Ethics, Morality, Individual and Professional Conflicts - Essay Example

?Literature Synthesis Lecturer: DBA Ethics Week Literature Synthesis: Saleh Alothman Ethics, morality and individual conflicts in individual and professional live. Are there materials and landscapes focusing on this conundrum? My take on this module is that I like the slippery slope of ethics, morality and reasoning every week when discussion eliciting their true meaning arise. These words are significant terminologies to the society and thus the framework that supports them. The question is which framework? May be culture and socio economic issues exist. We may also seek to know if age and gender influence moral reasoning. The readings this week in connection to external research provides greater insights, opinions and probable avenues. In some cases, immense confusion arises in assessing the ethical situation and determining moral wrong and right. To begin with, the most straight forward in many instances is the irrational interpretation or the puzzle of choices. They all provide a higher desire for reflexive introspection as opined or reasoning through a moral compass to establish and justify moral wrong and right (Cunliffe, 2004). (DeGeorge, 1992; Marnburg, 2001; and Vitell 1987). Many authors agree that moral reasoning, ethics, socially acceptable and responsible judgments are categorized into two ways; the more personal or individual against those tending to be cultural and prefer approved groupings. Ordinarily, business comprise groups and people where over time ethical and moral factors prevail irrespective of personal or business circumstances. Through history, DeGeorge (1987) cites five business ethics evolution stages; a) Religious and theologically motivated ( before up to 1960) b) Changing mores and free-thinking (1960-1970) c) Global unpredictability, conflicts and rise in level of communications (1970s) d) Global impacts, sophisticated society and use of technology (early 1980s) e) Rapid change in the above (late 80s and beyond) The change in personal mores and standard business practices have changed with time, through trends indicating increased influence in what is generally acceptable or not. Problems of a rapid fast growing technology are in the interconnection of instant communications where the idea of business blurs stems from olden times to the current age. Four spheres for executives are provided by Badaracco (1992) who reiterated about looking for the morally correct paths to be followed and at all times. The paper produced by Badaracco (1992) indicates the difficulty of this discourse. One suitable example of the problems people or businesses regards as morally acceptable are drug, RU 486. These drugs preferred for pregnancy and termed ‘morning-after’ pill are associated with follow-on abortions which is literally chemical abortion. Pro-choice advocates emphasize that the pill epitomizes safety and civilization and a solution to reject pregnancy. However, pro-life advocates term it as morally evil ‘tool’ that abets abortion. It is known that society consists of two moral compasses: those favoring pro-choice and others prefer pro-life approaches. They rely on their perspectives and actions where one can be acceptable or detestable morally. This puzzle is demonstrated in diverse circumstances and also in a myriad of cultural activities. This deviation or interpretation spectra give rise to massive challenges. According to McDonald (2010), the spectrum relates to ethical relativism against ethical absolutism. The issues arising here is whether some things are relative and wide in interpretation as opposed to others that are fairly absolute. For instance, reprimanding for killing another person is a rule acceptable morally to the masses. However, historically this has been a focal point of standard and acceptable behavior. This is evident from the aftermath of genocide resulting from conflicts in Africa and Eastern Europe in recent decades. According to Lewis (1985), ethics engenders formidable paths for contemplation in application of graphical message (in topic: “nailing Jello to a wall”) meaning it is difficult to provide definition ethical norms and behaviors management. These are possible in behavioral sciences and the challenges that are difficult to describing institutions. The guiding mores and the current deviation of judgment and individual perception characterize the dynamic masses (Newton, 1986). A number of people fail to tone their perceptions or feelings and thus creating even bigger contention (Waters and Bird, 1987; Cooke, 1986; Boyd, 1987; Beversluis, 1987 ;). Majority of institutions have gullible employee actions to a state where their actions are institutionalized and justified. They regard the moral scope describing their behavior as warranted. In contrast, society evaluating the institution cannot imagine the justification of this scenario. Ponder a little on Enron Company, Lehman Brothers, and Anderson Consulting being the late entrants into this moral fiasco. In an international perspective, global aroma has exciting cultural norms. For instance, Chinese culture is not tolerable in the Western countries thus soliciting favors, manipulation or purchasing access to principal executives in undertaking business. For instance, in China this culture is tolerable and the prince lings provide this service. Taken from a western perspective, it is a bribe going by the ’soft’ definition. As noted by McDonald, 2010, it is up for debate as elaborated by three papers discussing various options (that highly satisfactory behavior is analogous to other traits in business institutions (Australians vs. South Africans) as established in Higgs, Abratt, and Nel (1992); although probably slanted as in extreme vs. highly centrist kind of queries that were requested. Also, Izaraeli (1998) assessed Israeli vs. US managers (where n=97, the sample perhaps was very small for a generalized finale to be made regarding a Country versus Country). It had comparable outcomes provided by Higgs, and Abratt, Nel (1992) document. The nationwide cultural representation model adopted by Hoffman (1998), points to an inconsistency that I etch to more and endeavor, in a world is the sophisticated work environment provided in the paper by Kenney (1987). It is an ethical predicament existing between industries and universities in mutual interconnections. The idea that absolutism versus relativism (McDonald, 2010) is tough to measure especially in my work practice of advanced science & technologies. Kenney (1987) argues in a paper that one individual in a function may be morally right. However, another working in the academia may be absolutely immoral. This point out to the constant change as described in the statement: “… some conflict of attention often flourish … in diverse instances the moral norm or social situation of the actor is provided where the deed is seen to be ethical, moral or not present… as a case in point for a business individual to not engage with a horrible client is okay and yet a university professor continues to teach students simply because she gets the student detestable” (Kenney, p. 127, 1987). The direction of this argument offers a diverse standard measures (relative versus absolute) or the highly centrist and modest analysis of approvals. The additional significant and agile contributions in this week’s appraisals and in my supplementary studies, propose fundamentally, that people, institutions and groups handle this predicament in one of both methods: adopt an option process that permits for extensive scrutiny, significant investigation of options (Cunliffe, 2004; Barry, 1979; Cooke, 1986;) and Boyd, 1987; which gives diverse stimuli and the contribution that can alter the image of the condition or offer greater precision to the circumstances. This may be offering a more desirous procedure for which highly polarized people, groups or institutions can seek cooperation or general ground. The other procedure is to permit a more centered arrangement taken from society and endeavor to have the boundaries resolved as they are made so as probable pitfalls that are morally problematic are unraveled, argued and resolved. This appears acceptable on the face value, but comprises other challenges as centrist situation may be prejudiced in analysis and persons can debate existence of right and wrong or what is acceptable or poor judgment. In summary, the insignificant proportion of mentioned literature based on the outline of a model is focused:  This latter method considers people who are lopsided on an subject or theme then tackling it, most probably from their pre-approved situation versus the previous methodology that claims, you are what you are due to your values, but again consider the situation, the consequences, what is public domain or unknown. How does this satisfy or inhibit from seeking after outputs as persons, clusters or the institutions in general? This idea of impulsive conciliation runs throughout a higher cognitive dispensation that provides fascinating deliberation. I anticipate that this unit will assist me as a practitioner, intellectual and assisting in judging right, wrong or shared platform in the actions I commit to do. Read More