Every business leader, at some point in his or her career, will likely face a decision involving matters of organizational ethics. Leaders must find a way to make solid business decisions and yet remain faithful to ethical values; however, ethical values vary according to many factors, such as culture, situational considerations, and spiritual beliefs, among other things. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to say they are ethical and that they adhere to organizational policies and procedures while still making decisions frequently without consciously considering whether or not they are ethical. For you, as a global change agent, it is imperative to not only understand the importance of ethical decision making but also to begin gaining experience applying ethical frameworks as you analyze the consequences of ethical decisions in business settings.

This week, you will examine ethical dilemmas by applying ethical frameworks to a specific business case. Further, you will analyze the consequences of making ethical decisions within a given business environment.

Learning Objectives

Independent scholars will:

• Apply ethical frameworks to a business case
• Analyze the consequences of ethical decisions in a business setting

• Required Readings

  Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

  • Chapter 13, “Leadership Ethics” (pp. 329–362)

  Discussion: Applying Ethical Frameworks

  Although the Ethics Resource Center conveyed, as of 2013, that 41% of employees reported having witnessed misconduct in the workplace—down from 45% in 2011—this percentage remains alarmingly significant (McGregor, 2014). In fact, these statistics seem to indicate an ongoing need to continue to strengthen commitment to ethical business practice. Business professionals and scholars need to know how to face ethical dilemmas and make sound ethical decisions. As a DBA independent scholar and global change agent, you should have a basic understanding of various ethical frameworks and understand how these frameworks influence real-world business decisions. Northouse (2016) stated, “Ethical theories that deal with the conduct of leaders are in turn divided into two kinds: theories that stress the consequences of leaders’ actions and those that emphasize the duty or rules governing leaders’ actions” (p. 333). Business leaders apply their ethical values daily for decision making in business. Understanding and analyzing various ethical frameworks can help you as you work to solve ethical dilemmas.To prepare for this Discussion, consider Case 13.2, “How Safe Is Safe?” on pages 351–352 of Northouse (2016) and review the Albert, Reynolds, and Turan (2015), Lawton and Páez (2015), Hoover and Pepper (2015), and Gustafson (2013) articles provided in this week’s Learning Resources.

  By Day 3

  Post your application of ethical frameworks to the ethical dilemma posed in the case study. In your application, do the following:

  • Justify your proposed solution, and explain the reasoning you used to arrive at your solution.
  • Incorporate the justifications you provided in response to the Case 13.2.
  • Apply the ethical framework(s) outlined in the Learning Resources or in other scholarly literature that aligns with your reasoning. Explain how your reasoning aligns with those frameworks.

  Be sure to support your work with a minimum of two specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and one or more additional scholarly sources.Refer to the Week 6 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this rubric to assess your work.