SOLVING ETHICAL DILEMMAS

Solving Ethical Dilemmas
Name
Institution

Abstract
There are several cases where people find themselves in ethical dilemmas. To find the solution to the ethical challenge, moral reasoning is essential and involves assessing the issue base on Davis’ Seven Step Guide for Ethical Decision-Making. On the other hand, sexism at the workplace has been a trending issue in most sectors of the economy. The worst hit has been the workplace, and despite the efforts to end the problem, several workplaces have also been hit. In this context we look at a scenario that took place some years back at my former workplace; there were two people involved in sexism, they were my close friends. It was noted that they were continually making sexist comments and it was almost time that the rest of the workers go fed up with them and reported them to the Human Resource Manager for further actions. I noticed that they had no idea their phrases were sexist and they were making people in the workplace uncomfortable. I decide to request for time from the coworkers that wanted to report them and have a chat with them. However, the challenge was that they were very close friends and they might not take my advice seriously and were likely to react aggressively to my accusations. Also, I could not forward them to any senior office because they will be suspended if not fired from their jobs.
Keywords: sexism, workplace

Solving Ethical Dilemmas
Read and evaluate the Davis’ Seven Step Guide for Ethical Decision-Making.

Moral reasoning is a significant factor when it comes to behaving ethically where at a workplace, school or any social gathering. To demonstrate strong ethical behavior and approach to situations, Davis gives advice and believes in his seven steps. According to Levitt et al. (2015), the general perspective for the steps is emphasizing coming up with more than one solution or option to solving and ethical issue. The first step in Davis Seven-step guide to the ethical decision is to outline the problem. Under this stage, one can point out the issues concerning the moral challenge that the person faces and provides the foundation for what decision to make in solving the puzzle. The second step, analyzing the facts, enables one to find the strength of the ethical issues. At this stage, is the problem identified under step on does not stand as a valid issue, then the person can do away with the matter. In case it does, then Sheperis et al. (2015) state that the next stage is to identify the relevant factors, that is if the pertinent issues in accordance to the laws and regulation of the land and the constraints and challenges dictating the process of solving the problem. Once the relevance of the problem is established, the next step is to come up with imaginative solutions which are not inclined to driving one into a dilemma. Levitt et al. (2015) advise on making the resolutions or options as many as possible. The next stage is to test the options that have been raised based on whether they are harmless or not if it stands when subjected to public, profession governing board and the ethics committee for scrutiny. Once all the options have been tested, the next step is to select the one with the best score for the ethical challenge. Before concluding, Sheperis et al. (2015) add that it is appropriate to review all the steps starting from the first to the sixth and find the best way to handle the problem so that it can never reoccur again.
Describe a moral or ethical dilemma in the past or present workplace, organization, school or group membership scenario.
Last year while I was working at my former job place, I encountered a somewhat disturbing issue affecting most workplaces. Sexism had grown to become an everyday ethical problem in most workplaces and feminists across the country had raised concern on how men treated them and the phrases they used while in the workplace. According to Barnett (2005), most men do not recognize that they are making sexist comments and they hardly notice that they are making their female coworkers and other men uncomfortable. Despite the few cases that were raised and scenario that led to some people losing their jobs at Microsoft and other Fortune 100 companies, there was little change in other organizations (Dick, 2013).
At the place I worked, most meetings were attended by everyone, and we were all required to contribute. It was during one session at the beginning of the week that I noted one of my friends making a sexist comment and the rest of the men around him busted out in laughter. Next to him was, Patrick, my other close friend at the office, and he too laughed at the comment. I was surprised at how most people in the room reacted to the feedback, and I decided that I will find the best time and speak to my two close friends. Later that afternoon, I overheard a coworker complaining about two people she overhead making a sexist comment about her dress code as she made her way past the corridor before the entrance to our working space. A few minutes later, my two friends made their way into the room and the look that my coworker had on her face, I was sure that it was them she was talking about. After they were seated, she went on and mentioned that it was not the first time the two had made sexist comments in the form of jokes. Some of the comments that were given as examples by the lady included “Geeze girl, take it slow!”, “Hey sweetheart, you never came around!” and lastly, she said what the two guys commented at the meeting. I was sure I was not the only one noting the several sexist comments that were coming from the two at the workplace. Also, no one had made any move yet to try and stop them.
The threat of the lady reporting the two at the Human resource office made me step out of my workstation and request my two friends to meet up with me later after the working hours were over. It seemed to me they had no idea their comments and jokes were sexist and were continually making people in the workplace uncomfortable. Furthermore, there had no idea it was unethical, and the consequences of such actions were a suspension at the least if not being fired from their job.
We had struggled a lot to secure the posts at the place and being our first jobs, a negative recommendation or a working history with any of us being fired would make it hard for any of the victims to secure another position elsewhere. I had read much of the ethical obligations at the firm and having the best of my friends at heart. I decided to request the aggravated coworkers to give me a chance first to have a word with them and advise and warn them to stop. However, they were not good at taking accusation, and they were likely to react aggressively. Furthermore, referring them to any senior office for counseling would lead to the whole case reaching the human resource manager, and the two would still be suspended.
References
Barnett, R. C. (2005). Ageism and sexism in the workplace. Generations, 29(3), 25-30.
Dick, P. (2013). The politics of experience: A discursive psychology approach to understanding different accounts of sexism in the workplace. Human relations, 66(5), 645-669.
Levitt, D. H., Farry, T. J., & Mazzarella, J. R. (2015). Counselor Ethical Reasoning: Decision‐Making Practice Versus Theory. Counseling and Values, 60(1), 84-99.
Sheperis, D. S., Henning, S. L., & Kocet, M. M. (2015). Ethical decision making for the 21st century counselor. SAGE Publications.