Topic: Ethical Decision Making Model: A Case Study



Topic: Ethical Decision Making Model: A Case Study

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Behaviour Observed: Student’s participation in group work

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Ethical Decision Making Name:

Problem Recognition:

• Students have looked at the situation, identified the actors, the benefits and harms to each actor, the rights that may be exercised and the rights that may be denied by each affected party.

5 4 3 2 1

Identification of Alternative Courses of Action:

• Students have thought of a variety of courses of action to the situation or ethical dilemma.

5 4 3 2 1

Evaluation of Alternative Courses of Action:

• Students have considered the following questions in their evaluations:

1. Which alternative course of action respects the rights and dignity of the affected parties and can be universally applied.

2. Which alternative course of action will produce the most good and the least harm?

3. Which course of action will allow you to be at peace with yourself, proud of your decision, and confident that it would be defensible?

4. Which course of action violates no cultural norms, mores, or laws?

5 4 3 2 1

Estimation of Probabilities:

• Students have identified consequences that have a relatively high probability of occurring.

5 4 3 2 1

Calculation of Expected Values:

• Students have calculated the expected results of the various alternatives.

5 4 3 2 1

Justification of the Course of Action Chosen:

• Students express themselves in a coherent, comprehensive and defensible manner.

5 4 3 2 1

Ethical Decision Making

• Step One: Problem Recognition

Gather information to identify the decisions and issues that are involved in the situation. Look at the situation and identify the actors, the benefits and harms to each actor, the rights that may be exercised and the rights that may be denied by each affected party.

• Step Two: Identification of Alternative Courses of Action

This requires creative thinking. You must analyze not only the obvious and the possibly conflicting courses of action in the situation or ethical dilemma, but also think of other possible options to creatively resolve the dilemma.

• Step Three: Evaluation of Alternative Courses of Action

You must consider the following questions:

1. Which alternative course of action respects the rights and dignity of the affected parties and can be universally applied.

2. Which alternative course of action will produce the most good and the least harm?

3. Which course of action will allow you to be at peace with yourself, proud of your decision, and confident that it would be defensible?

4. Which course of action violates no cultural norms, mores, or laws?

• Step Four: Estimation of Probabilities

Consider the consequences of each alternative course of action. Try to identify consequences that have a relatively high probability of occurring.

• Step Five: Calculation of Expected Values

Consider financial, ethical and other costs and benefits of each alternative course of action.

• Step Six: Justification of the Course of Action Chosen

It is necessary to express your decision in a coherent, comprehensive, and defensible manner. You must explain the details of how the ethical issues involved were weighed in order to reach the most ethical decision possible. You must also reflect on the consequences of the decision in order to assess your decision and learn what can be done differently next time.

Professional Development Plan Template

Topic ___________________________ Date ______________________________

Teacher _________________________ Observer___________________________

|Professional Target |Steps to Achieve Target |

|Preparation and Debriefing |I will ensure that the students understand the ethical decision |

| |making process. |

| |Students will have 10 minutes to debrief the case and the |

| |decision making process. |

| |Students will reflect on the case and the decision making |

| |process. |

1. Instructions for the Observer: Please record the following.

Data Collection:

1. List the questions I asked or the activities I initiated to prepare the students for the case study assignment.

2. What opportunities did I provide for students to share their thoughts and ideas about the case study?

3. What opportunities did I provide for students to share their thoughts and ideas about the ethical decision making process?

4. What questions did I ask that allowed students to reflect on the case and the ethical decision making process?

Ethical Decision Case

Kevin Baker, President of United Health Media Services (UHMS), is considering banning smoking on the company premises. UHMS is a public health publishing and media company located in Bloomington, Indiana. Mr. Baker (age 48, a non smoker, likes supported facts, is concerned about employees’ opinions, and checks employee attitudes on various topics) feels a smoking ban may reflect society’s values about good health. In addition, Mr. Baker is concerned about at 21% increase in insurance premiums at UHMS. Furthermore, Mr. Baker thinks banning smoking in the workplace will help the company project a more positive image (after all, UHMS is in the public health education and media business).

Besides considering a smoking ban in the workplace, Mr. Baker wonders whether he should prohibit employee smoking all together. He read about the Weyco case (a Michigan based benefits services company that requires its employees to quit smoking, or else lose their jobs) in the news. Mr. Baker thinks Howard Weyers’s (Weyco’s President) reasoning that “smokers drive up health care costs and are less productive” makes sense; however, Mr. Baker is not sure about the ethical and legal ramifications of such a decision. Mr. Baker has asked you, the Director of Employee Relations, to investigate the effects of smoking and second hand smoke, smoking ban related legislation and programs, and the feasibility and ethicality of a hiring/firing rule base on smoking habits. He wants a formal report containing your analysis and recommendations.

You administered a questionnaire to all 412 company employees in order to obtain information about employee current smoking habits and attitudes towards smoking. Eighty percent pf the questionnaires were completed and returned. An analysis of the date show that 27% of the make employees currently smoke, and 13% of the female employees smoke. More importantly perhaps, is the fact that 41% of those employees who smoke have submitted smoking related health insurance claims during the previous year, while only 9% of the non smokers submitted smoking related claims in the same period. Almost half (43%) of the smokers have tried to quit without success. Attitudes about smoking restrictions at the workplace and beyond are mixed, but with smokers predictably favouring less restriction on their smoking habits and non smokers favouring more restrictions.

Source: Journal of Applied Research for Business Instruction. Volume 4, Issue 3, 2006.

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