Is it a value system? Moral dilemmas, examples. Moral dilemmas methodological development Ethical dilemma examples from life

This week's events surrounding the staged assassination of Arkady Babchenko have exposed some ethical dilemmas that today's journalism has been unable to resolve.

Yes, a lot of people have commented on this. famous people- Shenderovich, Albats, Parkhomenko, Latynina. On Radio Liberty, the "journalist" Murtazin, who looks more like an agitator-propagandist, scolded about this. Even Reporters Without Borders issued a mediocre statement that showed the low ethical qualities of Christophe Deloir. In contrast to these figures, Viktor Shenderovich has some amazing ethical compass, which has been clear since the days of "Dolls". But he has it at the level of intuition. I studied ethics at one of the most reputable institutions in the world - the CFA Institute, whose ethical codes are the de facto standard in the financial and investment world, and therefore I want to reflect the essence of two ethical dilemmas associated with the Babchenko case.

First of all, ethics is a discipline about the norms of right and wrong behavior. Simply put, it answers the question "what is good and what is bad." So, hardly anyone will argue with the fact that "killing is extremely bad" and "deceiving is very bad." Ethical dilemmas arise when, acting in accordance with one imperative, we violate another. In the case of Babchenko, we even have two dilemmas - is deception (in the form of staged) justified in order to prevent murder, and is moral relativism justified? The second dilemma is related to the question of whether there was a real attempt or was it manipulation by the SBU. We will touch on it later, but for now we will consider the first one - if the attempt was real, then is the staging justified.

The first dilemma has to do with who our society values ​​both the right to life and honesty, and violating them is bad behavior. But are they equally bad? No, in our society there is a fairly clear hierarchy of values. Human life is the highest value in relation to others. The dilemma of saving lives or preserving health is solved almost automatically. When people take antibiotics for pneumonia (a potentially life-threatening illness), they harm their health. A more complex example is the decision to amputate in a situation where it reduces the chance of death from 80-90% to 10-20%. Is it justified in this case to save a person's life, making him an invalid? Modern medical ethics answers "yes", putting the preservation of life above the preservation of health. The dilemma of saving life and health or preserving property is also solved quite unambiguously. Suffice it to recall that before each flight, airlines ask us not to take any personal belongings with us in the event of an emergency flight.

Thus, we see that in our modern society the value of human life is higher than health, and the value of health is higher than property. And the corresponding three rights - life, health, property - are key inalienable human rights. There are also other rights and freedoms, including information, and, from my point of view, they are lower in the hierarchy, or at least not higher, than the right to property. And in no case can freedom of information be used to the detriment of human life and health. This is not only an ethical norm, it has also entered the procedural law. Article 271 of the CCP of Ukraine provides for the possibility of simulating the situation of a crime, that is, deliberate disinformation in order to prevent a serious or especially serious offense. Some countries have witness protection programs that are also essentially misinformation. Therefore, at present, in our society, deception (in the form of concealment of information, disinformation, etc.) is considered ethical in order to preserve the life and health of people.

Now let's question the correctness of ethical positions for a moment. modern society. What would happen if we put the value of human life or health below some abstract idea? After all, human life is a very concrete thing, and freedom of information is an abstract idea. There are other abstract ideas as well. For example, the welfare society, communism, social justice, socialism. And here are the cases when such abstract ideas were valued above human life, history knows. And Lenin, and Stalin, and Hitler, and Pol Pot practiced such "ethical" norms. It ended with a lot of blood. And if Reporters Without Borders puts freedom of information above the life of Arkady Babchenko, then it is time for Christophe Deloir to think about changing his name to Julius Streicher.

Now let's move on to the second dilemma. After all, the first was resolved on the assumption that the threat to Babchenko's life was real. But we do not know whether this assumption is correct or not. We have two points of view - the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine declare that yes. And the authorities Russian Federation- about what is not. And the second ethical dilemma is whether to believe a priori someone who has not yet discredited himself, or to say "yes, everyone is lying, they are all the same" (this is called moral relativism).

When analyzing the second dilemma, we really do not know a priori who is lying and who is not lying. But we have a number of established facts.

