Ethical Decision Making

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Ethical Decision Making
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In this session

• Well look at why good leaders make poor ethical
  choices
• Well learn a decision-making approach that takes
  ethics into account
• Well practice using that model in resolving
  ethical dilemmas

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Why Do Successful Leaders Make Poor Ethical
Decisions?

• What is success in our society?
• Between right and wrong is a troublesome gray
  area. Boeing Aircraft
• Truth vs loyalty
• Individual vs community
• Short-term vs long-term
• Justice vs mercy (Kidder, 1995)

Kidder, RM. How Good People Make Tough Choices
Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living. New
York, NY Simon and Schuster 1995.
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Why is this so important?

• Because, employees, over time, replicate the
  behavior and ethics of their leaders!

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So, Whats the Problem?

• Everyone has a different view of ethics
• Reasonable people disagree on what is right,
  just, fair, and reasonable
• Understanding how others view ethics (as well as
  ourselves) is important for leading others,
  leading change, and setting policy

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What are Ethical Approaches?

• Utilitarian (Outcome-based)
• Outcome that causes the greatest good (or least
  harm) for the greatest number of stakeholders
• Justice (Balanced approach)
• The process that distributes the benefits and
  burdens most fairly across stakeholders
• Individual (Rights-based)
• Each stakeholder has the right to be consulted
  and considered in the decision

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7 Step Ethical Reasoning Model

• What are the relevant facts?
• What are the ethical issues?
• Who are the primary stakeholders?
• What are the possible alternatives?
• What are the ethics of the alternatives?
• What are the practical constraints?
• What action(s) should be taken?

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Lets Practice

• Read the ethical dilemma
• Go through the 7-step reasoning process
• Meet with the group and identify where each of
  you differ in your approach and rationale
• How will you resolve these differences?