Ethical Decision Making Process

Business Essentials

Standards and Essential QuestionsStandards BCS-BE-11: The student

compares and contrasts common ethical issues.

BCS-BE-12: The student evaluates personal responsibility of ethical behavior.

BCS-BE-13: The student investigates the relationship between ethics and law.

BCS-BE-14: The student derives the importance of employer/employee relationships.

BCS-BE-15: The student evaluates the impact of technology on business ethics.

Essential Questions What are ethics? What does it mean to be

ethical? How are ethical decisions

made? What impact do ethics have in

the workplace? What is social responsibility

and how does this affect business?

Step 1

Identify the ethical issue or problem.

What is the exact problem?

Step 2

List the facts that have the most bearing on the decision.

What facts are pressuring the decision?

Step 3

Identify Anyone who might be affected by your decision.

Who are they? Names?

Remember that making an ethical decision involves more people than just YOU!

Step 4

Explain what each affected person would want you do about the issue.

If they were making the decision what would they choose?

Step 5

List three alternatives actions and identify the best and worst case scenario for each alternative.

Who would be harmed by this choice? How? Any values compromised by selecting the

alternative? Any automatic reasons why this alternative

should be selected?

Step 5 continued

When trying to identify the best and worst case scenario ask yourself these questions? Is it against the law?Does it violate company or professional

policies? Even if everyone is doing it, how would I feel if

someone did this to me?Am I sacrificing long-term benefits for short-

term gains?

Step 6

Determine a course of action.

Decide what is right and/or best for the situation.

Business Scenario

A customer executive from Southeast Asia will visit your factory and meet with your executive team. Your independent Southeast Asian agent requests that you reimburse the customer for his expenses, including expenses that could violate your company's policies. The agent will reimburse you.

How do you proceed?

1. Problem2. Facts3. People Affected4. Affected Person

Want5. Alternative

Actions 6. Course of Action

1. Expense Reimbursement

2. Against Company Policy, Company will be reimbursed

3. SE Asian Executive, SE Asian Agent, & You

4. Both: Pay for it 5. Pay for it & not pay

for it6. Not pay for it

Closing Assignment

Steps for Making Ethical Decisions Assignment. Choose one Case Study to answer using the six steps to making ethical decisions.