The Concept of Ethical Decision Making
Discuss about the Ethical Decision Making And Its Relation To Effective Managerial Practice.
Ethical decision making can be described as the process of evaluation which includes choosing the alternatives that are consistent with the ethical principles (Redpath, S. M., Young, J., Evely, A., Adams, W. M., Sutherland et al., 2013). The authors Taylor, Doherty and McGraw (2015) are of the opinion that during the process of ethical decision making, it is important to eliminate and perceive the unethical options and also select the ethical perspectives. However, Ford and Richardson (2013), on the other hand, are of the opinion that it is also important to consider whether there are overriding factors in the decisions. Other factors that are taken into consideration during the process of ethical decision comparing the different benefits which different approaches for the same process would yield (Ford & Richardson,2013). Decision-making factors that leaders consider before making a decision are reasoning and it also indicates whether to make their decision public or not. The problems related to the ethical decision making arises when the leaders need to decide whether they follow the course of action which is beneficial not only for the organisation and the people related to it or they should focus on the actions which are likely to further enhance the profit margin of the organisation concerned (Meier, Favero & Zhu, 2015). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the managerial decisions in the present times involve ethical considerations as well. It is also important that the managers recognise the ethical decisions that are embedded in the day to day functions. Furthermore, the managers should take into consideration the fact that the decisions made by them should be in synchronisation not only with the ethical theories but also with the various legislations (Shapiro, Stefkovich & Gutierrez, 2014).
The structure of the essay will be based on the brief review of the literature which will focus on certain aspects like concept of ethical decision making and its relation to effective managerial practice; the capabilities and the skills that are necessary for the ethical decision making; a discussion of how personality relates to the good ethical decision making. The essay will also include an evaluation of the 3 questionnaires: big five questionnaires, emotional intelligence and stress management questionnaire. A thorough plan will be laid out that will specify the individual goals and will be done by SMART goal framework.
Leadership Traits and Ethical Decision Making
The ethical dimension of an executive leader is considered to be vital due to the potential of the executive to influence the employee and also the organizational behaviour. The changing nature of the business world has made it imperative not only to focus on the amount of profit which they generate on yearly basis but also to try to make a positive contribution towards the cause of the environment and the wider community (Taylor, Doherty & McGraw, 2015). It is here that the concept of ethical decision making gains significance within the framework of the modern day business world. Therefore, it is generally seen that the various managers as well as the leaders related to a particular organisation are often in a dilemma as to the course of action which they need to follow for the process of their business. On the one hand, the various managers are required to take the kind of decisions which are not only to enhance the margin of profit gained by the concerned organisation whereas on the other hand they are also required to take the kind of decisions which are not only ethical but also fair (Taylor, Doherty & McGraw, 2015). Thus, it would be apt to say that the concept of ethical decision making process has gained a considerable amount of significance in the present times.
The five major personality traits which are useful for the purpose of ethical leadership are conscientiousness, agreeableness, experience or openness, extraversion and neuroticism (Cavazotte, Moreno & Hickmann, 2012). According to a study conducted by Özba? (2016), the concept of neuroticism is found to have a negative effect on the process of ethical leadership and also on the perception of the employees. Christian and Ellis (2014) are also of the opinion that the traits of conscientiousness, agreeableness and experience and openness are important for the process of ethical leadership. It has been suggested by Pohling et al., (2016) the process of ethical leadership has emerged as one of the most important ones within the framework of the contemporary business and it is a reflection off this particular fact that the various leaders as well as the managers related to the various organisations are increasingly taking the help of this particular concept to not only lead the various entities related to the organisation in the most effective manner but also for the management of them. The authors are further of the opinion that the concept of ethical decision is very important for the performance level of the employees as it is generally seen that if a manager or a leader takes help of this particular decision then he or she is likely to improve the performance level of the employees in a significant manner. The use of the concept of ethical decision making also helps in the creation of a positive environment at the workplace which in turn considerably helps in the improvement of the performance of the employees in a significant manner (Taylor, Doherty & McGraw, 2015). Therefore, it can be said that the use of the concept of ethical decision making has become an imperative one for the various managers as well as leaders in the contemporary business world not for the effective management of the individuals who are related to the organisation but also for the improvement of the prospects of the concerned organisation (Taylor, Doherty & McGraw, 2015).
