Ethical Decision Making

1. Ethical Decision Making

2. What is Ethics? • Set of standards that tells us how we should behave. • No person with strong character lives without a Code of Ethics!

3. Ethics is… • More than doing what you must do. • It’s doing what you should do! • Ethics requires self control.

4. Ethics involves… • Seeing the difference between right and wrong!

5. Practicing Ethics… • Takes courage! • The right thing to do usually isn’t the easy thing to do!

6. Stakeholders • Those people affected by a decision. • Who do you think are the stakeholders of a restaurant manager’s decisions?

7. Ethical Principles…the ground rules for life! • Trustworthiness • Respect • Responsibility • Fairness • Caring • Citizenship

8. They outrank the unethical ones… • Money • Popularity • Prizes

9. Remember… • The long run outranks the short run!

10. Bad Choice Detectors • Use these personal warning systems… • Golden Rule – Treat others the way you want to be treated. • Publicity • Mom-on-your-shoulder • Universality – If everyone did it, would it be a good thing?

11. Trustworthiness: • Being honest, telling the truth, keeping promises and being loyal so people can trust you. • Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. • Have integrity and the moral courage to do the right thing! • Stand up for your beliefs even when it is hard.

12. Honesty Do’s • Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! • Be sincere. Say what you mean and mean what you say. • If you find something that doesn’t belong to you, return it.

13. Honesty Don’ts • Don’t be devious, sneaky or tricky. • Don’t cheat. • Don’t withhold important info from those that trust you.

14. Loyalty/Integrity Do’s • Be careful with private information that could hurt others. • Walk your talk. Talk your walk. • Make only promises that you can, and will, keep. • Pay your debts.

15. Loyalty/Integrity Don’ts • Don’t talk behind people’s backs. • Don’t ask a friend to do something wrong as a condition of your friendship. • Don’t say one thing and do another. • Don’t lie to avoid difficult situations. • Don’t give in to pressure.

16. Respect: • Showing others that they are valued for who they are, for their character. • Treating others the way you want to be treated. • Be polite, don’t use hurtful language and don’t use violence.

17. Respect Do’s • Be courteous and polite. • Be tolerant and appreciative of individual differences. • Judge people on their merits – not on their race, religion, gender, physical or mental condition, or social and economic status.

18. Respect Don’ts • Don’t insult, abuse, demean, mistreat, or harass others. • Don’t make inappropriate comments. • Don’t manipulate or take advantage of other people.

19. Responsibility • Doing what you are supposed to do!

20. Responsibility Do’s • Think before you act. • Be accountable. • Be reliable. • Set a good example in what you say and do. • Take the initiative to make your school, home, neighborhood better for yourself and others.

21. Responsibility Don’ts • Don’t blame others for your mistakes. • Don’t take credit for other people’s work or accomplishments. • Don’t give up. • Don’t neglect your duties.

22. Fairness • Playing by the rules, taking turns, sharing and listening. • Don’t take advantage of others. • Consider all sides before you decide and don’t blame others unjustly.

23. Fairness Do’s • Listen closely to others. • Consider all the facts. • Correct your mistakes.

24. Fairness Don’ts • Don’t take more than your fair share. • Don’t let personal preferences/prejudices interfere with decisions. • Don’t take advantage of other people’s mistakes or ignorance.

25. Caring • Being kind, helpful and generous to everyone!

26. Citizenship • Doing your share to help your family and make your community a better place.

27. How would Ethics relate to the following topics in business? • Time • Money • Confidentiality • Property