This document describes the Rational Interaction for Moral Sensitivity (RIMS) strategy for ethical decision-making. RIMS is based on Habermas' theory of the ideal speech situation, where moral knowledge is formed through rational discourse between participants. The strategy involves 3 steps: 1) generating and evaluating all viewpoints, 2) identifying implications, and 3) finding solutions that minimize negatives while retaining positives. Some objections to RIMS are that it is time-consuming and voluntary, but strategies are discussed to motivate participation in the process. The document provides an overview of the RIMS strategy for moral decision-making in business contexts.

1. PART FOUR
Ethical decision-making in business
This part consist of:
 Chapter 9 : The RIMS strategy.
– It’s a strategy for moral decision-making. Against
this backdrop the strategy itself will be described
along with some objections that might be raised
against it.
Subsequent chapters will apply this strategy to a number of
ethical dilemmas that typically arise in the workplace:
 Chapter 10: HIV/AIDS,
 Chapter 11: Affirmative action
 Chapter 12: Worker participation
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2. Rational Interaction
for Moral Sensitivity
(RIMS)
CHAPTER 9
Business Ethics
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3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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At the end of this chapter students will be able
to discuss and illustrate the:
1. Purpose and meaning of RIMS approach
2. Assumptions behind the RIMS approach
3. Basic steps in RMIS strategy
4. Objections to RMIS Strategy

4. INTRODUCTION
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 The Rational Interaction for Moral Sensitivity (RIMS)
approach is designed as a decision-making strategy that can be
used for both social and personal ethical dilemmas in the
workplace.
 Social dilemmas arise when different people make conflicting
judgments on what is considered to be morally right with
regard to a specific situation.
 Personal dilemmas occur when a person becomes uncertain
about what the most appropriate moral decision should be in a
specific situation

5. HABERMAS AND THE ‘IDEAL
SPEECH SITUATION’
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 According to Habermas (1993), modern rationality excludes
vast areas of human life from rational discourse.
 Habermas proposes consensus within an ‘ideal speech situation’ as the
criterion for ethical knowledge
 According to his alternative conception of rationality,
knowledge is made in conversational agreement through the
interaction of rational participants.

6. HABERMAS AND THE ‘IDEAL
SPEECH SITUATION’
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The big difference between Habermas’
approach to ethics and the prescriptive
ethical theories
is that whereas they focus on the
content of our moral considerations, his
theory focuses on the process by which
ethical decisions are made.

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The ‘ideal speech situation’ provides the
context for the process of knowledge
formation.
This ideal speech situation does not refer
to the personality or skills of the
participants, but to the structural features
of the discussion.
HABERMAS AND THE ‘IDEAL
SPEECH SITUATION

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In a simplified way it could be portrayed as
that situation where all participants in the
discourse are treated as if they are truly
equal and in which all forms of coercion or
force have been removed.
The only force allowed in this situation is
the force of the best rational argument
HABERMAS AND THE ‘IDEAL
SPEECH SITUATION

9. HABERMAS AND THE ‘IDEAL
SPEECH SITUATION
The basic rules of the process of knowledge
formation are the following:
i. The only evidence that participants may
introduce into the discourse is empirical
experience which is objectively accessible.
ii. The process of communicative interaction
is driven only by the force of the strongest
rational argument.
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10. HABERMAS AND THE ‘IDEAL
SPEECH SITUATION
The basic rules of the process of knowledge
formation are the following:
iii. Only those experiences, arguments, and
norms that can attain consensual
agreement are regarded as knowledge.
iv. Any knowledge formulated in this way is
always open to future revision.
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11. ASSUMPTIONS
BEHIND THE RIMS STRATEGY
Habermas’ moral theory forms the
backbone of the RIMS strategy.
It however provides only the broadest of
outlines and needs to be fleshed out with
a further set of assumptions
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12. ASSUMPTIONS
BEHIND THE RIMS STRATEGY
 Assumption One: Moral dissensus is a given
The RIMS strategy begins with the assumption that moral
dissensus is an inescapable feature of current culture.
 Modernity, in its attempt to find secular and rational
grounding for morality, has produced any number of
varying moral theories.
All of these modern moral theories are rationally justifiable
and defensible.
All need to be taken equally seriously or all need to be
rejected. The first option forms the first assumption of the
RIMS strategy.
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13. Business Ethics Chapter 9
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Assumption Two: Moral dissensus does not equal ethical
relativism
The RIMS approach assumes that moral dissensus does
not necessarily result in ethical relativism.
 Moral dissensus only equals ethical relativism if it is
assumed that discourse between the rival moral
viewpoints has become meaningless.
The RIMS approach assumes that interaction between
rival moral viewpoints is not only necessary, but is also
an important source of creativity that can help to find
morally sensitive answers.
ASSUMPTIONS
BEHIND THE RIMS STRATEGY

