SLC 300 (601) Fall 2024 Leading with an Ethical Perspective

For this DEJ post, I decided to do an analysis on “A Framework for Ethical Decision-Making,” looking at a text to text, text to self, and text to world look at the article.

text to self: In this article It looks at ethics in a multitude of ways of which the article calls these viewpoints lenses. The lenses describe ways in which people can analyze ethical frameworks and give them ideas of what to look for when doing ethical considerations for anything. I personally try to look at every decision I make and view it through the ethical lenses as it really can help you decide if your decision is sound and has good logic behind it.

text to text: this article really seemed to correlate a lot to one of the other articles in our readings this week called the ‘Thinking Ethically” article we read for module three. Both articles were written by the same company called Markkula Center for applied ethics and both articles were a great read. They discussed the ethical frameworks that provide a basis for ethical decisions and then described in the other article what lenses we should use to examine these decisions.

text to world: I think that this article is very important when thinking about the way that we judge a decision or action that was made by anyone or ourselves. It provides a bases to determine if the decision was helpful or harmful, lasting or short, ethically sound or ethically lacking, etc… I cannot think of a better tool thank remembering these lenses to make more ethically sound decisions in everyday life.

For module three DEJ post #5 I decided to do my post on the thinking ethically article from the readings for module #3.

Text to self: This article was easy to make a text to self connection as it goes over the framework of ethical decision making. In any decision a person will weigh out the ethical implications of their decision sometimes without even trying to think about it. Which I have experienced.

Text to text: This reading reminded me of the business ethics blog I did my mini analysis 2 on. It is similar as it discusses the ethical implications of decisions and deals happening in the business world. But differs in the sense that it is not strictly only talking about business decisions and how they relate to the ethical frameworks that are laid out in the article.

Text to World: This article reminds me heavily of a training I had for a co-op at Bosch. This training was a two-day eight hour event in which I was trained on value based leadership and the ethics behind global business. I learned most importantly from this that establishing a sound and agreed upon ethical foundation is the easiest way to solve a tough problem.

By Maggie Pohl

When I was reading “A Framework for Ethical Thinking” I was immediately reminded of the article “Thinking Ethically.”

“A Framework for Ethical Thinking” outlines the six ethical lenses and defines them as the rights lens, the justice lens, the utilitarian lens, the common good lens, the virtue lens, and the care ethics lens. This directly correlates to the five approaches discussed in “Thinking Ethically” consisting of the rights approach, the common good approach, the virtue approach, the utilitarian approach, and the fairness or justice approach. The only lens that differs from the approaches laid out in “Thinking Ethically” is the cares ethics lens, which prioritizes the need to listen and respond to individuals in their specific circumstances. This is a lens that I feel should be included when making an ethical decision. This is the only lens that I see that allows for a user to take into consideration the specific circumstances. My biggest concern with the approach laid out in “Thinking Ethically” was the reality of the environments that these approaches are being used. By including the care ethics lens to an ethical discussion it allows for managers to analysis the impact of their decision in terms of humanity and care for the people affected.

Sources:

Thinking Ethically. Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Aug. 1, 2015. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-ethically/

A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Nov 8, 2021. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/

I would like to make a text-to-self connection because I have found the article assigned for the Hot Topic Headline for module 3. While writing my response to the article and answering the assignment questions, I began to realize how ethics and the public trust go hand and hand. I considered my personal trust in the standardized testing experience and how it changed after the protocol and requirements were altered due to Covid-19. Although the Covid outbreak was a very serious and unpredictable occurrence, it seems to be considerably easy to make accommodations with the college application requirements. It begs the question of how important standardized testing is and if the results are truly that impactful in the college acceptance process. I was one of the students who didn’t have to submit my ACT score to college applications. I was relieved but also satisfied because after taking that kind of test I questions how it would hold such significance in my acceptance decision. I didn’t believe it was the most ethical way to measure a student’s knowledge or intelligence. Now knowing that other students are in college and successful without having submitted their ACT/SAT scores makes me question how significant that testing really is in the process.

Has our society allowed the standardized testing business to hold more significance than it should? Is the education system letting us down by creating a standard assessment that doesn’t accurately reflect an individual’s intelligence? Is standardized testing ethical? These are all questions I have asked myself as I have seen the modifications made due to external circumstances and personally experienced educational success without having submitted my ACT/SAT.

SAT scores for nearly 800 CPS students invalid after error | WGN-TV (wgntv.com)

I would like to make a notable connection between the article “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making” and the world. When this article explained what ethics is, it chose to compare ethics to religion which I thought was very interesting. I think our world sees ethics and this idea of morals as following a religion. In the article it says, “Ethics is not the same as religion. People are not religious but act ethically.” Then it goes on to say the same applies vice versa. This reminds me of the word morals and when people say “you have good morals” and assume you follow a traditional religion or grew up in a household that was religious. I am at fault for that assumption a lot and sometimes it is true, but other times there are people who have strong ethical beliefs and that is simply it. This idea is also supported through the different lens’. The common good lens described in the article can support why people just act in a respectful and compassionate manner because ethically they believe that is how their actions can contribute to a good and well-lived life. On the other end, there could be people who believe in God and have a heart for Him and live in a way that would be in accordance with His desires. This doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with ethics, but rather your personal beliefs. The reasoning behind people’s actions in our society are for a number of different reasons which is why ethics is not a religion and religion is not ethics.

