Ethical Perspective Paper
Angela D. Nicol
University of Phoenix
MGT 344 Organizational Behavior and Ethical Responsibility
Professor Albert Chavez
Due Date: April 7, 2008
Abstract
There are four different ethical perspectives that a person can be classified into and they are character, obligation, results, and equity. A person can be classified into one of the four perspectives depending upon how the individual chooses to make decisions in his or her environment. Character has to do with a person qualities or features that distinguish them from another person. Obligation can be viewed as a promise that compels someone to act a certain way. Results can be viewed as the consequence of a particular action that affects the overall outcome. Equity has been viewed as the quality of being fair in their actions. One has to have all four of these in balance in order to make an ethical decision. This paper will explain each of these perspectives and how they relate to the authors own ethical style. The author will also share their results of the Ethics Awareness Inventory and discuss issues that they face in making ethical decisions in their workplace.
Introduction
Ethics can be viewed as the standards that individuals set in regard to their opinions of what is right or wrong. These perspectives will and can vary from person to person. Some view ethics as involving the concepts of identifying, differentiating, and defending their persona values of right and wrong. The components that produce ethical perspectives are: character, obligation, results, and equity. By properly balancing these four components of a perso ...