Ethical Decision-Making Model Paper Essay

Ethics are not gained in one day. Ethics are built over time from experiences. From childhood to adulthood these learned behaviors add to traits that help shape an individual; they complete who one is and what one believes. Ethics guides individual’s understandings of the concepts of right and wrong. In everything one does, decision-making is involved. Work, school, home, and communications, ethical beliefs are challenged. Ethics guide one’s thought process for these challenges and help approach any situation long before it happens. Ethics are rules and standards governing the conduct in which one lives and makes life decisions. Building ethics is a learning process; the things one learns, as one grows, will govern and guide the rest of one’s life. Ethics are important to today’s society. Individuals tend to face stressful situations by ignoring ethics and doing their own thing. This is why ethics play a significant role in communication. Ethical communication encompasses one being honest in all communications; keeping an honest and open opinions towards others. In some business situations, ethical communication involves keeping confidential information confidential, and not discussing personal business. In the more public the position, there is a greater need for ethical principles. Ethical communication help promote access to opportunities necessary to fulfill human potential; to help contribute to business, families, communities, and society in general. Ethical communications promote caring climates and mutual understandings that respect the unique needs and characteristics of every individual. It is being committed to courageous expression of personal convictions to pursuit fairness and justice. There are various forms of ethical decision-making processes. There is Aristotle’s  Mean, Confucius’s Golden Mean, Kant’s Categorical Imperative, Islam’s Divine Command, Mill’s Principl e of Utility, Rawls’s Veil of Ignorance, and Judeo-Christian Persons and Ends. A few personal favorites, Aristotle’s, Confucius’, and Mill’s process of thinking. Aristotle’s ethics fits deduces facts about the nature of the world and the nature of man by the use of reason. Aristotle’s ethics are an example of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics concentrates on the worth of the moral agent and not the consequences of his or her actions; â€Å"good cannot be identical for all men† (Learning activity- transcript ethics: what is right?, 2012). Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Confucius’s Golden Mean is a golden rule; do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself. Mill’s process of thinking; â€Å"Mill believed that every individual has sovereignty over his or her own body, psyche and spirit† (Learning activity- transcript ethics: what is right?, 2012). Mill followed more of a utilitarianism method which proposed that this principle should be used mainly in determining the value of rules such as do not kill, do not lie, do not steal, and so forth. The ethic process that I bleive to be better is John Stuart Mill’s. I choose Mill’s, because Mill believes that we as people have control over our actions and within our conscience minds, we know right from wrong. Mill’s Principle of Utility is the easiest for a majority of people to follow. It leads to morally sound decisions, handling moral dilemmas, and helps to make effective moral decisions. â€Å"The principle of utility determines the rightness of acts (or rules of action) by their effect on the total happiness† (Learning activity- transcript ethics: what is right?, 2012). For example, within everything one does decisions have to be made. Morally we know what it is right and wrong, because many individuals are brought up that way. In a business environment, every individual is personally responsible for themselves, for being honest, and respectful. As a worker, I follow not only my ethics but those of the company. â€Å"All of our directors, officers and associates must conduct themselves accordingly and seek to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior† (Code of business conduct and ethics, 2015). For example, answering the phone we are to be polite and respectful throughout the entire phone call. Customers will call to ask questions if we have a certain product in stock or the product at all. I answered the phone and was asked  if there were any karaoke radios in stock. I turned to my co-worker to ask her, she replied â€Å"Just tell them no.† I was shocked at her response. Instead of telling the customer no, I put them on hold and searched myself. I knew in my conscience mind it would be wrong for me not too. I would rather speak the truth (John Stuart Mills Utility) and avoid a communication dispute later. Ethics and morals are crucial concepts in today’s world. Ethics are rules and standards governing the conduct in which one lives and makes life decisions. Ethics build traits that help shape an individual beliefs and help shape and understanding of right and wrong. Every day one’s ethics are challenged by work, school, home, and most importantly communication. It is important to understand how to react to a particular situation long before that situation happens. Building ethics and communication ethics is a learning process, but the things one learns, as one grows, will govern and guide the rest of one’s life. Living by John Stuarts Mill’s Utility can promote an environment every individual can live in of fairness and justice. References Code of business conduct and ethics. (2015). Retrieved from Big Lots Inc.: http://www.biglots.com/corporate/careers/corporate-culture Learning activity- transcript ethics: what is right? (2012). Retrieved from University of Phoenix: https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:48172976/context/co/view/activityDetails/activity/f3640959-b484-4642-9f12-326e54bc3a54/expanded/False