Procedural Ethics: 1997 Tom Gregoire

Gregoire, "Ethical Decision Making"

Notable because it tries to prevent the same problem from recurring, because it calls for stakeholders to participate in decision-making, and because it strives for due process in the implementation of the decision

SOURCE FOR THE PROCEDURE

Gregoire, Tom. "Ethical Decision Making." 1997. http://www.csw.ohio-state.edu/~gregoire/MIS/decide.htm (10 Jun. 1999). This approach may derive from the book Ethics of Information Management: The Ethical Challenge by Richard O. Mason, Florence M. Mason, and Mary J. Culnan.

THE PROCEDURE ITSELF

Disclaimer

What are the facts?
1. What information is pertinent?
2. What are the morally relevant considerations?
3. Who are the key actors?
4. What actions were already taken and what were their consequences?
5. What actions are being contemplated and what will be their consequences?
What ethical principles should be applied (what ought to be)?
Who should decide?
1. Need for participation of all relevant parties.
2. Issues of sovereignty, legitimacy and ability to affect a resolution.
  - Does a party have a duty to perform?
  - Is a party forbidden from performing?
Who should benefit from the decision?
1. What values predominate?
2. Who has the strongest claim?
How should the decision be made?
1. Ensure due process and due respect.
2. Establish, in advance, the specific procedures and involved parties.
3. Is the result just or fair?
What steps should be taken to prevent this issue from occurring again?

WALT'S CHECKLIST

The same checklist was applied to all procedures.

This method is most useful when the DECISION-MAKER ...
- has easy access to stakeholders [steps 3a and 5b]
- has high initial sensitivity to relevant ethical "features" [step 1]
- has plenty of time for investigation and analysis [steps 1d, 1e, 3a]
- is skilled in causal or consequential reasoning [steps 1d and 1e]
This method is most useful in a SITUATION ...
- that will change little over time
This method is most useful when STAKEHOLDERS ...
- share ethical principles [steps 2, 5a and 5c]
- share values [step 4a]

Index