Criteria for Ethical Decision Making in Managerial Situations

Abstract

Managers have a variety of tools at their disposal to analyze the impact of alternative courses of action on costs, revenues, and profits. Both short term and long term implications can be examined through sophisticated computer models, elaborate forecasting techniques, and complex algorithms designed to explore every financial aspect of a decision. On the other hand, there are no comparable techniques available to examine the ethical implications of a proposed course of action.This paper outlines an approach to help managers incorporate ethical considerations into the decision making process. A series of tests are developed which are based on ethical concepts proposed by moral philosophers and other authors over the years. The ethical tests can be effective in conveying an understanding of the ethics of a given action since the decision is framed in terms which are familiar to managers. The tests can thus form the basis for informed judgment in a business situation. The ethical tests are applied to three examples of ethical dilemmas that occur frequently and transcend many types of businesses. These are conflicts of interest, bribery, and the issue of bluffing and deception. The examples illustrate how the tests can be used to aid in the systematic review of the ethical dimensions of many business problems.