C1: Understanding Business Ethics Flashcards
What Is ethics?
Manner by how one lives one’s life according to a standard of right or wrong behaviour.
How one thinks and behave towards others and how one would like others to think and behave toward them
Factors that influence ethics
upbringing, religion, social traditions & beliefs
What is moral standards?
Principles by which judgements are made about good/bad behaviour
Moral standards are based on?
religious, cultural and philosophical beliefs
Culture
A set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that characterize a group of individuals
Value System
A set of personal principles formalized into a code of behaviour
Intrinsic value
a value is a good thing in itself and is pursued for its own sake, whether anything comes from that pursuit or not.
ex: happiness, health
Instrumental value
the pursuit of one value is a good way to reach another value.
money: valued for what it can buy rather than for itself
Instrumental value
the pursuit of one value is a good way to reach another value.
money: valued for what it can buy rather than for itself
Four basic categories of ethics
- simple truth
- personal integrity
- rules of appropriate individual behaviour
- rules of appropriate behaviour for community/society
Simple truth
may be expressed as simply doing the right thing
not all people share the your interpretation of doing the right thing
personal integrity
demonstrated by someone’s behaviour - looks at ethics from an external rather than and internal viewpoint
a person lives a life that is true to her/his moral standards
rule of appropriate individual behaviour
the idea that the moral standards we develop for ourselves impact our lives on a daily basis
in our behaviour and also our decision making
rules of appropriate behaviour for a community/society
we must eventually bring our personal value system into a world that is shared with people who will probably have both similar and very different value systems
The Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Danger of The Golden Rule
Not everyone thinks, acts like you and believe in the same principles
Ethical Theories
- Virtue ethics
- Utilitarianism
- Universal ethics
Virtue Ethics
a concept of living your life according to a commitment to the achievement of a clear ideal.
Who establish virtue ethics
Aristotle’s
Virtue Ethics
a concept of living your life according to a commitment to the achievement of a clear ideal.
Danger of Virtue Ethics
society place different emphasis on different virtue
value conflict can arises if virtues you want to achieve differ in the the society you live in
Utilitarianism
ethical choices that offer the greater good for the greatest number of people
Danger of utilitarianism
this idea justify the means
no one is accountable for the action that are taken to achieve the outcome
Who proposed Utilitarianism approach?
David Hume
Who attributed Universal Ethics?
Immanuel Kant
Universal Ethics
Actions that are taken out of duty & obligation to a purely moral ideal, rather than based on the needs of the situation, since the universal principles are seen to apply to everyone, everywhere, all the time
Danger of UE
no one is accountable for the consequences of the actions if we focus abiding by a universal principal
Ethical Relativism
Gray area in which your ethical principles are defined by the traditions of your society, your personal opinions, and the circumstances of the present moment
The idea of ER
the idea of ethical relativism is to provide some degree of flexibility as opposed to strict black and white rules.
Applied Ethics
The study of how ethical theories are put into practice
Basic assumption of Ethical theory
individual/community are in control of all factors thatinfluence the choice you make.
Ethical Dilemma
A situation in which there is no obvious right or wrong decision, but rather a right or right answer
Sleep test ethics
to tell people whether or not they have made a morally sound decision
who founded sleep test ethics?
Joseph L. Badaracco Jr
definition sleep test ethics
it’s an ethic of intuition
- to follow our hearts, particularly when our mind is confused
2 distinct approaches to ethical dilemma
- Focus on the practical consequences of what we choose to do
- Focus on the actions themselves and the degree which they were the right actions to take
3 steps to resolve a dilemma
- Analyze the consequences
- Analyze the actions
- Make a decision
Analyze consequences
who will be helped? who will be harmed? what kind of beneifts and harms. how this will look over the long run as well as the short run
Analyze the actions
consider options w/o thinking the consequences. how such actions measure against moral principles. which option actions that are least problematic
make a decision
take both part of analysis into account, and make a decision
make a decision
take both part of analysis into account, and make a decision
Arthur Dobrin
Identified 8 questions you should consider when resolving an ethical dilemma
8 questions
- What are the facts?
- What can you guess about the facts that you dont know?
- What do the facts mean?
- What does the problem look like through the eyes of other people involved?
- What will happen if you choose on thing rather than another?
- What do your feelings tell you?
- What will you think of yourself if you decide one thing or another?
- Can you explain and justify your decision to others?
Ethical Reasoning
Looking at the information available to us in resolving ethical dilemma, and drawing conclusions based on that information in relation to our own ethical standards
Who developed three levels of moral development?
Lawrence Kohlberg
Stages of Ethical reasoning
Level 1: Preconventional
Level 2: Conventional
level 3: Postconventional
Level 1: preconventional
Lowest level of moral development, a person’s response to a perception of right and wrong is initially directly linked to the expectation of punishment/reward.
Level 1: preconventional
Stage 1: obedience & punishment orientation
Stage 2: Individualism, instrumentalism, and exhange
Level 2: Conventional
a person continue to become aware of broader influence outside of the family
Level 2: Conventional
Stage 3: “good boy/nice girl” orientation
Stage 4: law and order orientation
Level 3: Post conventional
highest level of reasoning, a person makes a clear effort to define principles and moral values that reflect an individual value system rather than reflecting the group position
Level 3: Postconventional
Stage 5: Social contract legalistic orientation
Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation
Stage 1: Obedience & punishment
a person is focused on avoidance of punishment and deference to power and authority
something right or wrong because a recognized authority figure says it is
Stage 2: Individualism, instrumentalism, and exchange
a person is focused on satisfying his/her own needs
something is right or wrong because it helps the person get that s/he wants/needs
Stage 3: “good boy/nice girl”
a person is focused on meeting the expectations of family members
something is right or wrong because it pleases those family members
Stage 4: law and order orientation
a person is increasingly aware of his membership in a society and the existence of codes of behaviour
something is right or wrong because codes of legal, religious or social behaviour dictate it
Stage 5: Social contract legalistic orientation
A person is focused on individual rights and the development of standards based on critical examination
something is right or wrong because it has withstood scrutiny by the society in which the principle is accepted
Stage 6: Universal ethical principle orientation
a person is focused on selfchosen ethical principles that are found to be comprehensive and consistent
Something is right or wrong because it reflects that person’s individual value system and the conscious choices one makes in life.
Kohlberg argues
a person could not jump beyond the next stage of one’s six stages.
it’s impossible for a person to comprehend the moral issues and dilemmas at a level so far beyond one’s life experience and education
Assumptions of resolution of dilemma
there will always be an acceptable answer - whether or not you can arrive at the outcome you can live with
