Strategies for Success > Ethics > Ethical Decision Making

Ethical decision making

Moral principles and rules of conduct serve as guidelines for ethical practices. Within a particular discipline, knowing and adhering to the rules of conduct helps us establish a framework to weigh ethical matters and make sound ethical decisions. The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics offers some valuable tips for
creating a framework in ethical decision making.

The ability to utilize an ethical framework does not make the decision-making any easier, nor does it guarantee the right decision will be made since, sometimes, there is no absolute right decision at all. Nevertheless, guidelines are very helpful. Ethical guidelines can provide some context for defining issues and assessing the merits of outcomes. As such they can help you to identify which outcomes may be the least and/or most ethical; you are then in a better position to make ethical decisions, based upon the information you have available.

Sometimes, however, making the right or best decision may be rather difficult; you may be encountering an ethical dilemma, in which:

• The best or right thing to do is unclear given the information you have available.
• Some variable (rule, value, interest, emotion, etc) is in competition or conflict with another.
• The outcome, no matter what, will cause harm, hardship, negative effect, etc.

Depending on the context of your dilemma, your professional or research-specific guidelines may provide you with the framework for sorting through the dilemma in a systematic fashion. You may also consider the following tips:

Try to determine:

• What ethical principles come into play?
• What are the issues causing the dilemma?
• What are the facts that comprise the issues?
• What is your obligation to act?
• What are your options?

Then begin to assemble the information you have collected to: 

• Weigh the options, including ethical principles and obligations.
• Choose the best option with due consideration for:
• Rules or laws that must be followed.
• Consequences that may emerge.
• Your own personal values (you have to live with your decisions).
• Whether your decision will impact others, and if so, what your duty of care is.

If you are still unsure about what to do, talk to those you trust, such as friends, superiors, and authorities in your own field or the field of ethics. You may also consider consulting with ethics experts at the University of Manitoba's Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics

Finally, whatever you decide:  You must accept responsibility for your actions.