Discussion: What Would You Do?

1

Read the scenario "A Clouded Promotion" and "A Trip to Seaward".Use a framework for thinking about what you would do in these scenarios.You can use the framework in your textbook found on page 267 starting with "Practical Suggestions for Making Ethical Decisions."You can also considerthis framework(Links to an external site.)

from theMarkkula Center for Applied Ethics(Links to an external site.)

and use it instead.The point is to utilize some kind of thought process for reaching your conclusion instead of just relying on your gut alone. What your gut tells you is important--science has somewhat proven that.But what your gut tells you should be tempered by rational thought.You want to be able to explain to your boss or colleagues why you reached the decision that you did.Of course, there is not always time to consider these kind of frameworks.In that situation, you can use the "New York Times test" to think quickly.Ask yourself, "How would I feel if my decision ended up on the front page of the New York Times?"

To summarize, you are to answer the following for each scenario:

• Define the ethical problems that exist
• State what you would do in each situation and explain your reasoning using the one of the frameworksprovided above