This document discusses various moral philosophies and ethical theories relevant to organizational decision making. It introduces moral philosophy as the study of morality and theories for determining right and wrong actions. Examples are provided of how moral philosophies could guide decisions around lying or treating employees equally. The document also discusses Kohlberg's theory of moral development and Carol Gilligan's model of care-based versus justice-based moral thinking. Ethical challenges that managers may face around issues like harassment, privacy and accountability are also summarized.

1. UNIT 3
Ethical Decision
PROF. KANCHAN KUMARI

2. Moral Philosophies
• Moral philosophy is the branch of learning that deals with the nature
of morality and the theories that are used to arrive at decisions about
what one ought to do and why. Much has been written about moral
philosophy and the theories that support ethical decisions.
• EXAMPLE- lying to your significant other could help their self-
esteem; in that instance, lying may be moral. However, we cannot
always be sure about the ongoing or future effects of our

3. Role of Moral Philosophies
• Moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy that contemplates what
is right and wrong. It explores the nature of morality and examines
how people should live their lives in relation to others.

4. Making the role of Moral Philosophies in Decision Making
• Applying moral philosophy to ethical decision making is a normal
process individuals resort to. However, what moral philosophy they
take depends on whether they make a personal decision outside the
work environment or they do so in a work-related matter.
• Moral philosophies present guidelines for ―determining how
conflicts in human interests are to be settled and for optimizing
mutual benefit of people living together in groups,‖ guiding
businesspeople as they formulate business strategies and resolve
specific ethical issues.

5. Ethical Organisation
• Organisation ethics are the policies, procedures and culture of doing
right things in the face of difficult and often controversial situation.
Organisation ethics are set of principles that determine what is right
and wrong in the work place.
• One example of organizational ethics is the uniform treatment of all
employees. Small business owners should treat all employees with
the same respect, regardless of their race, religion, cultures or
lifestyles. Everyone should also have equal chances for promotions.

6. Ethical Issues that arise for Mangers
• Ethical Issues in Business
• Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace. ...
• Health and Safety in the Workplace. ...
• Whistleblowing or Social Media Rants. ...
• Ethics in Accounting Practices. ...
• Nondisclosure and Corporate Espionage. ...
• Technology and Privacy Practices.

7. Kohlberg theory
• Kohlberg based his theory on a series of moral dilemmas presented to
his study subjects. Participants were also interviewed to determine
the reasoning behind their judgments in each scenario
• Understanding Kohlberg's theory of moral development is important
in that it can help parents guide their children as they develop their
moral character. Parents with younger children might work on rule
obeyance, for instance, whereas they might teach older children
about social expectations.

8. Kohlberg theory

9. Example-Kohlberg Theory
• Assume you have worked for an organization for five years. Your work has
been exemplary by all standards, including performance evaluations by
your supervisor. The department head just announced that one of two
workers will be promoted to the position of assistant supervisor to replace
a departing employee, which carries a $10,000 higher annual salary. You
believe you deserve the promotion and need the extra money to help pay
for your child’s medical expenses. You and a co-worker up for the
promotion recently finished a project with three other team members. You
were in charge of the project. The ethical question is whether you should
submit the report under your name and simply acknowledge the team
members participation or submit the report as a team effort. Assume in
the former case, you are likely to increase your chances of getting the
promotion.

10. Carrol Gilligan’s Model
• Carol Gilligan states that the post-conventional level of moral thinking
can be dealt based on the two types of thinking. Gilligan's theory is
based on the two main ideas, the care-based morality (usually
found in women) and the justice-based morality
• Example-
• pre-conventional level (motivated by self-interest);
• conventional level (motivated by maintaining social-order, rules and
laws);
• post-conventional level (motivated by social contract)

11. Carrol Gilligan’s Model

12. THANK YOU
PROF. KANCHAN KUMARI