A Framework for Ethical Decision Making – Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (scu.edu)

I discovered that making decisions that impact not just people but also governments, businesses, and society at large requires careful consideration of ethics. Ethics is the study of and use of a framework to judge what is good and wrong in an activity. It is not just about obeying the law, one’s emotions, or social conventions. The literature teaches us that there are several views or “lenses” that we may use to analyze acts when it comes to ethics. Some examples of these lenses include the Rights Lens, Justice Lens, Utilitarian Lens, Common Good Lens, Virtue Lens, and Care Ethics Lens. Every lens offers a different perspective on moral dilemmas and enables us to see how our actions affect other people. For instance, the Virtue Lens inquires as to whether a choice advances our goal of becoming the sort of person we like to be, whereas the Utilitarian Lens concentrates on achieving the greatest benefit for the largest number. These methods support the process of making thoughtful judgments. The essay highlights that making ethical decisions involves more than just according to one’s instincts or external norms; it also takes careful analysis and evaluation of a variety of issues. This viewpoint is best expressed by the remark, “Ethics refers to standards and practices that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves.” This emphasizes how crucial it is to approach ethical decision-making methodically rather than depending just on situational or subjective judgments.

Source: https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/

I discovered from the text that tackling moral difficulties calls for deep analysis of ethical norms and principles in addition to fact-finding. The five methods of ethical problem-solving that are highlighted in the work are virtue ethics, rights, justice, utilitarianism, and the common good. By framing moral quandaries in various ways, each strategy aids in helping us arrive at more morally sound conclusions. For instance, the rights approach stresses upholding people’s liberties and dignity, whereas the utilitarian approach concentrates on maximizing benefit and reducing damage. In addition to helping us navigate challenging circumstances, these frameworks promote introspection about how we interact with others and whether our behavior is consistent with the ideals of our community. What really stood out to me was how well the various ethical perspectives worked together. For example, the common-good approach pushes us to look beyond our own interests and prioritize the welfare of the community as a whole. According to the text, “Appeals to the common good urge us to view ourselves as members of the same community, reflecting on broad questions concerning the kind of society we want to become and how we are to achieve that society.,” when we hear appeals to the common good. This quotation strikes a chord with me because it emphasizes the value of group accountability in moral decision-making and challenges us to think about how our actions affect everyone, not just ourselves.

Source: https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-ethically/

This module helped me better understand the building blocks of ethics and what is truly behind the concept. Among the various frameworks, we discussed one that I found to truly relate to leadership is the concept of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics were discussed throughout many of our readings, however, one of the pieces that stood out to me came from the Markkula Center. This source shared that “virtues are attitudes or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop our highest potential” (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, Meyer, 1). This statement regarding virtue ethics is one that I feel encompasses the idea in a well-rounded way. It tells us that if we use ethics with the framework of developing in ourselves the highest qualities of character such as kindness and honesty we will reach our fullest potential. To connect this to a real-world example, this is how I have seen various leaders pursue their leadership styles. While leading with their values and good ethics, they lead with their instilled and developed virtue ethics. An example of a great leader is my current boss who leads a team of people to work with dedication, passion, and intent in all that they do. This has led them to exceed goals and be one of the best teams collaboratively that I have ever witnessed. Within this team I clearly see that each individual uses the virtue ethics framework and each of them has qualities of kindness, humility, compassion, and much more that have been deeply instilled in them. I will continue to consider this framework throughout my life and make it a goal to build upon my virtue ethics framework.

Source: Thinking Ethically – Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (scu.edu)

Throughout this module, I found the various topics covered and concepts discussed to be insightful and expand my thinking when it comes to ethics. I especially found the topic of ethical frameworks to be interesting. One framework in particular that I was able to relate back to my own real world experiences was the rights and responsibilities framework. This framework was discussed in the Frameworks For Ethical Analysis reading from the Science Learning Hub. As defined by Science Learning Hub, the ethical framework of rights and responsibilities entails the following – “the rights of one imply the responsibilities (or duties) of another to ensure those rights” (Science Learning Hub, 1). When learning about this framework, I found myself relating it back to my career interest. My major in textiles and apparel has shown me the rights and responsibilities of both the consumer and the company or producer involved within the industry. This framework made me consider the responsibilities that textile companies have towards consumers to produce ethically made and sourced products and the crucial need for transparency. This framework is especially prevalent in one of my other classes, supply chain and sourcing in the textile industry. In this class, we discuss the ethical responsibilities that textile companies have to their consumer in transparency of where clothing was manufactured such as avoiding child labor or cheap labor. We also discuss the topic of sustainability. Sustainability has become a widely discussed topic in the textile industry and one that companies have the responsibility to deliver to consumers. Consumers have started to realize their rights as consumers and want this to be recognized and taken on as a responsibility by the companies from which they purchase. Overall, I have seen this framework in various aspects of my everyday life and it is interesting to see how much ethics influence our decisions.

Source: Frameworks for ethical analysis — Science Learning Hub 

In the second part of this module, I took my previous knowledge and what I learned through the readings and got to apply it in a comparative analysis between two business ethics blogs. For me this was a fairly new concept analyzing ethics within the business world. When ethics has been brought up in past classes it is usually surrounding more over-encompassing moral issues in the world such as famine and war. This exercise was interesting because I got to dissect different ethical issues within the business world using different ethical lenses. I found it very interesting that most of these ethical issues I read about in the blogs can be interpreted in very different ways depending on the ethical approach you take. For example, utilitarianism paints a drastically different lens for most ethical issues in the business world. Utilitarianism is picking the outcome that will bring good to the most amount of people. For example, sometimes a business may have to do things like lay off workers or outsource work overseas. This may look bad and unethical to most people at first glance but if you dig deeper it may not be the worst thing. A utilitarian mindset would say maybe the layoffs and outsourcing are keeping the company afloat which means at the end of the day it is bringing good to all the employees at the company except for the ones that lost their jobs. Using these different ethical lenses helps paint a picture of the situation that may have not been there before allowing outside people to better comprehend the full situation.