The first fact is that the current regime of the Russian Federation eliminated its political opponents (proven directly: Yandarbiev, Litvinenko; proved through affiliated performers: Politkovskaya, Nemtsov).

The second fact is that the official bodies of the Russian Federation were convicted of lying (Kursk, Nord-Ost, Beslan, the annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbass, the downed Boeing MH17, actions in Syria).

The third fact is that until now the current SBU has not been convicted of an obvious lie.

Thus, the version that the murder of Babchenko was really planned does not contradict reality and is supported by a number of facts that took place in the past, and the version that the real murder was not planned, and this is a PR action by the SBU, also does not contradict reality, but so far has no actual support. Therefore, those who call these versions equivalent, take the position of moral relativism, put on the same level known swindlers and people who have not yet been convicted of lying. It's the same as saying that yes, they say, Hitler is bad, but Churchill is also bad; Stalin is a bloody tyrant, but F.D. Roosevelt is far from an angel (tried to subdue the US Supreme Court for himself, if anyone is not in the know). Such a position - moral relativism - is extremely dangerous from the point of view of modern ethics, it undermines the value of reputation and makes trust between people impossible.

Let's again doubt the validity of the position that I outlined above. Let us assume that moral relativism is justified. We assume that everyone lies and no one can be trusted. Without trust, long-term cooperation is impossible. It makes no sense to build a reputation, since its value does not exist. Everyone lives for today, trying to find a momentary benefit, to deceive and frame another, to snatch a bigger piece for themselves. Investments in such a system are impossible, the creation of value is less profitable than its redistribution. It is more profitable to squeeze out a business than to develop it. And after squeezing, protect from others. And withdraw free cash flow to those countries where people trust each other, where the institution of reputation and the presumption of innocence work. That is, a society of moral relativism inevitably loses to a society with correct ethical standards. And he can only threaten with "Kuzka's mother", "Iskanders" and radioactive ashes and do minor dirty tricks like killing political opponents.

Target: familiarization of students with situations of moral choice and the scheme of the indicative basis for the action of moral and ethical assessment as a basis for the analysis of moral dilemmas; organization of the discussion to identify solutions and arguments of the participants in the discussion.

Age: 11-15 years old.

Academic disciplines: humanitarian disciplines (literature, history, social studies, etc.).

Task execution form: group work of students.

Materials: the text of the moral dilemma, a list of questions that set the scheme of the indicative basis for the action of moral and ethical assessment, for students and teachers.

Download:

Preview:

Task "Moral dilemmas"

Target: familiarization of students with situations of moral choice and the scheme of the indicative basis for the action of moral and ethical assessment as a basis for the analysis of moral dilemmas; organization of the discussion to identify solutions and arguments of the participants in the discussion.

Age: 11-15 years old.

Academic disciplines:humanitarian disciplines (literature, history, social studies, etc.).

Task execution form:group work of students.

Materials: the text of the moral dilemma, a list of questions that set the scheme of the indicative basis for the action of moral and ethical assessment, for students and teachers.

Task description:the class is divided into groups of three people, in which it is proposed to discuss the behavior of the hero and argue their assessment. Then, having united in two groups, the guys exchange opinions and discuss all the arguments “for” and “against”. Then two groups are again combined until the class is divided into two. large groups. In this final step (using the whiteboard) the arguments are presented and summarized - which arguments are more persuasive and why.

Option: holding a discussion. Students in groups are invited in advance to take a position of support or condemnation of the hero of the situation and discuss their arguments.

To structure the position of students, a scheme is proposed for the indicative basis of the action of moral and ethical assessment for the analysis of the situation (A. I. Podolsky, O. A. Karabanova, 2000). The diagram contains questions, the answers to which will help to analyze the proposed situation:

1. What happens in this situation?

2. Who are the participants in the situation?

3. What are the interests and goals of the participants in the situation? Do the goals and interests of the participants in the situation coincide or contradict each other?

4. Do the participants' actions violate the moral norm(s)? If yes, what is the norm? (Name the norm.)

5. Who can be harmed by the violation of the norm? (If different norms are violated, then who will suffer if one norm is violated, who will suffer from the violation of another?)

