Ethical Dilemma and Decision Making - Article Example

Ethical Dilemma and Decision Making

At this time businesses are closing down offices and places of work due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Because of the risks to spread the Virus both to employees and general customers as well, making it difficult for the manufacturing companies to generate revenue from the activities they are undertaking. Governments are advising the business owners and leaders to invent creative solutions that will help them to work from home, as it will be one of the ways that will help the companies to generate revenue and maintain paying salaries to their workers. This is creating an ethical dilemma for the business leaders on the right choices to undertake to make things back to normal. Should businesses restart? Or what kind of solutions needed? An ethical dilemma refers to deciding between two options, which are all possible, neither of which are encouraged from ethical actions. Sometimes individuals face different ethical and moral difficulties in life where most of them are relatively coming up with a final solution. And for the ethical dilemma, they are difficult challenges that solving is a process, and the abilities to find creative solutions on such occasions is essential for every individual (Corporate Finance Institute, 2015). This paper is discussing different types of decision-making models and theories that will help business leaders to invent creative solutions of doing business during this global crisis.

The rational decision-making model is one of the step business leaders should consider when deciding because this model is aiming at maximizing the quality of the outcome. For instance, for one to be sure of making the best choices, then following the formal steps of the rational decision-making model is essential. This includes identifying the problem and then causes secondly; it is crucial to establish a criterion for making the decision (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). For my ethical dilemma, the problem is that if the businesses are not closed down, employees will be at risk of getting the infection from one another; hence, it is essential to observe every individual's health by keeping them safe. Secondly, it will be necessary to decide how efficient the company will still operate by reducing the risk of infections among employees. This might lead to deciding to reduce the number of employees who will work at the manufacturing sites and assigning others jobs to perform from home, such as marketing and keeping the companies record (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). This will be a fair decision because at least employees will get their monthly stipend, and at the same time, the public will still get the manufacturing company's services.

A creative decision-making model is an essential part of the effectiveness of ethical decision making. Creativity consists of imaginative new ideas that improve competition among organizations or companies (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). Creativity is also a step of innovation which is involving realistic planning and follow-ups. In our dilemma, creative decision making is crucial as it will help the manufacturing companies find ways of manufacturing their products and selling to generate revenue. This also involves how they will be able to maintain their employees without trenching them. For this dilemma, telling manufacturing employees to work from home is a problem because they won't manufacture companies' products at home. Identifying a creative solution such as aligning employees according to shift so that few employees can work at a time, will help to minimize the risk of the virus spread (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). Maintaining social distancing even though the production rate will reduce. Still, it is better than closing down and sending employees home as they will be affected economically.

The intuitive decision-making model is a situation of deciding without conscious objectives, in many organizations, managers like using intuitive to make the decision. In most cases, managers make decisions under challenging situations, including under pressure or during a changing condition (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). Thus, this makes them use intuitive decision-making models most often. In the case of our dilemma, using an intuitive decision-making model makes sense because of the pressure put by government institutions to close down their businesses and send their employees to work from home (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). It will be hard for the employee to work from home for manufacturing companies because they don't have machines that could process their products at home. And because the government guidelines pressure the managers, they will have to send their employees home by making an intuitive decision-making model.

Duty ethic theory is among the tools used in business when deciding when the means are justifying the end. This theory is stating that Duty is an obligation that exists as a moral or legal way. An ethic on Duty tells us based on legal laws what we should do, and it is the responsibility of business leaders to follow the legal rules (Brusseau, 2011). There are situations of decisions in business that are right while some are wrong. And this is the main strength of an ethic in business to know how to make the right decisions that will not impact immoral outcomes. Under this circumstance of ethics, we can justify an action by the consequence of the good it produces. In our ethical dilemma, government policies require manufacturing companies to close down their premises and send employees to work from home. Applying the theory of Duty ethic is significant because it will help managers make the ethical decisions to protect their employees by following government directives of closing down the businesses (Brusseau, 2011). On the other hand, the managers also have Duty to present their creative thoughts on minimizing the Virus's spread through their employees and Customers. This will include providing their employees with protective wear, including masks, and setting up handwashing stations to curb the spread of COVID-19 in manufacturing companies.

In ethics, what is important is the consequences of what will happen after making a specific ethical decision. Individuals who believe that ethics should be about the consequences are called consequentialists (Brusseau, 2011). The ethical theory of consequentialism is used in judging the wrong and right thing by presenting the consequences. For example, many managers and business leaders will agree that opening up their businesses during this crisis is wrong. Not only will employees be in danger of attracting COVID-19, but the customers will also be in danger. But if opening down the businesses will be a bridge of saving the nation's economy and helping to save people's lives, consequentialism supports it as the right thing to do. Consequentialism theory can be applied in our ethical dilemma when deciding on the right thing to do to impact employees' lives (Brusseau, 2011). For instance, managers or business leaders can use this theory to open up manufacturing industries and businesses by adhering with all the guidelines such as wearing masks and keeping social distance in the mid of saving the economy and providing needed services to the customers without risking lives of employees and customers.

