ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING ESSAY

Name of the Student
Professor’s Name
Communications
15th November, 2015
Ethical-Decision Making
Background
Ethical-Decision making is an important aspect that helps to drive the performance of an individual/s and safeguard the interests and credibility of other individuals contributing towards a unified cause. Whether it is in business or academics ethical-decision making process is highly crucial and challenging. It tests the ultimate composure and the determination of an individual’s integrity, loyalty and on-job ethics. Ethical-Decision making helps in optimizing the performance of a team task and makes a team or an individual oriented towards the holistic benefit of the institution (Rosenbaum 237-257).
The individual in whom the responsibility of ethical decision is endowed must ensure leadership qualities and encourage communication to understand the issues of non-performance or under-performance before taking any harsh steps towards a peer or an employee. Thus, ethical-decision making process should not only aim to improve the performance of a task but must also ensure that the dignity and self-respect of the individual/s should not be eroded under any situation (Stadler 1-10).
As a common saying “Pick up the Slack” , ethical-decision making process works on the principle of improving the working abilities of an individual who is either not performing or under-performing in spite of having the requisite skills and qualification for the specified job (Stadler 1-10).

Hence, ethical-decision making process is guided through various codes of ethics and implementations of actions are based on certain principles. The article will review such code of ethics and model of the action plan based on evidenced based literature.
Focus on the Problem
Before initiating or implementing any action plan on a peer or employee at the work place, rigorous and robust information and data should be collected. This will help in providing the transparent and in-depth analysis of the scenario. Focused analysis of the situation or the problem will help in inculcating specified decision making without any element of bias. This is important because unsubstantiated assumptions and bias are not warranted in an ethical-decision making process. There can be various dimensions to a problem. It may be legal, ethical, professional or even clinical. Thus, the essence of decision-making will lie in the identification of the problem and the need of the employee on the problem. This will not only help in decision making but will call for effective utilization of resources with appropriate deployment (Stadler 1-10).
Applying the ACA Code of Ethics
The ACA code of ethics should be referred in concurrence to the problem or situation faced. If there are specified guidelines in the Code of Ethics, then one should strictly abide by the course of action recommended. The implementation of action based on the ACA code of ethics will help to resolve the problem, and ensure that there has been no bias in decision making, even working with peers, with whom there is a close relation (American Counselling Association).
Determining the Content and Dimensions of Ethical Dilemma
The moral principles of justice, fidelity and beneficence must be considered. It would be important to select the guiding principle on a case to case basis and should be prioritized. Theory suggests that all these principles are equally valuable and hence a conflict may arise in selecting one principle over the other. First of all, the relevant documentation and evidenced based literature must be consulted to categorize the principle of priority. Secondly, if such evidenced based literature does not provide adequate avenues, peer level or supervisor level help may be taken, to design and orient a specific action plan (Sileo & Kopala 89-95).
Designing the Action Plan
The specific action plan must be designed after adequate brain storming based on the appraisal of the situation in context with evidence-based literature. Each and every action should be considered and the impact of such actions on the business, on the colleague in question and the team needs to be evaluated appropriately. Any bias or impulsive action may be detrimental and can aggravate the situational crisis. The actions that will not lead to any successful end-points should not be entertained and the other options should be evaluated to select the best one in the interests of everyone associated with the problem. The ethical issues of implementing a certain action plan must be evaluated before implementing the same. If the desired action plan imposes ethical dilemma in practice, such course of action should also be discouraged (Stadler 1-10).
Implementing and Evaluating the Course of Action
The action plan should be implemented and judged based on the criteria or parameters fixed in the ethical-decision making process. Even after implementation of such action plans they should be reviewed for ethical considerations. If any ethical-dilemma or conflict of interests occurs for the organization or the necessary individual steps should be revisited and re-planned.

Discussion and Conclusion
Ethical-decision making is very important for the success of any organization. It might be possible that every individual might not be motivated to perform equally for the success of the organization. There can be various reasons for such behaviors that may involve tangible and intangible reasons. Te person implementing the ethical –decision process should not be judgmental and must be factual in selecting a course of action for the individual in question on the success of the institution.

Works Cited
American Counselling Association. Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author, 2005.
Rosenbaum, M. “Ethical problems of Group Psychotherapy. In M. Rosenbaum (Ed.), Ethics
and values in psychotherapy”: A guidebook (237-257). New York: Free Press, 1982.
Stadler, H. A.. Making hard choices: Clarifying controversial ethical issues. Counselling &
Human Development, 19(1986): 1-10. Print
Sileo, F. & Kopala, M. An A-B-C-D-E worksheet for promoting beneficence when
considering ethical issues. Counseling and Values, 37(1993):89-95