6. Who is the offender? (If several norms are violated, then who is the violator of each of them?)

7. What can participants do in this situation? (List some behaviors.)

8. What consequences can this or that act (behavior option) have for the participants?

9. What feelings (guilt, shame, pride, compassion, resentment, etc.) do the characters experience?

10. How should each of its participants act in this situation? What would you do in their place?

Instruction: The lesson is devoted to situations of moral choice. Such situations are called moral dilemmas. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that students need to make a choice in a situation where there is no single right decision, but there are different decisions that take into account different interests. The teacher reads the text and asks the students to answer the questions.

The teacher, in the event that the students' answers are presented in writing, needs to pay attention to the argumentation of the act (that is, answer the question "why?"). The answer should point to the principle underlying the decision. The teacher should provoke students to voice different points of view on the situation with the obligatory argumentation of their position, and also focus students' attention on the ambiguity of a particular solution to the problem.

Evaluation criteria:

• correspondence of answers to the levels of development of moral consciousness;
• the ability to listen to the arguments of other participants in the discussion and take them into account in their position;
• analysis of students' arguments in accordance with the level of development of moral consciousness.

14 situations are presented - moral dilemmas, which are devoted to different contexts of interaction: 7 - situations of interaction "teenager - peer" and 6 - situations of interaction "teenager - adult", one more situation is an example ...

Task examples

Peer"

1. Kolya and Petya worked in the garden in the summer - they picked strawberries. Kolya wanted to use the money he earned to buy a sports watch, which he had looked after himself for a long time. Kolya is from a low-income family, so his parents cannot buy him such a watch. Petya wants to use the money he earns to improve his computer.

Kolya is significantly inferior to Petya in strength and dexterity, and he rests more often, so Petya collected much more strawberries. In the evening, the foreman came to pay the guys for the work done. I counted the crates of strawberries the two boys had collected. He counted the amount they earned and asked, turning to Petya: “Well, guys, should they pay equally, or did someone collect more, is he supposed to have more?”

Petya sees that if he says that he collected more, then Kolya will not have enough money for a watch. Petya knows that Kolya dreamed of this watch and will be very upset if he cannot buy it.

What do you think Petya should answer and why? What should be the fair distribution of earned money and why?

1. One student accidentally hit a classmate who was an outcast in the class. Obviously, this was the last straw in the outcast's patience. He got angry and severely beat the unwitting offender. How can you evaluate the act of an outcast and why?
2. Yura broke the VCR. When the parents discovered this, only Yura's younger brother was at home. The parents thought he did it and punished him. Yura, having returned home and realizing what had happened, remained silent. Did the older brother do the right thing and why? What should he have done?
3. Two female classmates received different grades for the control work (“3” and “4”), although their papers were completely identical, while they did not copy off one from the other. There is a very big risk that their strict teacher will lower the four rather than raise the three. However, the girlfriend who received a three, without the knowledge of the other, approaches the teacher with both notebooks. Is the girl doing the right thing towards her friend and why?
4. Volodya dreamed of a real soccer ball, but his parents refused to buy it. Once he saw just such a ball from his classmate, who was not interested in football. He had a wealthy family, and his father wanted his son to start playing football. Once, after cleaning the classroom, Volodya saw a ball forgotten by a classmate, and since there was no one around, he could not resist and took it for himself. Did Volodya do the right thing and why?
5. A close friend of Nikolai asks him to lend him money. Nikolay knows that his friend uses drugs and is likely to spend money on them. When asked why he needs money, the friend does not answer. Nicholas gives him money. Did Nicholas do the right thing and why? What should he have done?
6. The teacher fell ill, the students decided that they would be released from the last lesson (as happened more than once). They were about to leave, they were already in the locker room when someone brought the news that there would be a replacement and it was impossible to leave. Most of the class left, but two students stayed because they had to correct their mark in this subject. Pupils who skipped a lesson received deuces. If everyone left, one would think that the class did not know about the replacement, and there would be no punishment. Did the guys who remained in the class do the right thing, and why?

Dilemmas with the context of interaction "adolescent- adult"

8. The teacher had to urgently leave the classroom at the lesson on time control work, and she asked Katya to look after the students so that no one would cheat. Some guys cheated, of course. When the teacher returned to the classroom, she asked Katya if anyone had cheated (it is known that they will put a deuce for this). The teacher trusts Katya. What should Katya do (what to answer) and why?

9. The physics teacher was explaining a very difficult topic. At the next lesson, before calling someone to the board, he invited someone who at least somehow understands this topic to come out. Nobody came out. Then the teacher began to call himself. He had to bet thirteen deuces before a girl was called to the board, who told everything. She got a five. After the lessons, classmates attacked her and began to scold her for not immediately volunteering to answer at the blackboard and let the class down. What should the girl have done in this situation and why?

1. The teacher promised the student to correct the three in the next quarter if he goes to extra classes and works on those topics for which he previously received poor marks. The student regularly attended additional classes, because he really wanted to get a good mark. But at the end of the quarter, the teacher said that he could not correct the mark, since the student did not study well enough and simply did not deserve a four, and the teacher had no right to give grades undeservedly. Did the teacher do the right thing and why?
2. The class teacher asked the girl who was an excellent student to study with a lagging classmate. The excellent student goes to training courses to college, and she has no time. She wants to refuse, especially since the classmate with whom she has to study is not very pleasant to her. How should an excellent student act and why?

12. At the grocery store, the clerk made a mistake and gave Petya too much change. Noticing this, Petya did not tell the seller about it, but decided to buy a gift for his mother with this money. Did Petya do the right thing and why?

13. Dima received a deuce in algebra and decides whether to tear out a page from his diary. After all, if his parents find out, they will not let him go to the concert, and he really wants to go, since this is his favorite group and he has been waiting for this concert for so long. What should Dima do and why?

14. A well-known hockey player, brought up by a Russian hockey school, having improved his professional skills in Russian clubs, signed a lucrative contract and left to play in the NHL. He soon became one of the highest paid players in the league. He founded his own fund in the USA to help sick American children, especially since charitable work in the USA allows you to significantly reduce taxes, this is not the case in Russia. How can you evaluate the behavior of this athlete?

Higher professional education

"Altai State University"

Faculty of Sociology

Department of Social Work

Topic: Ethical dilemma in the practice of social work.

Performed:

Shitova L.A.

2nd year student d.o.gr.1012

Scientific adviser:

Chukanova T.V.

Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department

social work

__________________________

(signature)

Grade___________________

Barnaul 2013

Introduction………………………………………………………………………..3

Chapter 1. The place and role of the ethical dilemma in the activities of a social worker…………………………………………………………………………………………………… ...............................four

1.1. The concept of a moral and ethical dilemma in social work…………4

1.2. Main types of ethical dilemmas in social work……………..9

Chapter 2

2.1. Principles of social work as a mechanism for solving ethical dilemmas…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14

2.2. Ways of overcoming psychological problems by a social work specialist in solving ethical dilemmas………………………22

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….27

List of used literature………………………………………….28

Introduction

Social work, as a special kind of professional activity, has a specific, unique set of ideals and values ​​that have developed in the process of establishing the principles and norms of behavior of specialists. Being a specialized activity, social work contains unique situations, contradictions that need to be resolved in the very process of activity and which are often the subject of this activity. This circumstance makes it necessary to adhere to special, more stringent moral principles and norms in the activities.

Social work specialists are called upon to help people who are in a difficult life situation, but when a specialist is faced with an ethical dilemma in the course of his work, the quality of his services may decrease or even harm the client, which should not be allowed, so it is important to study such ethical categories of social work like a dilemma.

The effectiveness of social work largely depends on the social worker, his knowledge, experience, personal qualities. However, the professional responsibility of a specialist is determined not by himself, but by the values ​​and ethical principles adopted by professional organizations - Associations of Social Workers. The values ​​and ethical principles of social work are reflected in the ethical code of the profession, which serves not only as a guide for practical activities, but in a difficult situation of moral and ethical choice or contradiction.