Ethical Theories Used by Organizations
In the present times it is seen that various kinds of ethical theories for the process decision making has gained prominence. The major ethical theory which the various organisations as well as the managers who are related to them take the help of not only for the process of their business but also to justify the actions used by them for the process of the enhancement of the net profit gained by them is the ethical theory of Kantianism (Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). The particular theory believes in the concept that “the end justifies the means taken to achieve that particular end” (Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). Therefore, the various business organisations of the present times as well as the diverse managers related to them take the help of this particular method to justify the use of the unethical means used by them for the process of the enhancement of the net profit gained by them. However, other scholars are of the opinion that the various organisation of the present times should try to take the help the help of the ethical theory of Utilitarianism (Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). According to this particular theory the various organisations of the present times should try to take the help of the kind of actions which is not only likely to provide the maximum benefit to the organisation concerned but also to the other people (Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). It is a reflection of this particular factor that the concept of the positive contribution towards the society as well as the community has gained a considerable amount of significance in the present times. Furthermore, it is generally seen that the use of this particular theory also helps in the creation of positive image for the organisation which in turn has gained prominence in the present times.
The recent changes within the framework of the contemporary business world has made t imperative for the various organisations as well as the managers related to them to take the help of various kinds of innovative decision making processes. The most commonly used method of ethical decision making process which the majority of the business organisations as well as the managers related to them take the help is the process of first weighing all the positive as well as the negative aspects of the decision which is being made and then trying to find out all the alternatives which the organisation has for the same decision (Yidong & Xinxin, 2013). Finally, the managers choose the best course of action which is available to them which is not only likely to enhance the financial prospects of the organisation but also would contribute to the benefit to the maximum number of people. It is significant to note that in the present times it is generally seen that the various managers as well as the leaders take the help as well as the suggestions of their colleagues and the individuals whom the decision is likely to affect in a significant manner. Liew (2013) is of the opinion that the current framework of decision making ethically has various shortcomings and limitations. Liew based his study on the considerations of moral competencies and that is designated as the moral virtues. The study also highlights the moral characters and how it contributes to the ethical decision making. The study analysed the four moral competencies and its universal nature like the temperance, fortitude, justice and prudence and how these competencies influence the different stages of ethical decision making. It was proposed by Morales-Sánchez & Cabello-Medina (2013), that the moral character, moral motivation, moral judgement and moral sensitivity have a positive impact on the ethical decision making. It was argued by Thiel, Bagdasarov, Harkrider, Johnson & Mumford(2012), thatthe organizational leaders facepressures and environmental challenges that put the managers under the ethical risk. It has been found that the traditional methods of the ethical decision making are not sufficient to respond accurately to the ethical dilemmas. Four compensatory and trainable strategies like the information integration, forecasting, self-reflection, emotion reflection are found to be aiding the leaders in handling the ethical dilemmas within the organizations. It was suggested by Craft (2013), that empirical researchers and examination have demonstrated that effective implementation of the strategies has aided the leaders to solve the ethical dilemmas and also helped in promoting the ethical behaviour.
Innovative Decision-Making Processes
Yidong & Xinxin (2013) suggested that the process of ethical decision making is being used by the various organisations as well as the managers related to the various industries to make the kind of decisions which can significantly enhance the brand image of the organisation. Therefore, the concept of ethical decision making process is being used by the various organisations to broaden up the corporate and the individual priorities also the shareholder enrichment and profit. The ethical factors influence the leaders to make sound decisions so that the organization can be protected from unethical behaviour. Emmett Emery (2017), conducted a study in which the Drucker theory of management is used as a framework for the study and 98 participants participated. It has been found that the decision-making skill exits within the practising and knowing the decision-making skills. Hassan, Mahsud, Yukl & Prussia (2013), argued through a study on empowering leadership and the ethical leadership. Data from the 259 responders who worked as public and private senior managers were collected. The results from the findings indicate that the empowering leadership and ethical leadership have a positive relationship with the leader-member exchange relations, a perception of leader-member effectiveness and leader effectiveness. Hunt, Layton & Prince (2015), suggested that both the practitioners and the researchers have shown an interest in the ethical decision making in the workplace. This study focuses on an extra dimension and examines the ethical group’s decision making changed along with the function of time and racial diversity. DeGrassi, Morgan, Walker, Wang & Sabat (2012), held the fact that the heterogeneous group are more likely to make ethical decisions in comparison to the homogeneous groups.
