Ethical Case Study Worksheet
Today in class we will break into groups. Each group will
be assigned a case study. Each group will produce two documents.
- A Poster size summary document that the group will present to
the rest of the class.
- A worksheet (see below) that records the groups effort.
Proceed as follows:
Worksheet
Names of group members _____________________________________________________
Review the information about how to make an ethical decision.
- Recognize the ethical issues
- Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alternative, or perhaps between two "goods" or between two "bads"?
- Is this issue about more than what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how?
- Get the facts
- Summarize the facts of the case.
- Make a list of as many stakeholders as you can think of.
- Choose the 5 most important stakeholders who have strong
interests in the result of the case. Fill in the
position worksheet answering the
following for each stakeholder (handed out in class).
- Stakeholder name
- What are the stakeholder's interests?
- Who are the stakeholder's natural allies? Natural opponents?
- What kind of solution might the stakeholder find in its best interests?
- What ethical principle might the stakeholder use to justify the solution
you have chosen above?
- What are the options for acting? List them here.
-
-
-
-
Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted?
Have I identified creative options?
Are there win-win solutions? Identify which ones.
- Evaluate alternative actions by asking the following questions:
- Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian Approach) Why?
- Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The Rights Approach) Why?
- Which option treats people equally or proportionately? (The Justice Approach) Why?
- Which option best serves the community as a whole, not just some members? (The Common Good Approach) Why?
- Which option leads me to act as the sort of person I want to be? (The Virtue Approach) Why?
- Make a decsion and test it.
Considering all these approaches, which option best addresses the situation? Tell me
what option you choose and why.
- Act and reflect on the outcome
How can my decision be implemented with the greatest care and attention to the concerns of all stakeholders?
How did my decision turn out and what have I learned from this specific situation?
Speculate on things that might go wrong.
Back to the Daily Record.
Back to the class web-page.