Exploring ethical decision-making in group settings with real-life case studies

Abstract:The traditional model of ethical decision making in business suggests applying an initial set of principles to a concrete problem and if they conflict the decision maker may attempt to balance them intuitively. The centrality of the ethical conflict in the accepted notion of “ethical problem” has diverted the attention of moral decision modelers from other ethical problems that real-world managers must face—e.g., compliance problems, moral laxity, and systemic problems resulting from the structures and practices of the business organization. The present article proposes a new model for ethical decision making in business—the Phase-model—designed to meet the full spectrum of business-related ethical problems. Drawing on the dominant moral theories in business literature, the model offers additional strategies for tackling ethical issues beyond the traditional cognitive operations of deductive application of principles to specific cases and the balancing of ethical considerations. Its response to the problems of moral pluralism in the context of decision making lies in its structural features. The model distinguishes between three phases of the decision-making process, each having a different task and a different theoretical basis. After an introductory stage in which the ethical problem is defined, the first phase focuses on a principle-based evaluation of a course of action; the second phase provides a virtue-based perspective of the situation and strategies for handling unsettled conflicts and compliance problems; and the third phase adapts the decision to empirical accepted norms. An illustrative case demonstrates the applicability of the model to business real life.

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Continuing Education in Ethical Decision Making Using Case Studies From Medical Social Work

Social Work in Health Care ◽

10.1080/00981389.2014.884042 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 344-363 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrew J. McCormick ◽

Patti Stowell-Weiss ◽

Jennifer Carson ◽

Gerald Tebo ◽

Inga Hanson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Social Work ◽

Continuing Education ◽

Case Studies ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Medical Social Work

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Evaluative Criteria to Create and Assess Case Studies for Use in Ethical Decision-Making Analysis

Journal of Public Affairs Education ◽

10.1080/15236803.2008.12001527 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 297-309 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pamela A. Gibson

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Case Studies ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Evaluative Criteria

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Review and Document the Process

Ethical Decision-Making in School Mental Health ◽

10.1093/oso/9780197506820.003.0007 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 170-191

Author(s):

James C. Raines ◽

Nic T. Dibble

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Decision Making ◽

Case Studies ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Decision Making Process ◽

Iatrogenic Effects

After reviewing and documenting the process, this chapter argues that it is unethical to stop the ethical decision-making process with implementation. The chapter recommends monitoring and evaluating the consequences of the ethical decision by engaging in post-decision activities. It uses two case studies where well-meaning mental health professionals inadvertently created iatrogenic effects for their clients. It details what went wrong in each case and how outcomes might have been improved. In these situations, mental health professionals are strongly encouraged to re-engage the ethical decision-making process on behalf of their clients, including apologizing for missteps previously made.

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Ethical Decision-Making for Yoga Teachers and Yoga Therapists

International Journal of Yoga Therapy ◽

10.17761/ijyt.18.1.v212217620644630 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 31-37

Author(s):

Stephen Parker

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Ethical Dilemmas ◽

Real Life ◽

Real Case ◽

Yoga Therapy ◽

Ethical Decisions ◽

Life Decision

Any therapeutic profession, including Yoga therapy, must establish a systematic way to make ethical decisions. This article proposes a model of ethical decision-making drawn from psychotherapy, a field that—like Yoga therapy— recognizes relationship as a healing instrument. The model proposed is based on an easily remembered mnemonic that is both practical and easily internalized for real-life decision-making. A real case study using this method is presented and discussed, and hypothetical ethical dilemmas in Yoga therapy are offered for further consideration.

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High Impact Practices: Addressing Workplace Needs

EDEN Conference Proceedings ◽

10.38069/edenconf-2019-ac-0006 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 42-50

Author(s):

Maureen Andrade ◽

Ronald Miller

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

College Graduates ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Real Life ◽

Oral Communication ◽

High Impact ◽

Professional Standards ◽

Specific Knowledge ◽

Workplace Needs

For at least three decades, employers have observed a gap between the skills they look for in recent college graduates and the skills these graduates possess. This has been noted in multiple studies involving both direct employer input and curricular reviews to determine alignment with professional standards (Association of American Colleges Universities [AACU], 2013, Azevedo, Apfelthaler, Hurst, 2012; Bayerlein Timpson, 2017; Hart Research Associates, 2006a; 2006b; 2008; 2010; 2013; 2015; 2018; Pratt, Keys, Wirkus, 2014; Ray, Stallard, Hunt, 1994; Ullah, Kimani, Bai, Ahmed, 2018). These studies have also indicated consistency in the specific skills that employers value, typically written and oral communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, critical thinking, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-life situations (Hart Research Associates, 2015). These are prioritized by most employers over technical or discipline-specific knowledge and abilities (Hart Research Associates, 2015).

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Relationships within the Fraud Diamond: The Decision Processes That Influence Fraudulent Intentions in Online Consumer Fraud

Journal of Information Systems ◽

10.2308/isys-52627 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 61-80

Author(s):

Andrew J. Harrison ◽

William N. Dilla ◽

Brian E. Mennecke

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Real Life ◽

Decision Processes ◽

Substantial Body ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Online Consumer ◽

Online Environments ◽

Decision Making Model

ABSTRACT Online consumer fraud is a problem with significant consequences. While a substantial body of research examines the strategies used to defraud consumers in online environments, little is known about the decision processes that perpetrators follow before engaging in fraud. To address this issue, we develop an ethical decision-making model of online consumer fraud based on the fraud diamond. The model also includes anonymity, a key feature of online environments, which can influence sellers' ethical decision-making processes. We empirically evaluate the model first by asking participants to consider the misrepresentation of an asset's value in an online transaction, and then by having participants engage in a real-life version of that scenario. Results indicate that perceived anonymity affects the influences of capability, opportunity, and motivation on rationalization. Further, greater perceived anonymity increases the influence of rationalization on one's intent to act.

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Shared Responsibility: A Case of and for “Real Life” Ethical Decision-Making in Sport Psychology

The Sport Psychologist ◽

10.1123/tsp.26.4.519 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 519-539 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lars Dzikus ◽

Leslee A. Fisher ◽

Kate F. Hays

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Sport Psychology ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Ethical Decision ◽

Ethical Decision Making ◽

Real Life ◽

Shared Responsibility ◽

Organizational Planning ◽

Key Participants

In this paper, we examine a case of “real life” ethical decision-making in sport psychology that occurred in the context of a symposium on sexual transgressions in sport, conducted during a recent professional conference. We use autoethnography (Ellis, 2004), an emergent qualitative methodology combining both literary and ethnographic techniques. In this case study, we analyze the unique perspectives of three key participants to make sense of what happened, why it happened, and how we can avoid similar instances in the future. We theorize and politicize the larger master narratives, which revolved around power, space, time, and symbolic violence. We conclude with recommendations for our sport psychology colleagues related to ethical decision-making, organizational planning of conferences, and being an ally to survivors of sexual abuse.

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