Ethics

Describe the nature of ethics

• Slides 3-5 - Ethics

Slide # 2 Opening Discussion #1: Ask students what they would do if they were in this situation.

THINK ABOUT IT

• You’re still having problems understanding the material.
• You stop by your teacher’s room during lunch to ask her a question.
• She isn’t at her desk.
• You spot the answer key to the test sticking out of a pile of books.

• If you look at the answer key, you’ll be sure to get an A.
• If you can copy it down, you’ll be able to help your friends get A’s, too.
• But is that the right thing to do?

Slide #3 Ethics are the basic principles that govern your behavior.

• Following ethical principles means your ethical beliefs don’t change when you’re in a new situation.
• Ethical issues deal with right and wrong choices.
• Being ethical means doing what’s right, no matter what, even when it doesn’t benefit you.

Slide #4 Consequences of unethical behavior

• Being unethical can lead to consequences such as lost trust, legal problems, a poor
  reputation, and setting a bad example.

Discussion #2: Ask students if they have ever acted unethically and faced the consequences. If so, what happened?

Slide #5 Ethical principles help people make ethical decisions.

• Integrity
  • Acting with honesty in all situations
  • Doing the right thing even when no one else is watching, when it isn’t easy, or when it might not be in your best interest

• Trust
  • Behaving ethically also means being trustworthy in all your relationships.
  • With teachers
  • With coworkers
  • With friends
  • With family members
  • Doing what you say you will do (no matter what!) and telling the truth

Discussion #3: Ask students to share about a person whom they trust and why that person is trustworthy.

• Accountability
  • Accepting responsibility for decisions
  • Imagine what would happen if nobody was accountable for their actions.
  • You wouldn’t be able to count on anyone!
• Transparency
  • Being truthful when you communicate
  • More than just avoiding lies
  • Speaking up about your feelings and communicating openly, even when it’s difficult
• Fairness
  • Treating others the way they’d like to be treated
  • Creating relationships that are equal
• Respect
  • Honoring the rights, freedoms, views, and property of others
  • Ethical people respect other people’s opinions.
  • They don’t start an argument or insult someone just because they don’t agree.
  • Showing respect means:
    • Listening to others when they speak
    • Not interrupting
    • Using basic manners (such as being polite, saying please and thank you, and maintaining proper eye contact)
• Rule of law
  • Being ethical doesn’t just mean following the law.
  • You can technically follow the law and still be unethical!
  • However, part of being ethical means respecting the rules and laws of your
    city and country.
• Viability
  • Ensuring that your actions are helpful in the long term, not just the short term
  • The impact of your actions in the long term
  • How your actions affect others in the coming weeks, months, and years

Discussion #4: Ask students to share a decision they made because they were thinking about the long-term effects of that decision.

Ethical Dilemmas—Discussion Guide

Slide #7 THINK ABOUT IT

• Businesspeople often face ethical dilemmas.
• They have to choose between what’s right and personal/professional goals.
• Everyone is faced with ethical dilemmas.
• Have you ever broken a promise?

KEY CONCEPTS

Slide #8 Ethical dilemmas are difficult situations.

• They require you to make a decision between a right and a wrong choice.
• If you pick the wrong choice, someone or something can be hurt.

Slide #9 What is an ethical dilemma?

• It’s a difficult situation.
• You have to choose between a wrong and a right choice.
• If you pick the wrong choice, someone or something can be hurt.

Discussion #1: Explain a difficult choice you had to make and what the result was.

Slide #10 Common causes of ethical dilemmas

• Pressure from others

• When you are surrounded by people who behave unethically, you might be influenced to do the same things.

• The desire to prove yourself

• Your need to be accepted and liked can cause you to act unethically such as by exaggerating or lying about a situation to impress others.

• Conflicting values

• You may not feel it’s important to follow strict guidelines or rules that don’t align with your own values.

• Greed

• People’s desire for things they haven’t earned can cause them to lie, cheat, or steal.

• Bad role models

• When someone you look up to behaves unethically, it can cause you to follow their example.

• A lack of consequences

• When there’s no fear of negative consequences, you may be more tempted to act unethically.

