The Ethical Decision Making Models

When someone is making an ethical decision they are going through a process of making this decision based on their moral principles. Ethics are principles of behaviour that inform people how to act in certain situations are based on one’s environment

The Baird Decision Model comprises five cumulative steps by being: attentive, intelligent, reasonable, responsible, and awareness (Ethics Game, n.d). Moreover, the design behind the decision model is to use ethics to assess complex situations, where personal values compete to find the appropriate solution (Ethics Game, n.d). However, four ethical views assist in ethical decision-making: rights and responsibility lens, results lens, relationship lens, and the reputation lens (Ethics Game, n.d).

This paper is about ethical decision making that involved a case study in a movie based on a true story. It is about a child named Lorenzo Odone, his disease, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and how both his parents relentlessly pursued to find treatment for him. Aside from Mr. and Mrs. Odones’ decision making, the doctors and scientists involved in Lorenzo’s treatment were just as affected. These characters were faced with ethical issues that arose when deciding proper course in finding treatment for Lorenzo’s ALD. This paper will discuss the four ethical theories of decision making seen in the movie and the effects it had not only on Lorenzo but everyone that was involved.

The method of ethical decision making which was developed by Dr. Cathryn A. Baird presented two components contained in all ethical decisions which are; The Four ethical Lenses and the 4+1 Decision process. The Four Ethical Lenses issue claims that different ethical theories and the means in which we tend to approach the situations which form part of our ethical traditions are looked at in four different perspectives. From each perspective there are different values on which to decide whether the action taken is either ethical or not and each lens also lays emphasis on determining whether the decision made is of ethical requirement. In the 4+1 Decision Process, people who are responsible for making final decisions in an organization do it

The issue of ethical decision making has become more important in recent years for a variety of reasons. An understanding of ethical decision making in organizations is more significant to the development of organizational science. Managers engage in decision-making behavior affecting the lives and well-being of others. The individual responds to an ethical dilemma with cognitions determined by his or her cognitive moral development stage.

Apply the ethical decision making model presented in week one lectures (adapted from Beemsterboer, 2010; Velasquez et al, 2009) to the case study.

There are two major theories which are utilized to guide ethical decision making, these are deontology and utilitarian. Few people rely exclusively on one theory. Instead, they make decisions by examining both theories and determining which is most appropriate for the presenting situation (Rae, 2009).

They are held to higher standards of ethical behavior for their roles and duties, including their decision making processes (Rogerson, Gottlieb, Handelsman, Knapp, & Younggren, 2011). Conversely, when decisions involve complex circumstances, making ethical decisions can become complicated. Ethical knowledge does not always generate ethical behavior (Rogerson et al., 2011). Certain circumstances have personal and interpersonal influences that affect decisions, and intuition may have a larger effect. Rogerson et al., (2011) argues that in the field of psychology, these professionals can improve decision-making processes by including a broader range of factors that can persuade decision and judgment. Whereas Ron Howard (1986) argued that decision analysis enhances effective decision making providing systematic analysis, imaginative creativity, and logic. Although Howard et al., argument evolved many years prior to Rogerson et al., the concept remains the same, psychologist should not be receptive to presumptuous inappropriate roles of advocacy or participate in analyses whose earnings are ethically distasteful. Howard et al., (1986) suggest three levels of criticism decision analyses, application criticism question how decision analysis improves actual decision making, conceptual criticism argue that the deterioration of the decision analysis process may

In addition, the mechanisms through which mental models and emotions affect ethical decision-making are in a similar position. Participants used the sensemaking approach to ethical decision-making. Sensemaking is a term that is often used without much consideration to where the concept came from or what it really means. Sensemaking is an approach to thinking about and implementing communication research and practice and the design of communication-based systems and activities. It consists of a set of philosophical assumptions, substantive propositions, methodological framings and methods. I was able to read a study that tested the relationship of mental models to ethical decision-making. Participants depicted their thought process in response to an ethics case. This allowed the conductors of the study to expand their knowledge of the participants understanding of the ethical dilemma.The findings indicated that the intensity of thought on the dilemma related to the complexity of ethical decision-making. The implications of these findings can be used to improve ethics training in

Management constitute amongst major components of a company, organization or a business. As such, management oversees employees interactions with their supervisors and also control of people within a particular organization. Also, it includes critical and ethical decision-making process so as to address various ethical dilemmas experienced by employees while undertaking their respective assigned duties within the company. Ethical dilemmas are hereby to stay as issues usually arise now and then and place a variety of options that bear different repercussions. Therefore, it calls for ethical and critical decision-making skills so as to make the most appropriate option that bears more benefits in comparison to other options presented. While making ethical decisions, it 's substantially important to play heed to a certain ethical decision-making theory. This would enable an individual making the decision to ripe best possible consequences rather than living to regret. Moreover, ethical decision making is typically important in business as making a wrong decision may result not only in huge losses but also poor relationship amongst colleagues and miserable life for employee(s) working in a particular company or business in question.