The ethical decision making is a vital part of the diverse business organizations from the perspective of the employee management. This effectively includes the managers and senior leaders of an organization and their emphasis on the ethical principles and the ethical standards play a major role in the ethical decision making. The personality traits of the leaders and the managers together play a big role in ethical decision making and in turn, such decisions influence the employees of an organization.
The evaluation is based on the 3 different types of the questionnaires like the big 5, emotional intelligence and stress management questionnaire. The detailed summary and analysis are provided in the appendix section.
Big 5 Personality Test- The questionnaire has 5 different factors or dimension (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness). The extraversion dimension describes a person to be energized when they stay with other rather when they are alone. Extraverts are the people that are socialized with others while the introverts are the ones that prefer to spend time alone. The score indicates that I am average in my motivation and I seek for the social rewards. I also have the desire for prestige, influence, admiration. The results also indicate that I become content when receive recognition from others. In agreeableness, the score reveals that I am typical because I balance interests of others with my own interests. I am willing to sacrifice my needs for some time but at the same time, I consider myself for a bit. Conscientiousness- the score reveals that I an organized and orderly. I consider myself to be responsible and reliable. I do not mind the hard work and I prefer to be persistent in pursuing my goals. Neuroticism- the score indicates that I am very typical and I have the tendency to experience the negative emotions. I feel guilt, anger, worry and sadness like an average person. I am neither overly reactive nor resistant to the stresses. Openness- the score reveals that I am high on openness and I consider myself to be creative and an imaginative person. I am interested in artistic expression and intellectual expression. I am also unconventional and adventurous.
Stress management competency indicator tool- The results of all the 4 competencies are below the 75 percent. This tool is designed for effectively reducing and preventing stress at the workplace. The aim of the tool is to reflect upon one’s own management style and behaviour. The four competencies are all in the “development needed” condition. The score reveals that I would be befitting from some development in these areas. The first competency is being responsible and respectful (having integrity and managing emotions), the sub-competency that needs to be developed is integrity, managing emotions and also need the sub-competency of considerate approach. The second competency is communicating and managing the existing and the future work through developing the sub-competencies of empowering, participative, problem-solving and proactive work management. The fourth competency is managing individuals in a team includes the development of the individuals in the sub-competencies of personally accessible, sociable and empathetic engagement. The fourth competency is reasoning and managing the difficult decisions through developing the competencies of the managing conflict, using the organizational resources and taking the responsibility for resolving the issues.
Emotional intelligence- The total score is 53 and this reveals that my emotional intelligence is average. The results indicate that I will have good relationships with some of the colleagues, but there are other colleagues with whom I will have difficulty to work with since I will be having difficulty to comprehend the emotions of the other people at the workplace. The average score indicates that I am on the self regulation section and therefore I need to work on this particular aspect of my character. The good part of the test is that it revealed that I will have an opportunity in improving the working relationship significantly. The self-awareness section reveals that I need to understand my weakness and strengths in order to build my self-awareness. I personally believe that a personal SWOT would be helpful in this particular regard.
Self-regulation- Self-regulation is about staying in control and in order to development myself I need to manage my emotions. Thus, if I get angry I must think about what triggers this feeling. I must use techniques like deep breathing for anger management. Motivation-self-motivation is strongly affected by my emotions. Empathy- I must try not to about my own feelings during any conservation. Social skills- I do not run away from the negative situation and rather deal with them effectively.
The two major goals selected for the study is development of emotional intelligence and communication skills. The two goals will be achieved by the SMART goal framework.
SMART goal framework is used for the purpose of making the goal reachable and clear. The SMART is an acronym and S stands for Specific (significant, sensible and simple), Measurable (motivating and meaningful), Achievable (attainable and agreed), Relevant (results based, resourced and realistic, reasonable), Time-bound (time sensitive, cost/time-limited, time-limited, time-based) (Mindtools, 2018).
First goal (emotional intelligence)-
The score which I got on the emotional intelligence test is 53 which mean that I need to develop this particular skill. I would like to comment in this particular context the development of emotional intelligence is a very wide and would require a considerable amount of time for the achievement of this particular goal. Therefore, initially I would focus on the development of my self-awareness.
