HUMA 1745 Chapter 16: HUMA 1745 Chapter 16 Notes
1 May 2018
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HUMA 1745 Chapter 16 Notes – Summary
Introduction
• What is ethical in one culture may be unethical in another.
• For example, because bribery is more common in countries such as China, a Canadian
working in China might face a dilemma
• Should I pa a rie to seure usiess if it’s a aepted part of that outr’s ulture?
• Although soe opaies suh as IBM epliitl address this issue, a do’t.
• Without sensitivity to cultural differences in defining ethical conduct, organizations may
encourage unethical conduct without even knowing it.
• While the difference between an ethical and unethical decision is not always clear-cut,
there are some questions you should consider.
• Exhibit 12-6 illustrates a decision tree to guide ethical decision making.
• This tree is built on three of the ethical decision criteria—utilitarianism, rights, and
justice—presented above.
• The first question you need to answer addresses self-interest vs. organizational goals.
• The second question concerns the rights of other parties.
• If the deisio violates the rights of soeoe else (the perso’s right to priva, for
instance), then the decision is unethical.
• The final question that needs to be addressed relates to whether the decision conforms
to standards of fairness and equity.
• The department head who inflates the performance evaluation of a favored employee
and deflates the evaluation of a disfavored employee—and then uses these evaluations
to justify giving the former a big raise and nothing to the latter—has treated the
disfavored employee unfairly.
• Unfortunately, the answers to the questions in Exhibit 12-6 are often argued in ways to
make unethical decisions seem ethical.
• Powerful people, for example, can become very adept at explaining self-serving
ehaviours i ters of the orgaizatio’s est iterests.
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