Business Ethics

The four ethical perspectives include character, obligation, results, and equity; thus, making up CORE. These different ethical perspectives help to explain what drives an individual’s decision when faced with an ethical dilemma. It is easy for someone to say what they will do when faced with an example of an ethical dilemma; however, it is another thing to make that same decision when faced with an actual real-life ethical dilemma. By understanding what perspective compels someone to make an ethical decision, it will be easier to make that decision when one really has to.

The first of the four ethical perspectives is Character/Virtue. A person who possesses this ethical perspective believes that people who are honest, wise, and has integrity, will make an ethical decision. It is not based on the actions of the person, but the character of the person, separate from the actions. No matter what the individual decides to do, it is more important to continue to want to be a better person by maintaining the characteristics listed above. Lastly, this perspective also believes that a person with a good character who is honest and virtuous is capable of making a good decision when faced with an ethical dilemma, and an individual that does not contain these characteristics would not be able to make such a decision.

The second ethical perspective is Obligation/Deontology. This perspective is based on the idea that every person has an obligation to do what is morally right. This perspective is very results oriented, as it looks to see what the persons intent was when the ethical decision was made. If a person had good intent and made their decision consciously, then the decision would be considered moral and ethical. The obligation perspective also is based on the value of the human being. These people believe that individuals have a right to make a moral decision, and we should not leave a single person’s rights out of a decision in order to meet the best interests of the whole. Every single person should be considered when ethical decisions are made, and they should not interfere with any one person’s rights.

The third ethical perspective is Results/Utilitarianism. This perspective makes decisions based on obtaining the greatest possible good for the greatest number of people, which is essentially the opposite of the Obligation perspective. This perspective is often called the utilitarian perspective because the decision is based on satisfying the greatest amount of people, rather than whether it is morally correct or not. The bottom line result of an ethical decision is what this perspective is aimed at. This perspective also believes that if the majority of people think that a decision is moral, then it must be the correct decision.

The last ethical perspective is Equity/Relativism. This perspective is unique in that it believes that there should be no one approach to making an ethics based decisions because of the constant changes in our culture and belief systems. The thought is also that every situation should be looked at separately and the decision should be made when all facts have been considered. In addition, this perspective does not believe that all human beings are capable of making good ethical decisions. There should be no defined right or wrong, but instead, we should use our practical life experiences to guide our decisions.

By taking my Ethics Inventory, I determined that the ethical perspective that I base my decisions on is the Results perspective. After reading about all four of the ethical perspectives, I agree with this determination. I believe that it is best to do the most good for the greatest number of people, because there is no possible way to satisfy every single person. By satisfying at least the greatest number of people, not all, the decision will