Flowchart

Kallman and Grillo, "A Four-step Process for Ethical Analysis and Decision Making"

award Notable for its completeness, for focusing equally on action and inaction, for trying to prevent recurrence, and for doing what-if analysis at "pivot points"

SOURCE FOR THE PROCEDURE

indentKallman, Ernest A. and John P. Grillo. "Solving Ethical Dilemmas: A Sample Case Exercise." Ethical Decision Making and Information Technology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996: 33-56.

THE PROCEDURE ITSELF

Disclaimer
  1. Step 1: Understanding the situation
    1. List and number the relevant facts.
    2. Which of these raises an ethical issue?
      • Why?
      • What is the potential or resulting harm?
    3. List the stakeholders involved.
  2. Step 2: Isolating the major ethical dilemma
    1. Discover whether an ethical dilemma exists.
      • Apply informal guidelines.
        • Is there something you or others would prefer to keep quiet?
        • Does it pass the Mom Test: Would you tell her? Would she do it?
        • Does it pass the TV Test: Would you tell a nationwide audience?
        • Does it pass the Market Test: Could you advertise the policy to gain a market edge?
        • Does your instinct tell you something is wrong?
        • Does it pass the Smell Test: Does the situation "smell"?
      • Apply formal guidelines.
        • Does the act violate corporate policy?
        • Does the act violate corporate or professional codes of conduct or ethics?
        • Does the act violate the Golden Rule?
    2. What is the ethical dilemma to be resolved NOW?
    3. State the dilemma in dilemmatic ("A or B") form: Should someone do or not do something?
  3. Step 3: Analyzing the ethicality of both alternatives in Step 2.
    1. Consequentialism
      • If action in Step 2 is done, who, if anyone, will be harmed?
      • If action in Step 2 is not done, who, if anyone, will be harmed?
      • Which of the above two alternatives results in the least harm?
      • If action in Step 2 is done, who, if anyone, will benefit?
      • If action in Step 2 is not done, who, if anyone, will benefit?
      • Which of the above two alternatives results in the maximum benefit?
    2. Kant's Categorical Imperative
      • If action in Step 2 is done, who, if anyone, will be treated with DISrespect?
      • If action in Step 2 is not done, who, if anyone, will be treated with DISrespect?
      • Which of the above two alternatives is preferable?
      • If action in Step 2 is done, who, if anyone, will be treated UNlike others?
      • If action in Step 2 is not done, who, if anyone, will be treated UNlike others?
      • Which of the above two alternatives is preferable?
      • Are there benefits if everyone did action in Step 2?
      • Are there benefits if nobody did action in Step 2?
      • Which of the above two alternatives is preferable?
  4. Step 4: Making a decision and planning the implementation
    1. Make a defensible ethical decision.
      • Respond to the question in Step 2.
      • Indicate which of the above steps best support your response.
      • Add any arguments justifying your choice of these ethical principles to support your decision.
      • What rights come into play?
        • the right to know
        • the right to privacy
        • the right to property
      • What duties come into play?
        • the duty to foster trust
        • the duty to act with integrity
        • the duty to be truthful
        • the duty to do justice
        • the duty to practice beneficence and nonmaleficence
        • the duty to act with appropriate gratitude
        • the duty to make appropriate reparation
        • the duty to work toward self-improvement
      • Where there are conflicting rights and duties, choose and defend those that take precedence.
    2. List the specific steps needed to implement your defensible ethical decision.
    3. Show how the major stakeholders are affected by these actions.
    4. What other longer-term changes (political, legal, technical, societal, organizational) would help prevent such problems in the future?
    5. What should have been done or not done in the first place (at the pivot point) to avoid this dilemma?

WALT'S CHECKLIST

The same checklist was applied to all procedures.
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