Ethical Decision Making

Step 1: Identify the Ethical Dimensions Embedded in the Problem

In the first step of the ethical decisionmaking process, the decision maker must be able to determine if an ethical analysis is required. The decision maker must determine if there is a possible violation of an important ethical principle, societal law, or organizational standard or policy or if there are potential consequences that should be sought or avoided that emanate from an action being considered to resolve the problem.

Step 2: Collect Relevant Information

The decision maker must collect the relevant facts to continue in the ethical decisionmaking process. Related to Step 1, if an ethical principle, such as an individual's right, is in jeopardy of being violated, the decision maker should seek to gather as much information as possible about which rights are being forsaken and to what degree. A consequential focus would prompt the decision maker to attempt to measure the type, degree, and amount of harm being inflicted or that will be inflicted on others.

Step 3: Evaluate the Information According to Ethical Guidelines

Once the information has been collected, the decision maker must apply some type of standard or assessment criterion to evaluate the situation. As described below, the decision maker might use one of the predominant ethics theories—utilitarianism, rights, or justice. Adherence to a societal law or organizational policy may be an appropriate evaluation criterion. Others may consider assessing the relevant information based on a value system where various ethical principles or beliefs are held in varying degrees of importance.

Step 4: Consider Possible Action Alternatives

The decision maker needs to generate a set of possible action alternatives, such as confronting another person's actions, seeking a higher authority, or stepping in and changing the direction of what is happening. This step is important since it is helpful to limit the number of actions that it may realistically be possible to respond to or that may be required to resolve the ethical situation.

Step 5: Make a Decision

In Step 5, the decision maker should seek the action alternative that is supported by the evaluation criteria used in Step 3. Sometimes there may be a conflict between the right courses of action indicated by different ethics theories, as shown later in the illustration provided. It might not be possible in all cases for a decision maker to select a course of action that is supported by all the ethics theories or other evaluation criteria used in the decisionmaking process.

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