The Ethical Decision-Making Process
Before a model can be utilized, leaders need to work through a set of steps to be sure they are
bringing a comprehensive lens to handling ethical disputes or problems.
1. Take Time to Define the Problem
Some initial analysis has to happen for leaders to truly understand where they need to bring in
ethical principles. Leaders need to decide why an ethical decision needs to be made and the
outcomes that are desired for the decision.
2. Consult Resources and Seek Assistance
Leaders then need to work on developing a strategy using the resources and people around
them. Whether it be qualified co-workers, HR professionals, or policies and handbooks set
long ago, leaders need to gain clarity from other sources when creating a strategy to tackle the
issue.
3. Think About the Lasting Effects
While identifying the problem and seeking viable resources to help is the way to go, any advice
for how to handle an issue should be filtered through the lens of how it will affect others. For
instance, if there is an issue with employees getting to work on time, managers could install
policies that change the time workers report, but if they are not careful, it may have a
detrimental impact on other workers, and even clients.
4. Consider Regulations in Other Industries
Regulations and standards that other companies have established can be a good starting point
for developing ethical strategies. Leaders should take a look at how they handle specific issues
that have come their way. It might also be helpful to take a look at the mistakes the leader’s
company and other organizations have made and learn from them. Everyone does not always
get it right 100 percent of the time. Therefore, it is essential to see the good and bad side to
become even more informed about a decision that should be made.
5. Decide on a Decision
After consulting others and doing a bit of extra research, it is time for a final decision. Since
the choice will likely impact many it is a good idea to create a proposal of what the issue is
and how leaders plan to work with the team to solve it. If the problem is more personal and
involves harassment of some kind, it is more appropriate to only deal with those involved and
establish a plan of action to handle that particular situation. However, for widespread ethical
issues that have become a problem in the workplace, it is a good practice to bring decisions to
the team at large.
6. Implement and Evaluate
This is where talk meets action. It is easy for people to research and create solutions to a
problem, but when dealing with morality and ethics, it can be challenging to put it into action
finally. No one benefits from a plan that is not put into practice, so at some point, leaders need
to facilitate the implementation of the ethical decision. Also, the application is not enough.
Evaluation allows everyone to see how the approach is working out, and if there were some
unintended consequences leaders did not foresee. Is the problem finally fixed? Did things get
better or worse? Analysis of this issue can help those involved figure out if the implementation
was the appropriate response.
PLUS, Ethical Decision-Making Model
PLUS, Ethical Decision-Making Model is one of the most used and widely cited ethical
models.
To create a clear and cohesive approach to implementing a solution to an ethical problem; the
model is set in a way that it gives the leader “ethical filters” to make decisions.
It purposely leaves out anything related to making a profit so that leaders can focus on values
instead of a potential impact on revenue.
The letters in PLUS each stand for a filter that leaders can use for decision-making:
• P – Policies and Procedures:
Is the decision in line with the policies laid out by the company?
• L – Legal:
Will this violate any legal parameters or regulations?
• U – Universal:
How does this relate to the values and principles established for the organization to operate? Is it
in tune with core values and the company culture?
• S – Self:
Does it meet my standards of fairness and justice? This particular lens fits well with the virtue
approach that is a part of the five common standards mentioned above.
These filters can even be applied to the process, so leaders have a clear ethical framework all
along the way. Defining the problem automatically requires leaders to see if it is violating any
of the PLUS ethical filters. It should also be used to assess the viability of any decisions that
are being considered for implementation, and make a decision about whether the one that w as
chosen resolved the PLUS considerations questioned in the first step. No model is perfect, but
this is a standard way to consider four vital components that have a substantial ethical impact.
The Character-Based Decision-Making Model
While this one is not as widely cited as the PLUS Model, it is still worth mentioning.
The Character-Based Decision-Making Model was created by the Josephson Institute of
Ethics, and it has three main components leaders can use to make an ethical decision.
1. All decisions must take into account the impact to all stakeholders – This is very similar to
the Utilitarian approach discussed earlier. This step seeks to do good for most, and hopefully avoid
harming others.
2. Ethics always takes priority over non-ethical values – A decision should not be rationalized if
it in any way violates ethical principles. In business, this can show up through deciding between
increasing productivity or profit and keeping an employee’s best interest at heart.
3. It is okay to violate another ethical principle if it advances a better ethical climate for
others – Leaders may find themselves in the unenviable position of having to prioritize ethical
decisions. They may have to choose between competing ethical choices, and this model advises
that leaders should always want the one that creates the best for as many people as possible.
