Ethical System Table
Directions
1. Fill in brief definitions of each primary ethical theory.
2. Identify alternate names or variations of each ethical system based on your reading of the text and supplemental materials. Match the real-world examples listed below with the corresponding systems. The first one has been completed for you in the table.
a. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they like the taste of it.
b. I believe that if sand is going to be eaten, it should be available for everyone to eat.
c. I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is the right thing to do.
d. I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is good for one’s health.
e. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they decide they want to, regardless of whether it is someone else’s sand.
f. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they want to because they are free to make the decision themselves.
g. I believe I will eat sand because it is the standard meal for my community.
3. Develop your own workplace example that fits with each system. Present each workplace scenario in a substantial paragraph of approximately 40 words. Although the table field will expand to accommodate your workplace examples, you may list them at the end of the table; make a note in the table to see the attached examples, however, so your facilitator knows to look for scenarios below the table.
4. Format references according to APA standards and includes them after the table.
| Ethical Theory or System | Brief Definition | Other Names for Theory | Real-world Example | Workplace Example |
| Duty-based Ethics | Regardless of consequences, | Deontology, pluralism, | C | It is my duty to follow through with |
| certain moral principles are | moral rights, rights-based | I believe people | instructions my boss gives me, even if I | |
| binding, focusing on duty rather | should be able to | do not agree with the concept. It is my | ||
| than results or moral obligation | Categorical imperative | eat sand because | moral obligation to respect authority | |
| over what the individual would | it is the right | figures. | ||
| prefer to do (Trevino & Nelson, | Golden rule | thing to do. | ||
| 2007, Ch. 4). | ||||
| In ethics, deontological ethics, | ||||
| or deontology (Greek: deon meaning | ||||
| obligation or duty), is a theory | ||||
| holding that decisions should be | ||||
| made solely or primarily by | ||||
| considering one’s duties and the | ||||
| rights of others. Some systems are | ||||
| based on biblical or tenets from | ||||
| sacred. | ||||
| Consequence-based | “…an ethical decision should | Consequentialist Theories | B | |
| Ethics | maximize benefits to society and | I believe that if | I know that we signed a contract for a big | |
| minimize harms. What matters is | Utilitarianism | sand is going to | new client but we can’t announce it until | |
| the net balance of good | be eaten, it | next month. The benefits to morale of the | ||
| consequences over bad” (Trevino & | should be | company and employees outweigh the | ||
| Nelson, 2007, Ch. 4). | available for | consequences of making an early | ||
| everyone to eat. | announcement. I should make the | |||
| announcement. | ||||
| Rights-based Ethics | Rights are considered to be | Contractarianism | A | |
| ethically correct and valid since | Social Contract | I believe people | Employees have the right to expect a safe | |
| a large or ruling population | should be able to | working environment since that is part of | ||
| endorses them (Ridley, 1998). | eat sand if they | the social contract in modern America. | ||
| like the taste of | ||||
| it. | ||||
| Human Nature Ethics | Ethical values that are hardcoded | D | ||
| into people as being part of the | “Common Courtesy” | I believe people | A co-worker has the need to switch shifts | |
| human race. Natural tendencies | should be able to | to care for a sick family member. If the | ||
| instead of man-made law for making | eat sand because | other individual doesn’t have a pressing | ||
| decisions. | it is good for | engagement it would be nice to switch the | ||
| one’s health. | shift and help them out. | |||
| Relativistic Ethics | Moral disagreements are caused by | Moral Relativism | F | |
| the fact that everyone in theory | I believe people | Based on the position someone has in a | ||
| is right in their own way. | “When in Rome, do as the | should be able to | company it may not be appropriate for them | |
| Individuals only have to be true | Romans do. | eat sand if they | to have visible piercings or tattoos when | |
| to themselves and no one else. | want to because | a more professional demeanor needs to be | ||
| they are free to | maintained. Others may be able to since it | |||
| make the decision | doesn’t affect their performance or the | |||
| themselves. | company image in their position. | |||
| Entitlement-based | E | |||
| Ethics | I believe people | |||
| should be able to | ||||
| eat sand if they | ||||
| decide they want | ||||
| to, regardless of | ||||
| whether it is | ||||
| someone else’s | ||||
| sand. | ||||
| Virtue-based ethics | ||||
| The virtue ethics approach focuses | Community ethics, | G | The quality control team in our company | |
| more on the integrity of the moral | professional | I believe I will | has to carry food handlers and safety | |
| actor than on the moral act | responsibility | eat sand because | cards. I should be able to trust that food | |
| itself. In virtue ethics, | The Disclosure Rule | it is the standard | provided as sample meets the standards of | |
| character is very much defined by | meal for my | the guidelines that they accepted when | ||
| one’s community (Trevino & Nelson, | community. | getting that certification. | ||
| 2007, Ch. 4). |
Reference
- Trevino, L. K. , & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Ridley, Aaron. (1998). Beginning Bioethics. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