Cultural relativism's ethical theory understands someone's beliefs, values, and practices based on their own culture rather than judging an individual against others' view (Brusseau, 2011). According to cultural relativists, accepting the rule is distinguished through what is right by comparing other places, as sometimes keeping faith in morality is becoming difficult. For the case of our dilemma, it is hard for both the business and the employees to manage up making revenues if the businesses are closed down. Hence despite the legality of government measures in closing down the businesses, it is important to apply the theory of Cultural relativism by creatively find the right way of protecting business revenue (Brusseau, 2011). For instance, instead of thinking that lockdown is disgusting and many people will lose their jobs and economies will be broken, one should ask why some other countries are locking down their businesses and sending employees to work from home. Therefore, in solving our ethical dilemma, it is essential to apply the theory of cultural relativism because basing our decisions to understand others' aesthetic concerns will help us not risk anyone’s life amidst making money for the organizations.

In this decision, the creative decision-making model is the best model to use. It gives room for new imaginative ideas that will enhance an organization's improvement or the manufacturing companies. Creativity is also a step of innovation which is involving realistic planning and follow-ups. In the case of our ethical dilemma, creative decision-making mode will help the managers decide the best approaches employed in maintaining business while protecting employees and customers (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). This can be done by providing personal protective wear to the employees, including masks and up roans. Secondly, setting up water points for washing hands for the customers will reduce the spread of COVID-19 and maintain the businesses into function.

In this decision, the ethical theory of cultural relativism is the best theory to use because decisions are made based on other cultures' consequences. This theory does not require making decisions basing on what we think to be right or wrong (Brusseau, 2011). In the case of our dilemma, the manufacturing companies' managers will go ahead and close down their business for the required lockdown period and, if possible, send their employees to work from home. It is essential to apply the theory of cultural relativism because basing our decisions in understanding others' aesthetic concerns will help us not risking anyone's life amidst making money for the organizations.

Instead of closing down the market, which will make many employees lose their jobs, customers lack services, and the manufacturing company to incur losses because they are not making any revenue. I would suggest reducing the number of employees working on-site and providing them with personal protective wears, including a mask and up roan. This will reduce the spread of disease amongst the employees (Brusseau, 2011). Secondly, I would install water points for handwashing for the customers and have policies that protect social distancing by accepting one client on the business premises. If all these measures are applied to the fullest, the client and employees will benefit by maintaining the business revenue.

The lessons learned in making ethical decisions as a leader who is directed by the respect of the ethical beliefs and principles for the importance and dignity of human rights. Leadership decisions are mainly related to moral development and ethical behaviours. As a leader, it always good to lead by example in building an ethical company starting from top to down (Corporate Finance Institute, 2015). As a leader, I have also learned that it is essential to make ethical decisions because employees will always adapt their leaders' behaviours, choices, and values to their practices. To lead effectively, an ethical leader needs to lead by example by giving direct principles to the people they lead. This will help to instil respect and let employees see how the moral leader believes in them.

A creative decision-making model is an essential part of the effectiveness of ethical decision making. Creativity consists of imaginative new ideas that improve competition among organizations or companies (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). Creativity is also a step of innovation which is involving realistic planning and follow-ups. In our dilemma, creative decision making is crucial as it will help the manufacturing companies find ways of manufacturing their products and selling to generate revenue. This also involves how they will be able to maintain their employees without trenching them. For this dilemma, telling manufacturing employees to work from home is a problem because they won't manufacture companies' products at home. Identifying a creative solution such as aligning employees according to shift so that few employees can work at a time, will help to minimize the risk of the virus spread (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). Maintaining social distancing even though the production rate will reduce. Still, it is better than closing down and sending employees home as they will be affected economically.

The intuitive decision-making model is a situation of deciding without conscious objectives, in many organizations, managers like using intuitive to make the decision. In most cases, managers make decisions under challenging situations, including under pressure or during a changing condition (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). Thus, this makes them use intuitive decision-making models most often. In the case of our dilemma, using an intuitive decision-making model makes sense because of the pressure put by government institutions to close down their businesses and send their employees to work from home (Bauer & Erdogan, 2009). It will be hard for the employee to work from home for manufacturing companies because they don't have machines that could process their products at home. And because the government guidelines pressure the managers, they will have to send their employees home by making an intuitive decision-making model.

Duty ethic theory is among the tools used in business when deciding when the means are justifying the end. This theory is stating that Duty is an obligation that exists as a moral or legal way. An ethic on Duty tells us based on legal laws what we should do, and it is the responsibility of business leaders to follow the legal rules (Brusseau, 2011). There are situations of decisions in business that are right while some are wrong. And this is the main strength of an ethic in business to know how to make the right decisions that will not impact immoral outcomes. Under this circumstance of ethics, we can justify an action by the consequence of the good it produces. In our ethical dilemma, government policies require manufacturing companies to close down their premises and send employees to work from home. Applying the theory of Duty ethic is significant because it will help managers make the ethical decisions to protect their employees by following government directives of closing down the businesses (Brusseau, 2011). On the other hand, the managers also have Duty to present their creative thoughts on minimizing the Virus's spread through their employees and Customers. This will include providing their employees with protective wear, including masks, and setting up handwashing stations to curb the spread of COVID-19 in manufacturing companies.

In ethics, what is important is the consequences of what will happen after making a specific ethical decision. Individuals who believe that ethics should be about the consequences are called consequentialists (Brusseau, 2011). The ethical theory of consequentialism is used in judging the wrong and right thing by presenting the consequences. For example, many managers and business leaders will agree that opening up their businesses during this crisis is wrong. Not only will employees be in danger of attracting COVID-19, but the customers will also be in danger. Read More