The Josephson Institute of Ethics recognizes six core ethical values—trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship—that are the building blocks of ethical behavior and coincide with good decision-making. In one passage, Josephson relates, “Ethical values and principles always take precedence over nonethical ones. The ethical person should always choose to follow ethical principles” (UC San Diego). As can be derived, this instills that moral values will always come first before one’s self-interests, no matter how difficult the circumstances may present themselves.

This source reminds me of a situation when I had to decide whether to report a coworker who cut corners at work. It was not an easy decision, but eventually, my parents’ clarity assured me that it was more ethical to take responsibility for the sake of the organization and my own well-being, like the Josephson model for ethical decision-making suggests. This experience connects well with the values of responsibility and fairness because, through it, I realized my responsibility for ensuring standards were upheld, even if it meant a path not comfortable to tread.

In a broader perspective, the process of ethical decision-making has parallels with cases such as corporate fraud, whereby executives may put their personal interests before those of corporate integrity, leading to scandals and harm to the organization. There are quite a number of instances in the world where failure to observe ethical principles leads to disastrous outcomes, such as loss of reputation or legal fines, and shows the applicability of sustained ethical behavior in organizations.