristotle. According to Aristotle, a person of good character develops virtues such as fairness, trustworthiness, honesty, and humility that help identify the right thing to do in any situation (de Colle & Werhane, 2008). Aristotle believed that ethics should be apprehensive with the person’s complete life, not with the secretive events an individual may carry out in any given position. An individual of good character would be one who possessed certain virtues. Another example of this approach would be in an area such as East Asia, Confucius stressed the importance of behaving virtuously (good and moral manner) in different situations at all times. Because virtue ethics is apprehensive with a person’s life as a whole, it makes the development of education and training more sincere, and stresses the importance of role models to our knowledge of how to deliberate in ethical responsibilities.

There are many different factors to motivate individuals to have higher levels of moral reasoning. Moral reasoning is the process in which a person strives to distinguish the difference between what is wrong and what is right in a personal position by using logic. To make such an analysis, an individual must first understand the intentions of what an action is set to accomplish, what are all of the actions possible consequences and how it would affect others involved. Individuals utilize moral reasoning in an approach to always do what’s right. Individuals are constantly battling moral decisions, such as if it is more important to lie in order to resist hurting someone’s feelings, or to make a decision or choice to prevent someone or something from harming others. In order to perform these judgments one must consider all factors and the possible consequences of the actions taken. Moral reasoning takes into considerations all factors needed to make these types of analysis. The determination to fight for what’s right, even if it’s not needed; and the strength and flexibility to uphold one’s ethical and moral principles. Bill displays this action by paying off his client’s settlement even though he didn’t have to.

Moral inclination requires for Bill to not only be a morally effective agent, but to also have good conduct and incorporate virtue values in his life and work. The below are four different factors to motivate individuals to have higher levels of moral reasoning.

Moral imagination: Moral imagination is the skill to see the circumstance through the eyes of different individuals. Moral imagination encourages a steadiness between becoming mislaid in the values of others and deteriorating to do away with one’s own perspective.

Moral creativity: Moral creativity, though similar to moral imagination is the skill to view a situation in multiple ways.

Reasonableness: Reasonableness steadies honesty to the frames of other individuals all the while committing to moral values and other imperative goals. That is, a reasonable individual is open to other views, but not to the length where they are able to fall for just anything and/or fails to keep basic ethical principles.

Perseverance: Perseverance is the skill to make a moral decision on an action plan and then to make necessary changes due to obstacles that may occur in order to continue to achieve the goal.

The article Business Best: Bill Daniels’s Principle-Based Ethics allows its readers to discover a good example of ethical decisions made with moral reasoning. Readers have learned that Bill’s ethical approach was derived from the agent branch of ethical tradition. He chose to care and to do what He felt was right even if others thought it to be ludicrous. We further determined that Bill possessed the virtue character based approach. Bill valued integrity and was willing to do all he could to maintain it in the eyes of his clients. Finally we’d considered four factors that could play a factor in motivating individuals to have higher level of reasoning: Moral imagination, moral creativity, reasonableness, and perseverance. Bill Daniel’s moral values are needed in an ever-changing society that is doing away with honesty and integrity.

References:

Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business ethics and social responsibility for managers [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/

Moral Motivation Across Ethical Theories: What Can We Learn for Designing Corporate Ethics Programs? Simone de Colle, Patricia H. Werhane (2007)

Boundless. “Ethics Training.” Boundless Management. Boundless, 27 Jun. 2015. Retrieved 30 Jun. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-management-textbook/ethics-in-business-13/ethics-an-overview-95/ethics-training-447-1833/