Workplace Ethics: Decision Making - Essay Example

Ethical Decision Making: According to the virtue ethics approach, the co-worker needs to be dealt with humanity and kindness because they are good traits to have in my personality. “Virtue ethics is an approach that deemphasizes rules, consequences and particular acts and places the focus on the kind of person who is acting (Garrett, 2005). The virtue ethics approach emphasizes upon the importance of human relations. If I were to follow the virtue ethics approach, I would do as the co-worker desires.

I have had good terms with him in the past and he has always done his part of the job. That essentially tells that he is a responsible person in general. Only that he is caught in an unexpected trouble does not mean that he should be held accountable for that, specially when he has told me that he would be there in the office within an hour. What is important is that I have a good rapport with him, and I should act in such a way that would maintain that. After all, I have to be a friend in need in order to be a friend indeed!

The utilitarian approach places emphasis upon the consequences of an action. It is essentially a consequential approach in which all that matters is how beneficial the consequences of a particular action are irrespective of the intentions with which the action was originally done (Russo, n.d.). If I were to evaluate my options with respect to the utilitarian approach, I would analyze the utility of adhering to the co-worker’s request vs rejecting his request. It almost seems obvious that if the co-worker stays away from the work for an hour, it is hardly going to make any difference.

After all, the co-worker could have wasted this much time in the toilet after having arrived at the workplace. The co-worker can easily make up for the loss of productivity, if any, of the missed hour later. Thus, I can say that it has no bad impact on the work. If I fulfill the request of the co-worker, it would save him four hours of pay. This will be a consequence worth going for. In addition to that, if I show him as present, it would keep his impression from tarnishing in the eyes of the employer.

This will also be a good consequence. Thirdly, by fulfilling his request, I shall be doing him a favor. This will not only improve my rapport with him, but also, he will owe me a favor in the future. After all, same things can happen with me and I would also not like to have four hours of pat cut from my salary. I would like to have somebody there for me in the time of need. My fulfillment of his request will earn me his sincerity which, to me, is a consequence worth going for. On the other hand, if I reject his request this is quite likely to ruin our mutual relations and understanding, which will not be a good consequence, Since, all the potential consequences of approving the co-worker’s request are positive, I would do as he says.

Fairness approach emphasizes that everyone needs to be dealt with equally and there should be no personal favors of any kind (Santa Clara University, 2010). In light of the fairness approach, I should fulfill such request of every co-worker whether or not I have a good rapport with him/her. I know that I would not like to do this favor to a co-worker whom I do not have much association with. Therefore, if I would not favor such a co-worker, I should also not favor this co-worker since the two are to be treated equally.

Thus, the fairness approach forbids me to adhere to the request of the co-worker. The common good approach asserts that life in a community is better than being isolated (Santa Clara University, 2010). In light of the community good approach, I should behave in such a way that would contribute to the building up pf my relations with the community. It is obvious that if I fulfill the request of the co-worker, I would be better able to socialize with him in the future. Rejection of his request would distort our mutual association and we would be isolated.

Therefore, I would fulfill the co-worker’s request in accordance with the demand of the community good approach. Since all approaches go in favor of the co-worker except for the fairness approach, I would rather go with the majority and would tell the co-worker not to worry as I would do as he requests. References: Garrett, (2005). Virtue Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.wku.edu/~jan.garrett/ethics/virtthry.htm. Russo, M. S. (n.d.). Utilitarianism in a Nutshell (or Why No One Likes a consequentialist).

Retrieved from http://www.molloy.edu/sophia/ethics/utilitarianism.htm. Santa Clara University. (2010). A Framework for Thinking Ethically. Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html.