Question

Describe the five steps in an ethical analysis. Below are the guidelines of answer. DO NOT use guidelines below as the answer of question. Please use your own answer with provide example with each step.

Five steps

1. Identify and describe clearly the facts. Find out who did what to whom, and where, when, and how. In many instances, you will be surprised at the errors in the initially reported facts, and often you will find that simply getting the facts straight helps define the solution. It also helps to get the opposing parties involved in an ethical dilemma to agree on the facts.

2. Define the conflict or dilemma and identify the higher-order values involved. Ethical, social, and political issues always reference higher values. The parties to a dispute all claim to be pursuing higher values (e.g., freedom, privacy, protection of property, and the free enterprise system). Typically, an ethical issue involves a dilemma: two diametrically opposed courses of action that support worthwhile values. For example, the chapter-ending case study illustrates two competing values: the need to improve health care record keeping and the need to protect individual privacy.

3. Identify the stakeholders. Every ethical, social, and political issue has stakeholders: players in the game who have an interest in the outcome, who have invested in the situation, and usually who have vocal opinions. Find out the identity of these groups and what they want. This will be useful later when designing a solution.

4. Identify the options that you can reasonably take. You may find that none of the options satisfy all the interests involved, but that some options do a better job than others. Sometimes arriving at a good or ethical solution may not always be a balancing of consequences to stakeholders.

5. Identify the potential consequences of your options. Some options may be ethically correct but disastrous from other points of view. Other options may work in one instance but not in other similar instances. Always ask yourself, “What if I choose this option consistently over time?”

Answer 1

Ethics means moral principles that influence the behaviour of a person in conducting an activity. These principles help an individual in selecting morally correct action from various alternative actions. Ethical analysis is concerned with the examination of ethical issues confronted in a situation. Following are the five steps in the process of ethical analysis.

1. Defining the ethical problem.

First of all, we have to clearly define the ethical problem that we have confronted. It gives us clarity about an ethical problem that gives us a base in searching for solutions. An ethical problem should be defined on the basis of clear cut facts. For example: A company is facing serious financial troubles due to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and it wants to downsize its workforce. Here defining the problem means the company must have clarity regarding the size and nature of the financial crisis and downsizing.

2. Identification of alternatives.

Then the next step is to identify possible solutions for the ethical problems identified. Identification of alternatives for the ethical problems can be done with the assistance, guidance and support of mentors, coworkers, experts etc. In our example, we have different alternatives such as

• Termination of employees
• Reduction of Salary
• Reduction in the days of work
• Compulsory vacation etc.

3.Evaluation of various alternatives.

Once the alternatives are identified we have to thoroughly evaluate each of these alternatives. It should be done by considering the principles and values of the company, laws and regulations, ethical contexts involved in the matter etc. Consequences of each of the alternatives also need to be considered.

4.Selection and Implementation of the Ethical alternative.

After evaluating the problem from all the angles we should select the best alternative solution from among various alternatives identified. Once the best alternative is selected then we have to implement it in an efficient manner.

5. Evaluate the implemented decision.

Next, we have to keenly monitor the consequences of the ethical decision that we have selected. If any problem identified in the selected alternative we have to make a necessary changes immediately.