Question

What is the best theory for you in terms of practical usefulness? Think about your current or future role as an administrator or clinician. Will you use any of these theorists in making decisions?

Answer 1

The best theory for me in terms of practical usefulness will be Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning because his theory is based on the moral dilemmas of people in making decisions. In his study he presented reasoning behind the decision made by people as they grew older by interviewing over 72 Chicago boys aged 10-16 years and each boy has given 2 hour interview based on ten dilemmas. Kohlberg was just interested in the reasons given for decisions made by boys.

He has identified three stages and each stage is associated with increasingly complex levels of moral development.

• Pre-conventional Morality: At this stage, children account for individual point of view and they believe to judge their actions on how they serve individual needs. A child with this morality has not adopted anything new by the society regarding what is right and what is wrong but they are focusing on external consequences that certain actions may bring.
• Conventional Morality: At this stage, child sense of morality is hitched with personal and societal relationships. They are continued to accept this rules of authority because they have a belief that this will be necessary to ensure positive relationships and societal order. Following the rules and convention is rigid during these stages.
• Post Conventional Morality: At this stage, the ideas of individual rights and social contract will cause people to think that some laws are unjust and should be eliminated or changed. They begin to make differences in values, opinions and beliefs of other people. Rules are important for the maintaining the society but the members of the society should be mutually agreed upon these standards.

Kohlberg’s final level of reasoning was that the people will follow these rules made by the society even if they are conflicting with laws and rules.

Role as an Administrator or Clinician

However, if I would think about my current and future role as an administrator or clinician then I will be experiencing different types of people in an organization who differ in the decision making process and giving different levels of reasoning behind those decisions. By utilizing Kohlberg’s Theory, it will help me to understand that how the managers and team members are making their decisions at different level of organization.

This theory will help me to understand my decision as well and how can I defend my position in the organization and also it will be helpful for me to determine the ethical nature or lack in the organization. By adopting this theory will enhance my decision making ability and will allow me to be more ethical and reasonable in making current or future decisions.

Using this Theory for making decisions

I will definitely use this theory for decision making as it will allow me to learn new things from good administrators or clinicians on how to make ethical and valuable decisions for the organization. Good leaders often use an approach to decision making that allows reasonable and moral decision for the group.