Literature Review on Ethical Dilemma - Paper Example

Ethical dilemma common phenomenon in many organizations. It is contributed by several factors. Decision making is one of the critical factors that affect organizations operations and even the ethics of the company. This paper seeks to explore the comparisons and contrasts of justifying judgments and applying of exceptions. It will further look into the determination of what right and right dilemmas decision making entail.

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According to Badaracco, the choice between the right characters is what defines someone. The theory of right versus right and right versus wrong is different. Right versus right is a situation where one is obliged to choose one item between two right things while right versus wrong places one in a situation to choose between the right and the wrong (Badaracco, 2010). The latter arises mostly from self-interest which may be conflicting with what should be done.

In analysing the right and the wrong things, there are four critical factors to be considered. These are the determinants mostly of the character of the person making the decision. The first step taken is to determine the effects course of actions taken, whether it will have harm of good (David & Robin, 2010). This will rely greatly on what the person making the decision sees in other people. It will thus involve even other shareholders and stakeholders of the organization. The person making the decisions should, therefore, ensure consistency with basic values and commitments. The last thing to consider s the feasibility of the best alternative taken. It should consider the long term effects of the decision to be made.

Therefore, when analysing right versus right decision making and the wrong one in the ethical dilemma, the person making the decision should consider factors such as the effects the decision will have on other stakeholders. It should also look into the foreseeable future for the organization in terms of the effects of the decision to be made.

The business ethics organization article presents the ethical issues of various institutions and c countries. Among these resources also contained are magazines and widely explores ethical issues on these grounds. It is apparent that professionalism is one of the rampant things as one of the ethical issues. This is because the leadership of the organization is the one determining the work of those subject to them. Cases of office abuse have been heard in most of the organizations.

One of the ethical issues in this organization is social responsibility. Every company has its social responsibility to the community. It is a requirement for them to ensure that they clear the obligation that they have. However, the majority of these companies ignore it. This is where now ethical dilemma comes in. The failure of any organization to do its corporate social responsibility is an issue which has brought about struggle as many do not do them.

Some of these organizations work for the benefit of the community. For example, the Centre for Business Ethics in Bentley college in the United States emphasizes on training the community especially practitioners and scholars on the promotion of ethical businesses in the contemporary society (Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, 2016). This, therefore, alerts the society on what to engage especially in considering ethical businesses.

The advantage of this is that the ethical dilemmas that are experienced by companies will be minimized. This is because the core function of these organizations is to work towards ensuring that ethical businesses are carried out. Corporate governance brings the shareholders and the stakeholders into the picture (Du Plessis et al., 2018). This enlightens the ethics of the business especially to the professionals who would want to start the businesses.

The book Business Ethics, A Field Guide provides the help that enables one to identify, manage and prevent some of the situations that may lead to ethical dilemmas. The books present ethical dilemmas and examples of ethical dilemmas. Part of it includes ethical theories and how these theories can be applied in trying to solve ethical dilemmas. It enables the person reading it to think through the theories and come up with principles that may guide the organization in alleviating ethical dilemmas in the organization.

Among the things covered involve sociology, psychology, economics, anthropology, and history. These factors contribute to the pitfalls which make the decision maker either effective or not. Sociology deals with how the person handles people in the social environment (Dolgoff et al., 2012). It looks deep into the intrapersonal space between the person and the other one. Anthropology looks into the communication of the person. Communication is essential as it enables step person to give ideas, and better ways of doing things. It also ties itself to the economic interests of the organization and the history of the company. This is vital especially in cases where the company has a historical brand which markets its products.

Among the several dilemmas discussed in the book involve conflicts of interest, making and breaking of rules and intervention, among others. It often comes first from the individual especially their characters. (Business Ethics Institute, 2019) Ethical dilemma depends on the decision that is to be made. It, therefore, is wide that the person was making the decision very prudent.

Decision making according to Badaracacco is relative just like judgment which depends on the individual opinion. Many questions arise from every step, but it is provisional for the manager to decide at the end of the day (Badaracco, 2014). There is a thing which is to be considered even in the making of these decisions. The first one is the consequences of the decisions. Future effects of the organization should be considered. Managers, therefore, have a big role to play in organizations. The decision they make will be based on their experiences, imaginations, feelings, and characters.

Since ethical dilemmas arise from the decisions that are to be probably made and those that are to be made, then the manager plays a big part in this. It is advisable therefore that the character of the individual is developed to grow to the point of making the right choices. Consider how the world is going to look like and if the sustainability of the company is considered when being conclusive of the organization (Joseph, 2016).

Another scope of ethical dilemma and how to arrive at it is determined by the moments in our lives known as defining moments. Bai says that those moments in which our lives take a trajectory influence how we make decisions (Bai, 2010). Often, these moments are those in which an individual may have had to make the toughest decision. They may not have directly been associated with ethical dilemmas, but they sharpen one on how to approach such decisions.

During such defining moments, one's character is moulded. This is critical since as discussed earlier on, the decisions made on business ethics would greatly affect the individual's character. It builds some personalities such as perseverance and patience and also enlarges the decision maker's ability and knowledge on how to approach things.

Among the benefits of defining moments include an increase in savouring where the person can remember the past and use the experience in the present situation (Niemiec, 2016)). It also builds self-sufficiency and improves on a positive memory call for the individual. This useful moment can, therefore, be incorporated into decision making on the organization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an ethical dilemma is the contribution of several factors. The approach to it also depends on several factors. It is clear that the decisions made affect the organizations and other stakeholders. The person to formulate the decisions, therefore, has a task. The decision chosen is based on the experiences, opinions, and knowledge of the individual. These may vary however from one organization to another. It is encouraged that the ethical issue is embraced especially by professionals and the corporate society. This will enable the implementation of ethical issues easier. Personal experiences from the defining moments also play a role in these. They meld the character of the individual, especially from the experiences. This puts the individual in a better position to draw proper judgment when faced with an ethical dilemma. It is recommended therefore that the decision making be developed at an individual level. This will make the person to be in a better position when faced with challenges, especially in decision making. The ethical dilemmas can thus be alleviated from the individual point due to the character development that has been established.

References

Badaracco, J. (2014). John Shad Professor of business ethics at Harvard Business School [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Badaracco, J. (2010). Where right versus right dilemmas come from [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Joseph B. (20116). How to Tackle Your Toughest Decisions. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/09/how-to-tackle-your-toughest-decisions

Bai, Y. (2010). Defining moment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch

Business Ethics Organization. (2019). Retrieved from http://business-ethics.org/resources-2/recommended-resources/

David S., & Robin B. (2010) Four Questions for Analyzing the Right Versus-Right Dilemmas of Managers

Dolgoff, R., Harrington, D., & Loewenberg, F. M. (2012). Brooks/Cole Empowerment Series: Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice. Cengage Learning.

Du Plessis, J. J., Hargovan, A., & Harris, J. (2018). Principles of contemporary corporate governance. Cambridge University Press.

Niemics R. (2016). Defining Moments. Stories to inspire and resources to motivate. Retrieved from. http://www.viacharacter.org/blog/what-are-your-defining-moments/

Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2016). Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge.