Ethics Midterm (Field Guide Summary)

Group Norms (External danger)

Being socialized into the existing norms of that culture Steroids in biking

Challenge 4: Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest are the most frequently excused dilemma in the business world. A conflict is interest is "a structural situation in which one person occupies multiple roles that have the potential to be at odds with one another." A position of power or influence almost always comes with potential for inappropriate gain. However, remember that you will impugn your reputation more quickly by abusing power for your own benefit than by any other way.

Chapter 8: Dissemblance

Dissemblance occurs when misrepresenting or concealing the truth could create a better outcome. Dissemblance is not overt dishonesty. Rather, it is hiding or concealing something - usually to look better or to protect your interests. Thus, it is especially tempting when the other party simply asks the wrong question. In other cases answering anything but in an affirmative will tell the questioner more information than you are legally allowed to give. In some cases keeping silent is a form a dissemblance.

Rationalization

1. Accept that it is unethical 2. Decide that the action is actually ethical Often goes undetected

Chapter 8: Dissemblance (Planning ahead)

1. Anticipate the questions 2. Clarify expectations 3. Invite honesty

Challenge 4: Conflicts of Interest (Questions to ask)

1. Are there any clear rules (organizational or otherwise) you should be following? 2. Would your actions cause others to question your motives? 3. Who has a right to know the details, and have you let them know? 4. Is there a way to remove yourself from the conflict of loyalties? 5. Have the other parties done, or could they do, anything to free you from your obligation to them? 6. Is there any way to uphold both of your obligations?

Chapter 3: Intervention (Questions to ask)

1. Are you the right person to intervene? 2. Can you recruit help? 3. Do the urgency and potential impact require you to act now? 4. Does your intervention plan require you to act unethically? 5. Does your intervention create a permanent solution or a temporary fix? 6. What are your own motives? 7. Is the problem the result of one person's behavior or a systematic failure? 8. Does your intervention require one act of intervention or sustained, regular effort? 9. How can you create the least harm to everyone involved?

Chapter 2: Made a Promise (Planning ahead)

1. Be careful in the promises you make 2. Don't overbook yourself 3. Build good relationships

Chapter 1: Standing up to Power (Planning ahead)

1. Build friendships 2. Be ethical in little things 3. Work on creating an ethical culture

Chapter 2: Made a Promise (Questions to ask)

1. Can you still keep your promise? 2. Did you predict, or could you have predicted, the change? 3. Does the other party still want you to keep your promise? 4. Is there an alternative that would make the promised party as happy as if the original promise were kept? 5. What will happen to the other promises you've made?

Chapter 9: Loyalty (Planning ahead)

1. Choose loyalty to values 2. Be trustworthy 3. Lead through shared commitment 4. Correct over-reliance 5. Inspire loyalty

Neutralization Techniques (deciding unethical behavior is actually ethical)

1. Denial or Responsibility (not accountable) 2. Denial of Injury (no one will be hurt) 3. Blame the Victim ("known better") 4. Condemnation of the Condemners (find fault) 5. Appeal to Higher Loyalties (something import) 6. Moral Ledger (good in some, bad in others) 7. Defense of Necessity (has to be done) 8. Claim of Normalcy (everyones doing it) 9. Denial of Negative Intent ("didn't mean to") 10. Claims of Relative Acceptability (others worse) 11. Postponement (don't decide, not responsible) 12. Use of Euphemisms (changes in words)

Chapter 8: Dissemblance (Questions to ask)

1. Do you have authority to reveal the truth? 2. Why do you want to misrepresent the truth? 3. Would you tell the truth if the costs of truth-telling were lower? 4. Are you dissembling to protect others who need to be protected? 5. Are you at fault for a misunderstanding- or do you have an obligation to clarify? 6. Is there a way to get what you need without dissembling?

Chapter 1: Standing up to Power (Questions to ask)

1. Does the powerful party have the right to ask me to do what they are asking (consider legal/ contractual/ moral rights)? 2. Are there others in my organization who agrees with me? 3. Is what is being requested of me in accordance with the stated values, or ethics policies, of the organization? 4. Does my company have ethics resources? 5. What is this person attempting to accomplish through what he is asking you to do? Is there a different way of accomplishing it? 6. How can I help my boss save face?

Chapter 5: Suspicions Without Enough Evidence (Planning ahead)

1. Establish reporting channels 2. Build a culture of fairness 3. Anticipate allegations

Chapter 9: Loyalty (Questions to ask)

1. Has the individual shown loyalty to you? 2. Did you ask for this person's loyalty? 3. Does your choice make you trustworthy? 4. Is this person taking advantage of you? 5. Would they want your loyalty if they knew all of the costs? 6. Does showing loyalty in this situation unfairly sacrifice other loyalties? 7. Does showing loyalty sacrifice your ethics?

Chapter 7: Skirting the Rules (Planning ahead)

1. Know the rules 2. Know the purpose 3. Seek professional help 4. Care how you look 5. Make good rules

Chapter 3: Intervention (Planning ahead)

1. Practice leadership 2. Rely on relationships 3. Be prepared to sacrifice 4. Live your values now

Chapter 6: Playing Dirty (Planning ahead)

1. Prioritize your values in advance 2. Think about transaction costs 3. Gather information through your social network

Challenge 4: Conflicts of Interest (Planning ahead)

1. Recognize the obligations you owe 2. Give yourself some credit (important person) 3. Watch out for nepotism 4. Acknowledge trade-offs 5. Develop a system of training and reporting

If laws are unjust it may be ethical to break them (principles/conditions)

1. They were nonviolent, not deliberately harming others, even those asserting power immorally 2. They disobeyed as a last resort, only when legal avenues were unavailable or exhausted 3. Their disobedience was particular and proportional, responding only to the specific unjust law with disobedience to that law. 4. They were submissive to the penalties of breaking the law, recognizing the underlying importance of the rule of law

Challenge 4: Conflicts of Interest (Pitfalls)

- Not recognizing the conflict - Running from or hiding the conflict - Assuming disclosure is enough - Pretending objectivity (we believe we are objective)

Chapter 9: Loyalty (Pitfalls)

- Offending accountability (your act is your own) - Trusting blindly (ask doesn't mean worthy) - Taking advantage (sacrifice when you didn't ask)

Chapter 8: Dissemblance (Pitfalls)

- Ruining your reputation - Making assumptions - Letting negotiations pressure you - Thinking you can lie just once - Avoiding coming clean (before caught)

Chapter 3: Intervention (Pitfalls)

- Signaling acceptance (not intervening) - Acting without information - Communicating harshly - Demonizing wrongdoers (mistake) - Discounting culture (norms vary) - Ignoring expertis

Chapter 7: Skirting the Rules (Pitfalls)

- Signaling disregard - Leaning on loopholes (only justification) - Skirting the punishment - Letting rules define your ethics (minimums)

Diffusion of Responsibility (External danger)

Hoping that someone else will take care of the problem.

Chapter 7: Skirting the Rules (Behind the scenes)

If laws are unjust it may be ethical to break them - for example as with Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr.

Chapter 2: Made a Promise (Behind the scenes)

In prioritizing promises it is important to remember (1) Breaking some promises will be necessary tin order to live a moral life, and (2) People remember when and under what circumstances promises were fulfilled or broken.

Locus of control (Internal danger)

Internal locus of control - ability to control your own destiny External locus of control - fate is determined by factors they cant influence (more unethical)

Psychological Distance (External danger)

Is created when we perceive others as being different from us (more different less respect)

Role Taking (External danger)

Roles come with a set of expectations Don't forget about ethical obligations beyond your role

Chapter 7: Skirting the Rules

Skirting the Rules arises when you could keep a rule for a worse outcome or bend it to achieve some good. Here the term rules applies to both social conventions, and laws. As a society we tend to value the rule or law. However, even thoughtful rules can have unintended consequences or applications. Many rules also leave room for interpretation.

Script processing (Internal danger)

Mental shortcuts that allow us to use less cognitive effort.

Obedience to Authority (External danger)

Obedience or blindly carrying out orders can result in unethical behavior

Chapter 1: Standing up to Power

This dilemma emerges when someone in power asks you do to do something you don't feel is right. This problem is especially frequent at the beginning of a person's career. This dilemma almost always requires a difference between the powerful person's needs and your needs, putting you at risk for their benefit. Understanding their needs will help you craft an effective response to the request.

Chapter 5: Suspicions Without Enough Evidence

This dilemma is similar to intervention. The distinguishing difference is that rather than determining how to stop something, you must determine whether there is something to stop. It must be handled differently because here how you investigate the problem matters very much. Circumstances surrounding Suspicions Without enough evidence often require confidentiality.

Chapter 6: Playing Dirty

This dilemma occurs when you could achieve justice by doing something that is normally considered unethical .Contrary to the normal reaction, there are times when lying, cheating, stealing, or killing may be justified. That being said, it's important to make sure the ends really do justify the means.

Chapter 3: Intervention

This dilemma occurs when you see something wrong, but are not sure how to proceed. It's especially complicating when you feel that acting will be risky; however, not acting is also an act.

Chapter 3: Intervention (Behind the scenes)

Whistleblowing is one type of intervention. It requires a great deal of courage, willpower, and, most importantly, preparation (whistleblowers usually bear significant personal costs). Alternately, you may be able to solve the problem without calling out the wrongdoer. Regardless, interventions are rarely solved in a single dramatic act, and it would be a mistake to think you could avoid the dilemma.

Chapter 5: Suspicions Without Enough Evidence (Pitfalls)

- Acting hastily - Delaying actions - Appearing overly biased - Not gathering sufficient information - Not reporting appropriately

Chapter 2: Made a Promise (Pitfalls)

- Assuming the promise isn't important - Deciding alone (involve the other party) - Looking for excuses - Imposing on others (asking for release without good reason)

Chapter 1: Standing up to Power (Pitfalls)

- Charging the hill (Vocally opposing the request) - Acquiescing too quickly (Blame on boss) - Gossiping - Not protecting yourself (you against your boss) - Assuming too much

Chapter 6: Playing Dirty (Pitfalls)

- Getting the facts wrong - Excusing revenge

Chapter 5: Suspicions Without Enough Evidence (Questions to ask)

1. Who is accountable for solving the problem and how do you best inform them? 2. What will happen if you act on the allegations and they are false? 3. What will happen if the suspicions are true and you do nothing? 4. Considering what might happen, does the quality of your information justify action? 5. Does your bias push you to believe or dismiss too quickly? 6. Who deserves the most protection?

Chapter 7: Skirting the Rules (Questions to ask)

1. Why does this rule matter? 2. Can someone give you proper permission to break the rule? 3. Would those with authority over the rule want you to break it? 4. Does breaking this rule encourage inappropriate rule breaking by others? 5. Whom is the rule intended to benefit? Does breaking the rule reduce that benefit? 6. Does breaking the rule achieve fairness? 7. Can you accept the punishment and still achieve the better outcome?

Chapter 6: Playing Dirty (Questions to ask)

1. Would your action really bring about justice or the greatest good? 2. Does your plan minimize the harm that must be done to the other party and how dirty you will play? 3. Does harming the other party help anyone besides yourself? (look better for others) 4. Does this action harm your reputation or make it more difficult for you to do business in the future? 5. How will the other party react?

Fraud Triangle (Perils)

Perceived Pressure Perceived Opportunity Rationalization

Chapter 9: Loyalty

The dilemma of loyalty comes into play when you're not sure how much you should give up to honor a relationship. Relationships matter. This dilemma is less about legal obligations than it is about unwritten obligations we have to others, generally as a result of our connections to them. Just because they are informal, doesn't make these connections any less important. Loyalty is a form of capital, specifically social capital. Reciprocal relationships fill gaps where things like contracts don't fit.

Chapter 1: Standing up to Power (behind the scenes)

Usually know they are putting you at risk Put pressure to cooperate - TIME (get more of it) Might not know they are being unethical

Chapter 2: Made a Promise

We all make promises - some casual, some formal. Arguably, some of the most important promises that we make come with a great deal of uncertainty. Ideally, all promises would be kept. However, in a world of multiple commitments and uncertainty, conflicts among promises are certain to emerge.

Societal Culture (External danger)

We cannot always rely on the norms of societal culture to help us act ethically

Challenge 4: Conflicts of Interest (Behind the scenes)

Whatever the underlying conflict, the principle factors at play are priority and balance. This dilemma can be resolved as you recognize the most important obligations and give them the priority they deserve.