Specific
I would like to accomplish the quality of a person who will be able to have the qualities of self-awareness and will be able to work with the other individuals in an effective manner. This goal is important because self-awareness is the most crucial part of our life. Therefore, for the achievement of this particular goal I would have to take the help of various kinds of activities like meditation, spirituality, interviewing the people who take the help of this particular process, watching the past lectures as well as the interviews related to this particular concept and others.
Measurable
I would like to mention in this particular context that the concept of self-awareness is an intangible quantity and cannot be measured in an effective manner just like the other commodities of our day-to-day lives. Therefore, I will have to depend on my intuition as well as continuous learning process for the process of gaining this particular skill. However, I would like to comment here that I would be able to know that I have attained this particular skill when I would be able to work the other individuals in a much better and give respect to their emotions in an effective manner.
Achievable
I personally believe that this particular goal is completely achievable and can be achieved through the help of various kinds of methods. Proper execution of the tasks will require the extra effort of effective planning. Breaking the task into several parts and then doing them individually can be a proper way. The goal is realistic and achievable and is not based on any financial constraints, however, the performing certain tasks can have financial constraints.
Relevant
I would like to comment in this particular context that the goal is completely relevant to the overall goal which I have set out to achieve, namely, the goal of the attainment of the skill of emotional intelligence. I would also like to comment in this particular context that this particular goal is likely to help me to overcome the weakness which I have.
Time-bound
I would like to comment in this particular context the achievement of the skill of self-awareness generally requires a very long time and can in many ways be seen as a long-term process. However, I have given myself a time period of one year for the achievement of this particular set out by me. Furthermore, I would also like to comment in this particular context that this particular goal is completely realistic and would require a considerable amount of hard work on my part for its achievement.
The second goal (improvement of communication skills)-
My score on the “Stress Management Competency Indicator Tool” shows that I need to further develop my communicating skills for my existing as well as future job roles. I would like to achieve the goal of developing my communication not only for my present purposes but also to further enhance my future prospects. Once again I would take the help of the SAMRT framework for the effective attainment of this particular skill.
Specific
I would take the help of a workshop where I would be taught to communicate in a much better manner with various kinds of people. The workplace would not only provide me with the necessary skills of verbal communication but would at the same time provide me with the necessary skill of non-verbal communication. The workshop would provide me with various kinds of demo-sessions where I would be able to develop my communication skills and they will also help me with the recorded interview videos of the people use the tool of communication in an effective manner. I am hoping that this is .likely to help me to develop my communication skills.
Measurable
The periodical mock-communication sessions taken by the trainer at the workshop and the results of those sessions would provide me with a significant amount of information about the extent to which I have attained this particular skill. Furthermore, I would also like to add here that I would be able to know the extent to which I have attained this particular skill when I would be able to use this particular skill in my everyday life.
Achievable
I would like to comment in this particular context that this particular goal is completely however I will require a considerable amount of hard work as well as dedication on my part. Furthermore, this particular goal would also enable me to achieve the greater goal of overcoming the inherent weakness of my character.
Relevant
The goal seems worthwhile and it is the right time. It can match my other goal of proper time management. Considering the present socio-economic development, it is necessary for each and every people in an organizational setting to communicate properly. Furthermore, the achievement of this particular goal would help me in a significant manner in future career and life. Therefore, I would say that the goal is completely relevant for me.
Time-bound
I would like to comment in this particular context that the achievement of this particular goal would require a considerable amount of time however the workshop would provide me training for only six weeks. Therefore, I am hoping that six weeks from now I will be able to converse with my friends, family in a better way and what it can do now is to focus on my learning.
Conclusion
Thus, from the above study, it can be concluded that ethical decision making process has emerged as one of the most important concepts within the framework of the modern day business world. Ethical decision making helps the manager and the leaders to make the proper decisions during the difficult times which has ethical dilemma within it. The ethical decision takes into account the three different perspectives like the ethics of reason, ethics of care, ethics of obedience. The ethical decision making is a vital ingredient for the social dimension when encountered with the difficult choices. Therefore, it would be apt to say that it has become very important for the various managers as well as the business organisations to take into effective consideration the factor of ethical decision making process.
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