Maun Sadhu Head & Assistant Professor Department of English C.U. Shah Institute of Computer Application C.U. Shah Institute of Science maunsadhu@gmail.com

1. M A U N S A D H U
HEAD & ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
C.U. SHAH INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER APPLICATION
ETHICAL DECISION
MAKING

2. THE ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
 Ethical decisions inspire trust and with it fairness, responsibility and care for others. The ethical
decision making process recognizes these conditions and requires reviewing all available options,
eliminating unethical views and choosing the best ethical alternative.
 Good decisions are both effective and ethical. In professional relationships, good decisions build
respect, trust, and are generally consistent with good citizenship. Effective decisions are effective when
they achieve what they were made for. A choice that produces unintended results is ineffective and
therefore not good.
 The key to making good decisions is to think about the different choices that lie ahead in order to
achieve the objectives. For that reason, it is also very important to understand the difference between
short-term vs. medium to long term objectives.
 Making ethical decisions requires a certain sensitivity to ethical issues and a method of examining all
the considerations associated with a decision. Having a method or structure for making ethical decisions
is therefore essential. After this process has been performed a few times, the method is trusted and it is
easier to walk through the steps.
 Below is a description of ethical decision-making methods.

3. TRADITIONAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE FIELD OF ETHICS:
There are many systems of ethics, and numerous ways to think about right and wrong
actions or good and bad character. The field of ethics is traditionally divided into three
areas:
1.) meta-ethics, which deals with the nature of the right or the good, as well as the nature
and justification of ethical claims;
2.) normative ethics, which deals with the standards and principles used to determine
whether something is right or good;
3.) applied ethics, which deals with the actual application of ethical principles to a
particular situation.

4. THREE BROAD TYPES OF ETHICAL THEORY:
Ethical theories are often broadly divided into three types:
i) Consequentialist theories, which are primarily concerned with the ethical consequences of
particular actions;
ii) Non-consequentialist theories, which tend to be broadly concerned with the intentions of
the person making ethical decisions about particular actions; and
iii) Agent-centered theories, which, unlike consequentialist and non-consequentialist theories,
are more concerned with the overall ethical status of individuals, or agents, and are less
concerned to identify the morality of particular actions.

5. ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS AND ROADMAP

6. 1. Gather the facts
Don’t jump to conclusions until the facts are on the table. Ask yourself questions about the issue at hand, such as the 5 whys
method. Facts are not always easy to find, especially in situations where ethics plays an important part. Some facts are not available
or clearly demonstrable. Also indicate which assumptions are made.
2. Define the ethical issue
Before solutions or new plans can be considered, the ethical issue is clearly defined. If there are multiple ethical focal points, only
the most important should be addressed first.
3. Identify the stakeholders
Identify all stakeholders. Who are those primary stakeholders? And who are the secondary stakeholders? Why are they interested in
this issue?
4. Identify the effects and consequences
Think about the possible positive and negative consequences associated with the decision. What is the magnitude of these
consequences? And what is the probability that these consequences will actually occur? Distinguish between short-term and long-
term consequences.
5. Consider integrity and character
Consider what the community thinks would be a good decision in this context. How would you like it if the national newspaper
wrote about your decision? What is public opinion? How does your character and personality influence the decision to be made?
6. Get creative with potential actions
Are there other choices or alternatives that have not yet been considered? Try to come up with additional solutions or choices if a
small number is considered.
7. Decide on the right ethical action
Consider the options based on each option’s consequences, duties, and character aspects. Which arguments are most suitable to
justify the choice?

7. THANK YOU
Maun Sadhu