Ethics And Creativity In Decision Making.

 

Ethical considerations should be an important criterion in all organizational decision making. In this section, we present three ways to frame decisions ethically.

 

The Ethical Decision Criteria

The first ethical yardstick is utilitarianism, in which decisions are made solely on the basis of outcomes, ideally to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. This view dominates business decision making.

 

Another ethical criterion is to make decisions consistent with fundamental liberties and privileges. An emphasis on rights in decision making means respecting and protecting the basic rights of individuals, such as the right to privacy, free speech, and due process. The criterion protects whistle-blowers when they reveal an organizations´s unethical practices.

 

A third criterion is to impose and enforce rules fairly and impartially to ensure justice or an equitable distribution of benefits and costs.Union members typically favor this view.

 

Each criterion has advantages and liabilities. A focus on utilitarianism promotes efficiency and productivity, but it can sideline the rights of some individuals, particularly those with minority representation. The use of rights protects individuals from injury and is consistent with freedom and privacy, but it can create a legalistic environment that hinders productivity and efficiency. A focus on justice protects the interests of the underrepresented and less powerful, but it can encourage a sense of entitlement that reduces risk taking, innovation, and productivity.