Ryan-PT1 SEG02

Summary

This video provides an overview of the ethical decision-making process, emphasizing the importance of moral awareness, judgment, and behavior. It introduces a structured model, highlighting key steps such as recognizing moral issues, gathering facts, defining ethical concerns, identifying affected parties, evaluating consequences, considering obligations, reflecting on character, exploring creative options, and checking instincts. The video also examines factors influencing ethical decisions, including cognitive biases, personality traits, and organizational culture. Overall, it aims to equip viewers with a conscious, methodical approach to making sound ethical choices in professional and personal contexts, reinforcing the integration of ethics into everyday decision-making.

Takeaways

• 😀 Printing and following the slides from Blackboard is essential for effective engagement in the session.
• 😀 Ethical decision-making begins with recognizing that a situation has moral content, which is not always obvious.
• 😀 People enter a distinct ethical judgment process once they recognize the moral nature of a situation.
• 😀 Ethical behavior may be influenced or hindered by individual cognitive biases, personality traits, and subconscious factors.
• 😀 Organizational factors such as culture and group processes also significantly impact ethical decision-making.
• 😀 Moral awareness is increased when peers recognize the ethical issue, the situation is presented in moral language, or the decision could cause serious harm to others.
• 😀 Sound ethical judgment involves gathering facts, defining ethical issues, and identifying affected parties.
• 😀 Considering consequences, obligations, and personal character or integrity is crucial for making ethical decisions.
• 😀 Creative exploration of alternative actions and checking intuitive or emotional responses strengthens ethical decision-making.
• 😀 The ethical decision-making process, though detailed, reflects steps people often take intuitively but should be applied consciously, especially in the workplace.
• 😀 The course will further explore organizational and individual factors that affect ethical decisions in upcoming segments.

Q & A

What is the first step in the ethical decision-making model discussed in the transcript?

The first step is recognizing that you are facing a moral issue, also referred to as moral awareness.

Why is moral awareness important in ethical decision-making?

Moral awareness is important because without recognizing that a situation has moral content, a person may act without considering ethical implications, leading to potentially unethical behavior.

What three factors increase the likelihood of recognizing a moral issue?

The three factors are: 1) Peer recognition of the moral content, 2) Use of moral language in presenting the issue, and 3) The potential for serious harm to others.

After moral awareness, what is the next phase in the ethical decision-making model?

The next phase is ethical judgment, where individuals engage in deliberate thinking to determine the right course of action.

What individual factors can affect ethical decision-making?

Individual factors include cognitive biases, personality traits, and subconscious influences that may impact how ethical decisions are made.

How can organizational characteristics influence ethical decision-making?

Organizational characteristics such as culture, group processes, and workplace norms can either facilitate or impede ethical behavior.

List the eight steps of sound ethical decision-making outlined in the transcript.

The eight steps are: 1) Gather the facts, 2) Define the ethical issues, 3) Identify the affected parties, 4) Consider the consequences, 5) Identify obligations, 6) Consider your character and integrity, 7) Think creatively about potential actions, 8) Check your gut.

Why is considering your character and integrity important in ethical decision-making?

It ensures that the decision aligns with moral principles and that the action would be consistent with the behavior of someone with good character or integrity.

What role does checking your gut play in ethical decision-making?

Checking your gut serves as a final emotional or intuitive check to see if the action feels morally right or wrong before taking it.

Why is it necessary to think creatively about potential actions?

Creative thinking helps explore alternative solutions and ensures that decisions are not made prematurely or based on obvious or limited options.

How does recognizing serious harm to others affect moral awareness?

The possibility of causing serious harm heightens moral awareness, making individuals more likely to recognize the ethical implications of their decisions.

Can ethical decision-making happen subconsciously according to the transcript?

Yes, much of ethical decision-making often happens subconsciously, but the course emphasizes making it explicit and conscious in professional settings.