INDIVIDUAL ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING

There are many approaches to the individual ethical decision-making process in business. However, one of the more common was developed by James Rest and has been called the four-step or four-stage model of individual ethical decision-making. Numerous scholars have applied this theory in the business context. The four steps include: ethical issue recognition, ethical (moral) judgment, ethical (moral) intent, and ethical (moral) behavior.

ETHICAL ISSUE RECOGNITION.

Before a person can apply any standards of ethical philosophy to an issue, he or she must first comprehend that the issue has an ethical component. This means that the ethical decision-making process must be "triggered" or set in motion by the awareness of an ethical dilemma. Some individuals are likely to be more sensitive to potential ethical problems than others. Numerous factors can affect whether someone recognizes an ethical issue.

ETHICAL (MORAL) JUDGMENT.

If an individual is confronted with a situation or issue that he or she recognizes as having an ethical component or posing an ethical dilemma, the individual will probably form some overall impression or judgment about the rightness or wrongness of the issue. The individual may reach this judgment in a variety of ways, as noted in the earlier section on ethical philosophy.

ETHICAL (MORAL) INTENT.

Once an individual reaches an ethical judgment about a situation or issue, the next stage in the decision-making process is to form a behavioral intent. That is, the individual decides what he or she will do (or not do) in regard to the perceived ethical dilemma.

According to research, ethical judgments are a strong predictor of behavioral intent. However, individuals do not always form intentions to behave that are in accord with their judgments, as various situational factors may act to influence the individual otherwise.

ETHICAL (MORAL) BEHAVIOR.

The final stage in the four-step model of ethical decision-making is to engage in some behavior in regard to the ethical dilemma. Research shows that behavioral intentions are the strongest predictor of actual behavior in general, and ethical behavior in particular. However, individuals do now always behave consistent with either their judgments or intentions in regard to ethical issues. This is particularly a problem in the business context, as peer group members, supervisors, and organizational culture may influence individuals to act in ways that are inconsistent with their own moral judgments and behavioral intentions.

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Ethical reasoning can vary in most people regarding their beliefs and responsibilities, a clear example of two different ethical reasoning decision in a same role of leadership I had the opportunity to see it in a movie call RED SEA, the movie is about a nuclear submarine in times of the cold word, the captain and the second in charge didn't share the same beliefs during a war condition, after loosing contact with The USA government, the decision of making the nuclear bombs blast was to the captain, who just belief in defending its country no matter what, this is a set of patriot individualism and power recognition, while the second in charge took control to prevent this disaster because in his mind was to wait, to be prudent and to thing in the world people that could be harm from the captains decision, both captain and second ethical reasoning had strong basis, but ones were more individualism, while the other were collectivism, this beliefs made their intentions from a given situation follow by their actions, finally the second in charge made the right decision, save many people and prevent a disaster, his collectivism approach and higher power distance made him to thing more prudently to achieve a common goal.