Chapter 1. The concept and role of the ethical dilemma in the activities of a social worker.

In the course of his activity, a social work specialist is forced to meet and work with different people, their problems and individual situations. Each person living in society usually adheres to certain norms instilled in him by society and social institutions in the process of socialization. However, each individual has different ideas about morality and ethics, their boundaries and manifestations. Because of this, workers social sphere, in the process of professional communication with various categories of people, they may encounter problems of a professional nature. These problems include the moral and ethical problems of social work.

When we say "there is a dilemma in life", we mean a situation where a person faces a necessary choice between two identical possibilities.

Dilemma - 1). The combination of judgments, inferences with two

opposite positions, excluding the possibility of a third. 2). A situation in which the choice of one of two opposite solutions is equally difficult.

In other words, a dilemma is a situation in which the choice of one of two opposite possibilities, sometimes equivalent, is equally difficult.

The National Psychological Encyclopedia defines the ethical dilemma as follows:

Ethical dilemma - the problem of a person's choice between two, equally possible ways social behavior. The preference of any of them leads to a violation by a person of any moral or ethical standards. .

An ethical dilemma is a situation of moral choice, when the implementation of one moral value destroys another, no less important one. Such problems are faced by such social specialists as doctors, journalists, teachers and, of course, social workers.

The ethical dilemmas that arise in social work are different from those that exist outside of professional activity. The nature of the ethical dilemma may depend on the social, cultural, political conditions of the country in which social work is carried out.

In his book The Forbidden Raft, P. Kurtz identifies the following features that constitute an ethical dilemma:

First, a moral dilemma is a problem or issue that needs to be resolved. It can be fraught with conflicts between values, norms, rules or principles. In a situation of ethical dilemma, we may encounter some difficulty or obstacle, our behavior may be questioned by others who do not agree with our mode of action or understanding of true and false. Secondly, the ethical dilemma involves the thinking person herself, who feels the need to make a choice or a series of acts of choice. But this implies that we can choose, that we have some degree of freedom to do this or that. The third feature of the ethical dilemma is the possibility of considering alternative courses of action. If we do not have an unambiguous choice, and we are faced with only one possibility, then the concept of choice does not make sense. Such hopeless situations happen in real life, for example, when a person is in prison and is deprived of all freedom of movement, or when a person dies and his death cannot be prevented. An ethical dilemma must have two or more possible solutions. These alternatives may arise due to social or natural circumstances or be the result of the creative ingenuity of the ethical researcher, i.e. subject of a moral dilemma. Fourth, with a competent and mature approach to an ethical dilemma, we are always able to reflectively identify and evaluate alternative courses of action. This indicates the presence of a specific kind of cognitive process of ethical questioning, reflection, research. The fifth component of the ethical dilemma is that our choices affect reality and thus have certain consequences. Sixth, to the extent that the action follows from a choice that the person made consciously (whether accompanied by reflection or not), and also depending on what consequences in turn follow from this action, the individual can bear responsibility for your actions. This means that we can praise him if we approve of his actions, or blame him if we do not approve. This is where the responsibility comes in.

In practice, social workers have to face a variety of ethical issues and dilemmas due to their obligations to clients, colleagues, their own profession, society as a whole. These problems are often vague, uncertain and give rise to uncertainty, the desire to ignore and evade them. It is easy to verbally, abstractly adhere to the majestic values ​​set forth in monographs and textbooks, and thus show one's responsibility. But it is not only difficult, but sometimes dangerous, to apply for guidance in daily work such, for example, abstract values ​​as self-determination or the sovereignty of the client’s personality, if they cause a false sense of complacency in the social worker, while the client is not able to adequately implement them. .

Most of the difficulties for the social worker stem from having to choose between two or more conflicting obligations. For example, many national codes of ethics and social work statutes require social workers not to engage in activities that violate or diminish the civil or legal rights of clients. At the same time, they must comply with their obligations to the employing organization. It is quite real that these two principles conflict with each other, if the policy of the institution to which the rights are transferred leads to a violation civil rights clients, for example, due to financial interests or self-interest in the case of the "distribution" of humanitarian aid.