14.  Assumption Three: Dialogue can produce solutions
The RIMS strategy assumes that, through dialogue, conflicting
moral views can be creatively harnessed to produce morally
sensitive solutions to moral dilemmas. The preconditions for
such a dialogue are that:
i. the reality of moral dissensus is understood and accepted
by all participants
ii. participants commit themselves to finding solutions
within this context of moral dissensus.
Once these preconditions have been satisfied the rivalry
between moral viewpoints no longer frustrates moral decision-
making.
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ASSUMPTIONS
BEHIND THE RIMS STRATEGY

15. ASSUMPTIONS
BEHIND THE RIMS STRATEGY
 Assumption Four: Focusing on motives is futile
A further assumption is that focusing on the motives
underlying moral viewpoints cannot solve moral dilemmas in a
situation of moral dissensus.
At most, a focus on the underlying motives can illuminate the
various moral viewpoints, but it cannot overcome the rivalry
between conflicting viewpoints.
 For this reason, the RIMS strategy advises that motivations
underlying moral views should not dominate the process of
ethical decision-making.
The focus should rather be on finding solutions that can
accommodate the moral concerns of all parties in the dilemma.
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16. Assumption Five: Only moral arguments are allowed
Only moral arguments can be included in the
dialogue. That is, only arguments that meet the
minimum requirements of a moral argument will be
allowed.
To qualify, an argument should display a concern and
respect for others and not be merely selfish. It thus
excludes any socio-centric or ego-centric arguments.
It is only on the basis of ethical considerations that
one can expect to arrive at ethical decisions.
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ASSUMPTIONS
BEHIND THE RIMS STRATEGY

17. THE RIMS STRATEGY
The RIMS strategy begins with ‘rational interaction’.
This is a rational debate between two or more rival views
on the moral issue under discussion.
In such a debate the rival points of views should be
presented, analysed and discussed in a rational and
tolerant way.
By ‘rational’ is meant that points of view are based on
reasons that will make them understandable to others.
Tolerance is required to respect all points of view and to
recognize them as valid perspectives that can contribute
towards the resolution of the problem
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18. Three basic steps
of The RIMS strategy
Step One: Generate and evaluate all points of view
Any moral point of view that satisfies the
following three criteria should be taken into
consideration in the decision-making process:
It should be a moral argument and not selfish.
It should be clear and intelligible to all.
It should be factually correct.
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19. Step Two: Identify implications
The focus should not be on the motives
behind the various points of view.
Instead the focus should be on identifying
the positive and negative implications
articulated in the different points of view.
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Three basic steps
of The RIMS strategy

20. Step Three: Find solutions
Participants should co-operate in
finding solutions that will keep
negative implications to a minimum,
while retaining the positive
implications.
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Three basic steps
of The RIMS strategy

21. OBJECTIONS TO THE RIMS STRATEGY
 Objection One: It is too time-consuming
A first objection might be that the RIMS approach takes too
much time.
 This is not a legitimate criticism because the fact that it requires time has
less to do with the approach itself than it has to do with the area within
which it operates.
 Any person who understands the processes of change in ethical
attitudes, values, and judgements will confirm that there are no lasting
quick-fix solutions in this area.
Change is more than the adjustment of a few nuts and bolts.
 Change always takes time to achieve, and experience has shown that the
quality and durability of change is enhanced when people actively
participate in such processes of change.
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22.  Objection Two: No-one can be forced to use it.
 A second concern that might be raised against the RIMS approach is
that it is doomed to failure if people are not willing to participate in the
process.
 This objection poses an interesting challenge.
 On the one hand it could simply be dismissed as unimportant,
because it is true of most processes of change: if people do not
want to play the game, the chances of success are very poor.
 On the other hand, this objection sets up the challenge of how to
motivate people to engage in the RIMS process.
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OBJECTIONS TO THE RIMS
STRATEGY

23.  a number of strategies that could convince people:
 Solutions need to be worked out through a process of rational
discussion between all points of view.
 This will help people to understand that moral disputes need to be
approached in a different way from other decision-making
processes.
 People could be told of similar situations where this approach was used
and was successful.
 Success stories seem to give credibility to any approach.
 Possibly the most compelling way of motivating people is to explain
that participation in the RIMS approach enables them actively to shape
the values, norms and standards of behaviour within which they have
to work.
 Through participation in this process they become co-creators of
their working conditions.
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24. CONCLUSION
 The RIMS strategy for moral decision-making is an instrument
devised especially for coping with difficult moral dilemmas
that arise within business.
 A well-established set of corporate ethical values or a well-
institutionalised code of ethics can play a role in easing the
process of making moral decisions.
 Important as such ethical codes might be, they will seldom be
sufficient for dealing with all possible ethical dilemmas that
might emerge in business.
 In the ever-changing world of business new issues will always
crop up. In an uncertain environment a strategy like RIMS is
needed for guiding the process of moral decision-making.
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