Discussion #2: Which cause of ethical dilemmas is the most difficult to deal with and why?

Slide #11 How to make ethical choices

• • • Follow your principles at all times.

• To practice integrity, you do your best at school, home, and work.
• You tell the truth to your friends, parents, teachers, and coworkers.

• • • Develop integrity.

• You do the right thing, even when no one is watching.

• • • Think about the impact of your actions.

• You consider how your behavior will affect you, your friends, or your employer in the long run.

Discussion #3: How does thinking about the impact of your actions on yourself and others help you make better choices?

• • • Follow the law.

• You can avoid a great deal of unethical behavior by following the law.

• • • Be trustworthy.

• You keep your word by doing what you say you will do and avoid gossip.

• • • Respect others.

• Treat others well by being polite and using good manners.
• Respect the property and rights of others.

Recognizing and Responding to Ethical Dilemmas—Discussion Guide

THINK ABOUT IT

Slide #13 You have to make lots of decisions every day.

• You can probably respond to these situations without stressing out too much about them.
  • What to eat for breakfast
  • What to do over the weekend
  • Whether to do extra-credit homework
• But what about more serious problems?
  • Your boss encourages you to lie to customers.
  • You consider cheating on a test.
• These are ethical dilemmas.

KEY CONCEPTS

Slide #14 Characteristics of Ethical Dilemmas

• There is a right and wrong choice.
• Someone could be hurt.
• Often they deal with what is legal.

Discussion #1: Ask students what ethical dilemmas they have encountered in their lives.

Slide #15 Responding with Ethical Principles

• You will be a better employee, friend, student, and family member.
• Use ethical principles such as:
  • Integrity
  • Trust
  • Accountability
  • Transparency
  • Fairness
  • Respect
  • Rule of Law
  • Viability

Slide #16 How to respond to ethical dilemmas

1. Identify the dilemma.
   • You can’t resolve the dilemma if you don’t know what it is.
   • Take a careful look at what you’re facing and be sure you’re truly facing an
     ethical dilemma instead of just a problem.
   • To recognize ethical dilemmas, ask yourself three questions:
     • Could someone be hurt?
     • Is there a right and wrong choice?
     • Are ethical principles being violated?
2. Get the facts.
   • It’s important to know all the details about your ethical dilemma.
   • You might need to talk about it with someone else, so you want to be sure you have all the facts straight.
     • Who’s involved?
     • What is the dilemma?
     • When/Where did it happen?
     • Which ethical principles are being violated?
3. Figure out who’s affected.
   • Who is going to be hurt if the wrong action is taken?
   • Who should take action?
   • If you’re facing a situation that’s dangerous or tricky, it may be best to involve someone else.

Discussion #2: Ask students to share an ethical dilemma that affected a lot of other people.

4. Consider all of your potential actions.
   • In an ethical dilemma, there’s definitely a right and wrong thing to do.
   • But that doesn’t mean you only have two options every time.
   • Brainstorming, a creative-thinking technique, can help you identify many
     possible solutions.
   • Part of considering your potential actions is thinking about the consequences.
   • What are the positives and negatives of each solution?
   • What could go wrong?
5. Check your gut feeling.
   • Using a logical, step-by-step process is a great way to be sure you’re responding correctly to an ethical dilemma.
   • However, it’s still important to check in with your gut feeling.
   • What does your intuition tell you?
   • Which solution feels right?
6. Make and implement your decision.
   • Now it’s time to make your final decision and put it into action.
   • Just as you asked yourself earlier how other people will be affected by your
     decision, it’s important to consider how those people will react.
   • It’s important to you and everyone else involved that you make the right decision, not just the easy or popular one.

Discussion #3: Ask students to explain their decision-making process in ethical situations.

7. Reflect on the outcome.
   • Did you make the right decision?
   • If so, congratulate yourself!
   • If you didn’t successfully resolve your ethical dilemma, think about what went wrong.
   • What can you do differently next time?
   • Don’t beat yourself up if you made a decision that didn’t turn out the way you thought it would.
   • Learning to handle ethical dilemmas can take time, and in the meantime, it’s important that you try your best to do what’s right.