Ethical Decision Making in Everyday Work Situations

Mary E. Guy

mar 1990 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA

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This book takes a new approach to ethics by focusing on the kinds of dilemmas that confront people almost daily on the job. The author's unique contribution is to meld philosophy with everyday decisionmaking, offering the reader a common sense approach to making ethical decisions. Mary Guy introduces ten core values which surround ethical dilemmas, demonstrating the way in which personnel can sensitize themselves to the values involved in a problem and reach a solution which maximizes the important values. Real-life case examples illustrate ethical dilemmas that involve personnel practices, organizing strategies, reporting functions, supervisory practices, whistleblowing, and more. Throughout, the author emphasizes the kinds of concerns which confront the vast majority of employees--from ambitious entry-level personnel to top executives. Realistic in tone, the discussion acknowledges the inevitable need to make compromises, showing how to optimize ethical values situations that arise on the job and for which no formal rules exist.

In her introductory chapter, Guy defines ethics, clarifies the relationship between ethical behavior and morality, and presents the ten guiding values that serve as the foundation for ethical decisions. Turning to a focus on decisionmaking, she explores such issues as the theoretical framework for rational decisionmaking, rational decisionmaking in real life, the application of ethical analysis to decisionmaking, and the definition of ethical decisionmaking. The four subsequent chapters present case studies of problems that personnel commonly encounter. In each case, Guy examines the ethical issues involved, applies various scenarios for reaching an ethical decision, and demonstrates the tension that exists among ethical decisionmaking, coping with daily exigencies, and accommodating the preferences of stakeholders. The concluding chapter summarizes the relationship between ethics and decisionmaking and offers a prescription for ensuring ethical decisionmaking throughout the organization. Must reading for managers in business, government, and not-for-profit organizations, this book is also an excellent supplemental text for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in business and public administration.

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MARY E. GUY is Collins Professor of Public Administration at the Askew School of Public Administration & Policy, Florida State University. Her previous books include From Organizational Decline to Organizational Renewal (Quorum, 1989) and Professionals in Organizations (Praeger, 1985).