In addition, there may be ethical frameworks that relate to how to handle situations in the workplace, such as Kidder’s Ethical Checkpoints that summarizes to “recognize that there is a moral issue; determine the actor; gather the relevant facts; test for right-versus-wrong issues; test for right-versus-right paradigms; apply the ethical standards and perspectives; look for a third way; make the decision; revisit and reflect on the decision (Mintz and Morris 75-76). ” The Integrated Ethical Decision-Making Process also shows the steps and process on how to make an ethical decision, such as “identify the ethical and professional issues; identify and evaluate alternative courses of action; reflect on the moral intensity of the situation and virtues that enable ethical action to occur; take action (Mintz and Morris 77). ” This framework is similar to these three steps

Background: Two staff are seen carrying the old woman and throwing her onto her bed. (YouTube) A nursing home along Braddell Road has been suspended from admitting new patients with effect from 12 April after a patient was reported to have been mistreated. The incident at Nightingale Nursing Home came to light after a video of a patient being mistreated was sent to local broadcaster Mediacorp. The footage was shot by a hidden camera on a patient's bedside. In the video, an elderly woman patient is seen sitting stark naked beside a bed with the room ceiling fans on. She is then picked up by two hospital staff and thrown onto a bed, before a staff is shown slapping her on her mouth when she wailed in pain. Reports say the patient has been a resident there for four years and is suffering from stroke. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it has suspended the nursing home from admitting new patients from 12 April until further notice. The nursing home has also disciplined the staff involved and put in place additional measures such as ward rounds by senior staff, regular meetings with patients and their family members, and management check on staff conduct and patients In a statement to Yahoo! Singapore, a MOH spokesperson said, investigations into the video recording show "significant lapses in the care standards" to the patient in question. "This should not have happened. There should have been tighter supervision of staff rendering care to vulnerable patients. Patient's dignity

From the reading, I understand that people think and act differently when faced with ethical issues. For one to make a rational decision, an extensive process of judgment is required (Bandura, Caprara, & Zsolnai, 2000). For an individual to be responsible, he or she should put into consideration the magnitude of the consequences of the actions, social

Nurses often encountered various ethical dilemmas in the practice setting. Both virtue ethics and caring ethics support good ethical decision making for nurses (Park, 2012, p. 149) but these are inadequate to assist in solving an ethical dilemma (Park, 2012, p. 149). For that reason an ethical decision making tool is helpful for the nurses or clinicians to come up with an ethical decision (Kelly, 2012, p. 571) that allows them to gather information, identify any gap of understanding on the issue or the disagreements between the involved parties through a clear communication (Park, 2012, p. 140). Several authors presented an ethical decision making processes (Park, 2012, p. 141), here presented the two processes that can be applied in resolving an ethical dilemma. One example of ethical decision making process is the DECIDE model by Thompson, Melia & Boyd (Allen, Chapman, Francis, & O’Connor, 2008, p. 5) and the Integrated ethical decision-making model which was derived from the combination of the different ethical decision-making models strengths (Park, 2012, p. 140). These two ethical decision-making model steps are identical to each but differ on the detailed instruction on how the steps are to be done or used in actual case. By comparing the two models the integrated ethical decision-making model have a detailed instruction. The

While looking at Ethics, we can see the direct correlation and relationship that it has on our decision making. Ethics ties in the assumption that one has moral knowledge. This thought is produced to support the notion that one’s moralistic values directly influence the knowledge or perception on knowledge. Moral obligation is thought to require some form of action, again bringing in the notion that one’s moral belief system plays a huge part in the shaping of their conclusions. A conclusion can be defined by a judgement or decision reached by reasoning, bringing in the thought that this could possibly be a contemplative decision. There are so many ethical implications that support ones