Ethics Example

Ethics

Introduction

Decision making in the individual level and in the corporate world may lead to dilemmas. The person making the decision may have to choose between expediency and ethics. Decision made out of expedience may compromise certain values in the society and thus ethical decisions are advocated for. Ethic game simulation is a tool that assists in making such decisions. The tool allows the person making the decision to reflect on the decision being made by evaluating four decision making strategies or lenses. The ethic game simulation incorporates theory of ethics into practice.

Reducing company’s expenditure

The company is faced with harsh economical conditions. The sales have gone down and consequently there is great reduction in the company’s profit. The expenditure to the company has risen out of increased fuel prices. The board governors have proposed that, to counter these effects, the company retrench some of its workers. The ethical question is the criteria to be used retrench some of the workers and how those retrenched would be compensated.

The stake holders are the management, the company and the workers. The company is in a bad financial state and can not be able to sustain its expenditures. The need for reduction of expenditure is then justifiable. The workers had been of great contribution to the company’s success. Through their service at the company they the workers have gained a lot of experience that is vital to the company’s success. Retrenchment of the worker would affect their income and thus affect their social and economical welfare. The company would also loose valuable experienced workers. The decision made is to relieve the worker of their services to the company with compensation. Some of the worker, by their own will, will be allowed to continue to work on part-time basis. The workers will also be accepted back in the company when the economic situation improves.

Ethics

In every society or social setting morals, virtues and values are promoted. Morals are the code of conduct that enables a person to make decisions. Morals are defined within a social setting. The moral enable one to classify something to be either right or wrong. Values are those principles that we hold within our selves that enable us to make decisions. Virtues on the other hand are characters or trait t we classify as good. In the simulation there is promotion of using morals, our values and virtues in making decisions. The simulation encourages making of responsible decision that are moral, virtuous and consistent with our values (EthicsGame, llc, 2009). These decision lead to responsible action that not only considers ones own benefits but also the effects and benefits to other persons. The lenses used in the simulation are based of traditional western ethics. These ethics are: Right and responsibility, result, relationship and reputation (EthicsGame, llc, 2009).

Decision making is an integral part in the work place. Decisions are made almost every time. Decisions involve more than one stakeholder and thus it has effects beyond the person making the decision. Various decisions are made in a work place. Such decision may involve the workers, suppliers, public or the government. An example of major decision made is the cutting of company’s expenditure. Faced with hard economic hard ship the company has to decide on how to solve the problem. There could be various ways to solve the problem such as retrenchment. Use of the ethics game simulation would enable the decision makers make responsible decisions that are ethical (EthicsGame, llc, 2009). The dilemma in decision making in the workplace includes conflict of interest, social responsibility, worker rights, relationships and international issues. Evaluation these dilemmas by the use of on of the lenses of the Ethic game simulation enable the decision maker settle to an objective and responsible decision.

At the individual level worker may meet themselves in a dilemma. For example a worker may be met with a dilemma on whether to step in for a co worker who is not available or not. With a tradition of using good decision making the person would be able to make a better and ethical decision. Ethical game simulation would assist in such decision by enabling the worker to evaluate his or her decisions against the four lenses (EthicsGame, llc, 2009).

Ethics

Every decision made have effects beyond the decision maker. In the decision making using ethics game simulation, one evaluates the issue and the stake holders against the four lenses of the simulation. Some of the stake holders are individual, corporate, government, and the public. There could be laws, regulations or agreements that have to taken care of before making the decision. In additions some decision may involve bureaucratic and financial implications that can not be overstepped. Government and states laws, statutes regulate how to go about some issues. For example there are laws that define how a company disposes its waste material. Making a decision over such an issue can not be independent but should concur with the laws and regulation. The other external influence may come from agreement made. Keeping a prior agreement with stake holder impeded independent decision making. The decision maker may have social pressure such as their family responsibilities, friendship, religious and cultural issues that may influence his or her decision.

Conclusion

There is increase in consciousness of ethics in the society. To avoid breaching of the code of ethics, ethical training is important. Ethics game simulation enables one, with practice, to make better decisions.

References

EthicsGame, llc (2009) A new way to teach ethics Retrieved from http://www.ethicsgame.com/ Exec/Preview/Index.html