Ethical issues occur when a given decision, scenario or activity creates a conflict with a society's moral principles. Both individuals and businesses can be involved in these conflicts, since any of their activities might be put to question from an ethical standpoint.
False accounting, sexual harassment, data privacy, nepotism, discrimination—these are just some of the ethical dilemmas that happen in today's workplace. Many business owners and managers will deal with ethical issues at some point in their career.
They “arise when, faced with a difficult situation (e.g. fair treatment for some versus job security for others), two or more such values conflict in the perception of a decision maker, or when one is assessing another's moral choice” ( Maclagan, 2003, p.
Since there are moral reasons for you to choose each action, and you cannot choose them all, it follows that no matter what choice you make, you will be failing to follow your morals. In other words, someone or something will suffer no matter what choice you make.
Steps to Ethical Decision MakingStep 1: Identify the problem. ... Step 2: Identify the potential issues involved. ... Step 3: Review relevant ethical guidelines. ... Step 4: Know relevant laws and regulations. ... Step 5: Obtain consultation. ... Step 6: Consider possible and probable courses of action.More items...
Some of the most common ethical issues organizations encounter globally include outsourcing, working standards and conditions, workplace diversity and equal opportunity, child labor, trust and integrity, supervisory oversight, human rights, religion, the political arena, the environment, bribery, and corruption.
Chapter 2—Ethical (or moral) dilemmasare situations in which moral reasons come into conflict, or inwhich the applications of moral values are problematic, and it is not immediately obvious what should be done.
When dilemmas involve human actions which have moral implications, they are called ethical or moral dilemmas.
The choice of whether to engage or to avoid a moral dilemma involves participating in a gamble, because you cannot be certain in advance which choice you will make. If you employ the moral avoidance strategy, you are guaranteed not to make the wrong choice, but also guaranteed not to make the right one.
What Is an Ethical Dilemma? There were two options Use the dynamite and kill the pregnant woman but save the other five Or Don't use the dynamite and all the 5 will get drowned except the pregnant woman whose head is out.
How to Act and React to an Ethical DilemmaRepeat Back and Clarify. ... Ask Ethical Questions. ... Focus on your Manager's Best Interests. ... Suggest an Alternative Solution. ... Escalate Situations. ... Blow the whistle. ... Leave Unethical Environments, If Necessary.
“Moral issue is a working definition of an issue of moral concern is presented as any issue with the potential to help or harm anyone, including oneself.”
There are three important factors that can influence ethical decision making, which are individual, organizational, and opportunity factors. All three of these factors can weigh heavily on a person during the decision making process, especially in the work place.
Significant individual factors that affect the ethical decision-making process include personal moral philosophy, stage of moral development, motivation, and other personal factors such as gender, age, and experience.
There are three major factors that can affect your ethical behavior: Individual factors, such as knowledge, values, personal goals, morals and personality. Social factors, such as cultural norms, the Internet and friends and family.
The most important influence on ethical behavior in the workplace is overall company culture, which determines whether employees are valued or belittled and whether stakeholders are treated with trust or suspicion.