Ethical “reference” tests David A. Whetten & Kim S. Cameron, “Developing Management Skills,” 5th Ed., 2002, Prentice Hall Front Page test: o Would I be embarrassed if my decision became a headline in the local newspaper? o Would I feel comfortable describing my actions or decision to a customer or stockholder? Golden rule test: o Would I be willing to be treated in the same manner? Dignity and liberty test o Are the dignity and liberty of others preserved by this decision? o Is the basic humanity of the affected parties enhanced? o Are their opportunities expanded or curtailed? Equal treatment test: o Are the rights, welfare, and betterment of minorities and lower-status people given full consideration? o Does this decision benefit those with privilege but without merit? Personal gain test: o Is an opportunity for personal gain clouding my judgment? o Would I make the same decision if the outcome did not benefit me in any way? Congruence test: o Is this decision or action consistent with my espoused personal principles? o Does it violate the spirit of any organizational policies or laws? Procedural justice test: o Can the procedures used to make this decision stand up to scrutiny by those affected? Cost-benefit test: o Does a benefit for some cause unacceptable harm to others? o How critical is the benefit? o Can the harmful effects be mitigated? Good night’s sleep test o Whether or not anyone else knows about my action, will it produce a good night's sleep?

Ethical Maturity  Cognitive Moral Development Levels m First Stage  Focus on Self m Second Stage  Uncritically accept conventional standards m Third Stage (maturity)  Evaluate previous standards in an effort to develop more appropriate ones

Ethical Choice Tool (Most Frequently Used?) Magnitude of Consequence? Likelihood of discovery? Driven by self-interest

Nine Basic Steps to Personal Ethical Decision Making 1. Practice ethical behavior actively 2. Beware of "new ethics" programs 3. Define the ethical problem when it arises 4. Formulate alternatives 5. Evaluate the alternatives 6. Seek additional assistance, as appropriate 7. Choose best ethical alternative 8. Implement the best alternative 9. Monitor and assess the outcome

Determinants of Moral Behavior (Understanding contextual factors) Characteristics (Moral Intensity) of the Issue Social Characteristics Relationships with “others” Type of Relationships Structure of Relationships Individual Characteristics Situational Characteristics Level of Cognitive Moral Development Cognitive Dissonance Recognize the moral Issue Make a Moral Judgment (establish Intent) Engage in Moral Behavior Steps towards moral behavior

X Critical Thinking Information Analysis Evaluation Time Frame absolute Relative Philosophical framework TeleologyDeontologyVirtue Cognitive Dissonance Principal Stakeholders ConventionalPrinciplesCareEthics Tests JusticeRightsUtilitarianVirtue BEHAVIOR Rationalization (Justification) Core Values  

Ethical Decision-Making Process Identify Action, Decision, or Behavior to be Taken Articulate all dimensions of proposed Action, decision, or behavior Conventional Approach Standards Norms Personal Organizational Societal International Principles Approach Ethical Principles Justice Rights Utilitarianism Golden Rule Ethics Screening Proceed / Engage Passes Ethics Screens Do Not Proceed Identify new course of Action Care Approach Relational ontology & ideal Attentiveness Contextual Ethical Tests Approach Common Sense One’s Best Self Public Disclosure Ventilation Purified Idea Gag Test Fails Ethics Screens

Ethical Decision Process 1. Identify the nature of the situation  Identify most feasible alternatives (and consequences)  Deontological Dimension (Absolutist approach)  Are there any “rules,” or conventions that must be followed (or should be created)  Considers the Action (regardless of consequences)  Are there personal (virtue) conventions?  Care Dimension (Relativist)  Is there a relationship that requires special consideration  Principles (Can be either relativist or absolutist)  Analyze the Utilitarian, Justice, Rights frameworks 2. Consider the various ethical tests as a check

Ethics A dynamic balance ….  Action  Impartiality  Objective  Logical  Consequences  Partiality  Subjective  Emotional

Ethics / Decision-Making  Requires recognizing entire circumstance  Requires recognizing principle stakeholders m Understands that framing of problem is based on stakeholder’s perspective (perception)  Rewards integrity / consistency m Implies process / procedural integrity  Requires the combining of m Economic m Legal m Ethical

Ethical Analysis Toolkit

Tool “pouch”  Situational Analysis (Information) m Determinants of Moral Behavior m Bremer’s Big Picture m Identification of stakeholder(s) m Understanding of ethical climate  Critical thinking process (dynamic) m Information gathering m Analysis m Evaluation

Selection of Tools  Organizing the information  e.g., worksheet(s)  Rules, policies, procedures (organizational)  Codes of Ethics  Laws  Roll the Dice (action / consequence gamble)  Values (personal)  Decision making mode / models? Cognitive Dissonance? (conflicting values)  Cognitive Moral Development level? Aspirations?  Philosophical (Category of tool)  Teleological (Action / Consequences)  Deontology (Action / Consistency)  Aristotelian (Values / Principles of Being)

Ethical Decision-Making Process Identify Action, Decision, or Behavior to be Taken Articulate all dimensions of proposed Action, decision, or behavior Conventional Approach Standards Norms Personal Organizational Societal International Principles Approach Ethical Principles Justice Rights Utilitarianism Golden Rule Ethics Screening Proceed / Engage Passes Ethics Screens Do Not Proceed Identify new course of Action Care Approach Relational ontology & ideal Attentiveness Contextual Ethical Tests Approach Common Sense One’s Best Self Public Disclosure Ventilation Purified Idea Gag Test Fails Ethics Screens

Selection of Tools (cont)  Screening method m Based on viable alternatives Fully thought out and developed  Conventional approach Tied to Deontology  Principles approach Utilitarian, Justice, and Rights (incl. Golden Rule)  Relational / Situational approach Care and custody  Ethics test(s) Tied to consequences

Bremer’s “big picture” perspective More of a “goal” oriented process

right to read right to write right to learn right to com- municate right to filter development, self-determ- ination participation, open access development, information competence deliberative democracy privacy, data protection autonomy inclusive- ness justice sustain- ability information for all participationeducation for all collaboration knowledge sharing self-determi- nation free accessknowledge sharing education for all inter- generational access no censorshipopen accessresponsibilitylife-long learning information ecology information control right to commu- nicate rights values Rainer Kuhlen – Computer and Information Science – University of Konstanz, Germany Transborder Library Forum – Chihuahua, Mexico – March 2005 The information ethics matrix values and rights in electronic environments This PP file is made publicly available under the following Creative-Commons-License: