Ethical Decision Making

PA417u: Ethical Leadership

Ethical Decision Making

Nash’s 12 Questions and Scenario A: Clothing the Camp Counselors

Would you take any shoes or clothing to wear?

The first step in Nash’s 12 Questions is defining the problem accurately. The act in question is taking shoes or clothing for personal use that were donated for needy children. To define the problem you would have to analyze the facts, which are; you are a counselor at a camp for needy children. The camp is funded by contributions from individual people and businesses. This is the only opportunity the children will have to meet some of their needs. Other counselors who have more tenure are taking clothes, arguing that “there is plenty to go around for both kids and counselors, and this is a “fringe benefit”, for underpaid camp counselors.” This raises questions that further define the problem. These questions are: Do the donators know or expect there to be abundance for counselor’s use? Are there truly enough for all the children? Do you value your job and the conditions of your job? Are policies or rules in place for contributions?

The second step is to define the problem if you stood on the other side of the fence. From the donator’s point of view, the items in question are for the needy children. The company or organization you are working for has expectations that they are providing you with compensation in the form of pay which is adequate to perform and complete your job duties. The organization would be concerned with a decline in contributions if the donors knew the items were not going directly to the children. As a counselor your concerns should be those of the children and not for yourself.

The third step is how did this situation occur in the first place? The situation occurred from counselor’s feelings of being over worked and under paid. They feel that because the items are donated and there is abundance they should reap the benefits. They are not taking other people’s interest...