Ethical dilemma is defined as “a situation
in which a person must choose between two courses of action of (apparent) equal
moral importance, so that the choice necessarily entails the transgression of
an important moral principle” (Ethical
dilemma, para. 1, 2016). To elaborate, ethical dilemma deals with making
a decision when faced with multiple outcomes. In situations where certain
decisions make you feel uncomfortable but don’t require a choice does not
constitute an ethical dilemmas (Allen,
n.d.).
Additionally, there are no clear solutions to an ethical dilemma and some
ethical principles may be compromise (Allen,
n.d.).
Take for example the TED ed video below. How would a self-driving car decide whom
to save if it encounters an unavoidable accident and must hit either a SUV on
the left or motorcycle on the right? I would think that hitting the SUV would
be better than hitting the motorcycle since the survivability is greater for
the SUV. If it would be driving by a person, the decision would be made in a
split second; however, if a computer were making the decision, the decision
would pre-program into the vehicle. This would add ethical issues; who will
determine if someone lives or dies? And what are the ethical complications if humans
program this logic into a computer system? This scenario is a complex ethical
dilemma, but with the current technological advancements is not long before we
will have to answer the question of whether machines can make ethical
decisions.
The world we live in is in constant movement and
time doesn’t wait for no one. The decisions you make now will at some point
affect the outcome of your future. Take for example, the consequences of
stealing a DVD from a store. When thinking about it, this is not a big deal
right? It’s just a movie and if the person gets caught then they would to pay
for it. However, when viewing this in the big picture this can greatly affect
your career and your life. You see, this crime is considered as a petty theft
and it’s a misdemeanor. The long-term consequence of this action is that you
will end up with a criminal record. When
you apply for a job, college and professional license, your decision will be
known when a criminal background check is done
(Shoplifting or "Petty" Theft: What's the Big Deal? n.d.). When we make ethical decisions we encourages
others to do the same and this establishes a culture where unethical decision, like
stealing is not tolerate.
But it amazing to see how often leaders at
organizations make unethical choices. According to research done by Amitai
Etzioni, roughly two-thirds of America’s 500 largest corporations have been
involved, in varying degrees, in some form of illegal behavior (Gellerman,
1986). So
why are top executives behaving in such an unethical way? According to Kramer
(2003) society has learned to consider risk taking and rule breaking as markers
of good leadership. We are creating a culture that considers breaking the rules
as a way to make it to the top. Kramer (2003) described this behavior as a
genius-to-folly-syndrome, which is a “swift and steady rise by a brilliant,
hard-driving, politically adept individual followed by surprising stints of
miscalculations or recklessness” (p. 60). Leaders need to overcome the
temptation of making unethical decisions. Leaders that are grounded and ethical
exhibit five common psychological and behavioral habits (Kramer, 2003). 1) Keep
their life’s simple, thy are humble and are ordinary; 2) They shine a light on
their weaknesses instead of trying to cover them up; 3) They float trial
balloons to uncover the truth and prepare for the unexpected; 4) They sweat through
the small stuff; and 5) They reflect more, not less (Kramer, 2003). These
habits are a great reminder of how successful executives stay humble and lead
an ethical organization. Being in the military, we are taught from basic
training to follow the rules and make ethical decisions. However, through out
my career I have seen many leaders make bad decision based on unethical
behaviors. It is up to everyone in the organization to follow the rules and
enforce ethical behaviors. It just take one person to lead change and encourage others to the same. Do your part and make ethical decision and lead change!
Reference:
Allen,
K. (n.d.). What Is an Ethical Dilemma? Retrieved April 09, 2016, from
http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/What_Is_an_Ethical_Dilemma?/
Ethical
dilemma. (2016). Retrieved April 09, 2016, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/ethical-dilemma
Gellerman,
S. (1986). Why “Good” Managers Make Bad Ethical Choices. Retrieved April 10,
2016, from https://hbr.org/1986/07/why-good-managers-make-bad-ethical-choices
Kramer, R. M. (2003). THE HARDER THEY
FALL. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 81(10), 58-66.
Shoplifting
or "Petty" Theft: What's the Big Deal? (n.d.). Retrieved April 10,
2016, from http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/shoplifting-or-petty-theft-whats-the-big-deal.html
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