ASSIGNMENT-I
PROFESSIONAL ETHCS
Ethical theories available for "Right of Action"
Three basic approaches to ethical behaviour are:
I . Utilitarian Approach:
This approach proposes that actions and plans should be judged by their consequences.
People should therefore behave in such a way that will produce the greatest benefit to society
with the least harm or the lowest cost. This approach suffers from the difficulty in
recognizing all the benefits and the costs of any particular decision.
Research reveals that only the stakeholders having the most power (ability to affect the
company), legitimacy (legal or moral claim on company resources), and urgency (demand for
immediate attention) are given priority by CEOs. It is therefore likely that only the most
obvious stakeholders will be considered while others are ignored.
II . Individual Rights Approach:
This approach proposes that human beings have certain fundamental rights that should be
respects in all decisions. A particular decision or behaviour should be avoided if it interferes
with the rights of others.
The U.S. Constitution includes a Bill of Rights that may or may not be accepted throughout
the world. This approach can also encourage selfish behaviour when a person defines a
personal need or want as a “right”
III. Justice Approach:
The justice approach proposes that decision makers be equitable, fair and impartial in the
distribution of costs and benefits to individuals and groups. It follows the principles of
distributive justice and fairness. This approach can also include redistributive justice and
compensatory justice.
Cavanagh proposes that we can solve ethical problems by asking the following 3
questions regarding an act or decision:
