It is hard to believe how little progress we have made since Rodney King to create positive, trusting police-community relations. Despite mountains of reports, new rules, policies and training materials accompanied by sincere rhetoric, the likelihood of explosive incidents like the current ones in Ferguson Missouri and New York City seems as great or greater than it was in the …
Business Case #8: Headhunting and Job-Shopping
You are contacted by an executive recruiter and told about another job with an excellent company that has an immediate need. You occupy a key position in your present company, and you are presently involved with a major long-term project (it will take at least a month to complete) that will be seriously damaged and may have to be abandoned …
Decision Making Models: Consequentialism / Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism holds that we should judge the merit of an act by its foreseeable consequences. Actions are good when they produce benefit or prevent harm. There are two divisions: Act Utilitarianism – The ethical merit of an act is judged by the immediate and direct consequences of the action. Rule Utilitarianism – The ethical merit of an act is judged …
Creating a Sustainable Ethical Culture
Michael Josephson discusses going beyond an ethics code and creating workplaces with sustainable ethical cultures.
Decision Making Models: Kant’s Categorical Imperative
According to Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the moral character of an action depends solely on the principle behind it – not upon the consequences it produces. Ethical obligations are “higher truths,” which we must obey regardless of the results. According to Kant, moral obligations are absolute and do not allow for exceptions or extenuating circumstances. A major virtue of Kant’s duty …
Unethical Behavior Worsens Productivity
“Nobody . . . should have any doubts of the linkages between poor ethics in the workplace and low productivity . . . When workers don’t trust each other and their supervisors, then morale is low, stress is high and output is undermined.” – Kenneth C. Frazier (2003 National Business Ethics Survey) Consider: Companies without a code of ethics do …