How to Solve Ethical Issues
Gather as much information as possible., Identify the parties involved., Pinpoint the ethical issues involved., Review the company's standard procedure., List and evaluate your options., Execute the best option., Keep a record as you monitor the...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Gather as much information as possible.
Before taking action to solve an ethical issue, you need to have as thorough an understanding of that issue as possible.
The problem may not be as straightforward as it first appears.Ask yourself if you really know enough information to determine what's going on.
Ideally, you should gather all relevant facts concerning the issue at hand, but if you cannot collect all the facts, you at least need to know enough to make a well-educated hypothesis.
You also need to ask yourself if you might be making assumptions.
Everyone has their own personal and professional biases.
Some of those biases are grounded in experience, but if you aren't careful, they could be skewing your perspective and making you see something that doesn't actually exist. -
Step 2: Identify the parties involved.
Determine who else in the company is involved in this issue.
Involvement can be direct or indirect.
On a direct level, those participating in the ethical violation are certainly involved.
On an indirect level, those who will be impacted regardless of having no say in the issue are also involved.
Among others, this can include coworkers, customers, and stockholders.
You'll also need to determine who, among those involved, will be your allies.
Since fixing this issue goes beyond the limits of your power, you will need the support, assistance, and direction of others when solving it.
That being the case, knowing who you can trust is a very important matter. , Instead of settling for a general sense that something is wrong, you need to ask yourself which ethical principles are being abused.
Some ethical violations are more obvious than others.
For instance, if you caught a coworker stealing expensive equipment, you could make the clear distinction that theft is wrong.
In situations dealing with small violations or interdepartmental strife, though, the violation may not be as clear.
Review the circumstances again and ask yourself which fundamental principle is affected.
Possible options include violations of power, integrity, honesty, objectivity, professional competence, confidentiality, or fairness. , Find out if your company currently has an internal system set up for dealing with ethical issues like this.
If you have a company manual or similar documentation, review it now.
Look into the organization's policies concerning workplace ethics.
Pay close attention to the chain of command.
Find out who you should involve at which points, and the correct procedure for doing so.
If the company doesn't have a set structure for dealing with ethical issues, you will need to determine who to go to using your own experience and understanding. , Think of every possible option available to you instead of settling for the most obvious.
Write out each of these options and consider the impact each one might have.When evaluating your options, consider how each one fares in the light of your company's internal procedures, any external laws involved, and any general ethical values upheld by society as a whole.
Predict the consequences that will result from each option.
This includes both positive and negative outcomes.
Understand that, in some circumstances, each option may come with both negative and positive consequences. , After reviewing all of your options, determine which is best and put it into practice.
In most cases, the solution will require you to escalate the issue to an authority within the company.
The correct person may depend upon who within the company is guilty of the violation.
Moreover, if the highest authorities in the company are guilty, you may need to bring the violation to the attention of an external authority.
The best option should address the ethical issue in a productive manner.
If multiple ethical values are involved, your solution should usually correct as many violations as possible.
Whatever option you choose, be prepared to stand by it.
There will always be critics, and there is no guarantee that you can remain anonymous throughout the entire corrective process. , Unfortunately, your work doesn't end just because you've reported the issue.
Keep an eye on how things progress to make sure that the issue is genuinely addressed.
As a general rule, it's a good idea to document nearly everything in writing.
This includes your own investigations, the reports you've filed, and the discussions you've had concerning this issue.
You may need to use these written records to defend yourself later. , If the initial solution you implement doesn't work, keep trying.
Continue through the hierarchy until you've exhausted every possibility.
Don't be afraid of going above someone's head if he or she isn't getting the job done.
Be reasonable when evaluating how that supervisor has handled things, but don't let yourself be bullied into submission by someone trying to sweep things under the rug. -
Step 3: Pinpoint the ethical issues involved.
-
Step 4: Review the company's standard procedure.
-
Step 5: List and evaluate your options.
-
Step 6: Execute the best option.
-
Step 7: Keep a record as you monitor the outcome.
-
Step 8: Take things to the next level when needed.
Detailed Guide
Before taking action to solve an ethical issue, you need to have as thorough an understanding of that issue as possible.
The problem may not be as straightforward as it first appears.Ask yourself if you really know enough information to determine what's going on.
Ideally, you should gather all relevant facts concerning the issue at hand, but if you cannot collect all the facts, you at least need to know enough to make a well-educated hypothesis.
You also need to ask yourself if you might be making assumptions.
Everyone has their own personal and professional biases.
Some of those biases are grounded in experience, but if you aren't careful, they could be skewing your perspective and making you see something that doesn't actually exist.
Determine who else in the company is involved in this issue.
Involvement can be direct or indirect.
On a direct level, those participating in the ethical violation are certainly involved.
On an indirect level, those who will be impacted regardless of having no say in the issue are also involved.
Among others, this can include coworkers, customers, and stockholders.
You'll also need to determine who, among those involved, will be your allies.
Since fixing this issue goes beyond the limits of your power, you will need the support, assistance, and direction of others when solving it.
That being the case, knowing who you can trust is a very important matter. , Instead of settling for a general sense that something is wrong, you need to ask yourself which ethical principles are being abused.
Some ethical violations are more obvious than others.
For instance, if you caught a coworker stealing expensive equipment, you could make the clear distinction that theft is wrong.
In situations dealing with small violations or interdepartmental strife, though, the violation may not be as clear.
Review the circumstances again and ask yourself which fundamental principle is affected.
Possible options include violations of power, integrity, honesty, objectivity, professional competence, confidentiality, or fairness. , Find out if your company currently has an internal system set up for dealing with ethical issues like this.
If you have a company manual or similar documentation, review it now.
Look into the organization's policies concerning workplace ethics.
Pay close attention to the chain of command.
Find out who you should involve at which points, and the correct procedure for doing so.
If the company doesn't have a set structure for dealing with ethical issues, you will need to determine who to go to using your own experience and understanding. , Think of every possible option available to you instead of settling for the most obvious.
Write out each of these options and consider the impact each one might have.When evaluating your options, consider how each one fares in the light of your company's internal procedures, any external laws involved, and any general ethical values upheld by society as a whole.
Predict the consequences that will result from each option.
This includes both positive and negative outcomes.
Understand that, in some circumstances, each option may come with both negative and positive consequences. , After reviewing all of your options, determine which is best and put it into practice.
In most cases, the solution will require you to escalate the issue to an authority within the company.
The correct person may depend upon who within the company is guilty of the violation.
Moreover, if the highest authorities in the company are guilty, you may need to bring the violation to the attention of an external authority.
The best option should address the ethical issue in a productive manner.
If multiple ethical values are involved, your solution should usually correct as many violations as possible.
Whatever option you choose, be prepared to stand by it.
There will always be critics, and there is no guarantee that you can remain anonymous throughout the entire corrective process. , Unfortunately, your work doesn't end just because you've reported the issue.
Keep an eye on how things progress to make sure that the issue is genuinely addressed.
As a general rule, it's a good idea to document nearly everything in writing.
This includes your own investigations, the reports you've filed, and the discussions you've had concerning this issue.
You may need to use these written records to defend yourself later. , If the initial solution you implement doesn't work, keep trying.
Continue through the hierarchy until you've exhausted every possibility.
Don't be afraid of going above someone's head if he or she isn't getting the job done.
Be reasonable when evaluating how that supervisor has handled things, but don't let yourself be bullied into submission by someone trying to sweep things under the rug.
About the Author
Charlotte Robinson
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: