Resolving Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace

Published in the Australian Institute of Management, ‘Management’ Magazine, July 1997

In an earlier article entitled ‘An organic perspective on organisational ethics’ (AIM Management Oct 1996), I outlined an overall framework for considering ethics in an organisational perspective. The article emphasised the importance of an organisation’s Vision and Mission statements in helping to foster an overall ethical climate. It also emphasised the need for a desire within the organisation to ‘walk the talk’.

Since the article was published several people have asked what the next step is. That is, after the organisation has thrashed out a good Vision and Mission statement, and has decided what the key values are that give meaning to its purpose, how does it train its staff to resolve ethical dilemmas?

This article therefore attempts to outline a simple and effective strategy for resolving ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

What is an ethical decision?

Ethical problems involve considering a range of actions and their corresponding consequences. The thing that makes ethical problems …