Introduction
Decision-making is an essential aspect of people’s daily lives because it helps them to confront situations and get the best solutions to problems. When people encounter the term decision-making, their minds immediately go to the decision-making process in the workplace. However, they fail to realize that they make decisions such as which route to take to work or which type of food to eat every day, even without noticing. Every decision has consequences, although the severity varies. For example, if a person decides to quit their work without an alternative, they may experience severe consequences such as losing their home and not being able to take care of their families. It is also essential for people to make ethical decisions. According to Bauer & Erdogan (2009), just because a decision is legal does not make it ethical. This paper will describe my model of making decisions ethically.
My Model of Making Decisions Ethically
My decision-making model depends on the situation at hand. The first way I make decisions is by doing what is right according to my understanding of what is right and wrong. For example, I had a friend in high school who betrayed me and disclosed a secret that I had told them in private, and that news made me the topic of discussion for several days. In return for spreading my secret, my friend became friends with some popular students. I was so angry, and I wanted to reveal some of my friend’s secrets that would destroy him more than he did to me. However, after some thinking, I decided not to reveal his secrets but instead do the right thing because revealing the secrets would have had severe consequences on my friend. Making that decision made me feel good about myself more than I could have felt if I had revealed the secret and destroyed my friend’s life. According to Bauer & Erdogan (2009), asking oneself how one will feel after making the decision is one way to determine whether the decision is ethical. I knew I would not feel good about myself if I destroyed my friend’s life or led him to hurt himself. In situations of crisis or conflict, I tend to make my decision according to what I believe is right based on my understanding of right and wrong from my religion and my knowledge of the concept over the years. I have boundaries I cannot cross, and no matter how angry I feel, I try to restrain myself and lean toward the good even if my alternative does not mean me breaking the law.
The next way I make my decisions is by determining my alternative solutions and analyzing their pros and cons. I use this decision model when making major decisions regarding my life. For example, when I was choosing the college I wanted to attend and what I wanted to study. I looked at different colleges and courses, analyzed them, and chose the course that I was most passionate about. Making significant decisions in my life can be challenging in some instances. In some situations, I take so much time comparing the alternatives’ pros and cons, and sometimes there is no clear picture of the solution that will provide the best results, and one needs to risk. However, my greatest weakness in decision-making is risk-taking because I always want to ensure that the decision I make does not lead to failure. For example, years back, I wanted to start a business, and I put my alternatives on the table. However, it took me so much time to compare the alternatives that it scared me, and I had to abort the plan to open a business. I am working on this weakness, and I have made progress. While using this model, I make sure that I look at the ethical dimension when analyzing the alternative to ensure that the decision I make is ethical.
Conclusion
Decision-making is an essential aspect of people’s everyday lives. People need to strive to make ethical decisions, and avoid only doing things because of their legality. Ignoring ethics can have severe consequences on a person. My decision-making model depends on the situation. In situations of crisis or conflict, I make decisions that are right based on my understanding of right and wrong. When making important decisions regarding my life, I identify my alternatives and analyze their pros and cons. I make sure that I consider the ethical dimension when exploring my options.
References
Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2009). Organizational behavior (1st ed.). New York: Flat World Knowledge.
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