Problem areas and ethical dilemmas are not always common to different countries due to differences in culture and government. Each national association of social workers should encourage discussions in order to clarify the most important issues and problems specific to the country. Nevertheless, it is possible to single out a group of ethical dilemmas that sooner or later arise in practical social work in any society and to overcome which, due to preventive responsibility, one should be prepared.

So, we can conclude that the moral dilemma is some problem or issue that must be resolved. It can be fraught with conflicts between values, norms, rules or principles that every social worker faces. Problem areas and ethical dilemmas are not always common across countries due to differences in culture and public administration.

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thanks for that
for discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us at Facebook and In contact with

We are in website we invite you to play the game. It consists of 11 simple, but at the same time difficult questions with painful choices, or, more simply, with moral dilemmas. See at the end what your answers mean. Let's start the game!

• You and your partner were convicted of robbery: they were seated in different cells and both were offered to hand over each other. If you both keep silent, they will give you a year in prison. If both of you betray each other, they will put you in jail for two. But if one surrenders and the other remains silent, the silent one will sit for 3 years, and the one who surrendered will be released. You cannot know the partner's answer. How do you do?

• The woman had a late miscarriage. Not daring to admit this to her husband, when she was discharged from the hospital, in a semi-crazy state, she grabbed a random child from the room with newborns (when no one was there) and rushed home. By an incredible coincidence, this baby was not particularly desirable in a family of alcoholics. Now he is growing up in a loving family and does not need anything. Do you think this woman is a criminal?

• You are a musician at heart and an economist by profession. You can't imagine life without music, and you can't make money without a profession. You somehow combine both, and not achieving much success in any of the areas. But then your father finds you a highly paid prestigious position. At the same time, your friend beats out the opening act for your favorite band on tour and claims that this is the very chance to become famous, albeit not paid. You need to choose one. What is your answer?

• Your friend is getting married. You have never seen her so happy! The wedding is already in full swing, but then you find out that her newly-made husband cheated on her just the day before. Should the bride be informed about this or not?

• You are the chief of the coast guard. A man is missing in the ocean. A lifeguard swam after him and also disappeared. Another rescuer swam after him and also disappeared. The third met the same fate. Will you send more subordinates there?

• You work in the human resources department of a large company and are responsible for hiring new employees. And suddenly 2 applicants come to the next new position: your good friend, who helped you out more than once, and unknown guy, with the latter more competent and cool in his profession. Who will you take?

• You are a loving parent. You have a 16-year-old son who one day, returning from a family trip, tried to smuggle something prohibited through customs. The airport staff immediately detained your general luggage. It is clear to everyone what your son, even though he is a minor, is facing a long time for. Will you take the blame?

• Your loved one is immortal. He invites you to drink from the fountain of youth in order to become immortal as well. What will you choose: to live forever and at the same time always experience the death of people close to you or mortal life on an equal basis with loved ones, but old age and the inevitable loss of a loved one?

• Your ship has collided with an iceberg. All passengers (100 people) successfully fit into 2 rescue boats, but due to bad weather and congestion, it became clear that now both of them would capsize or sink. There are two options: push half the people out of the boat, or just pray and hope for a 1% chance of miraculous salvation. Which exit would you prefer?

• You have a chance to save a 5-year-old boy - get him out of the burning building, as he is in the room next to you. But at the same time, you know that in 30 years he will become the most dangerous criminal in the city. Have pity on the baby or will you act for the benefit of a future quiet life?

• You are a respected physician. There are 6 terminally ill patients in your department. Five of them require organ transplants. The sixth patient is already dying, moreover, his quick death would have saved those five who need organs. But then you get a medicine that will 100% cure the sixth patient. How will you do it?

In modern economic conditions, doing business is often associated with tough behavior of enterprises and entrepreneurs, constant confrontation with competitors and other counterparties. Often there is unfair competition, industrial espionage, unethical attitude of the owners of the enterprise towards their employees, and the like. Ethics itself becomes an ambiguous concept. The question arises about the possibility and expediency of using business ethics in making business decisions.

Sometimes business ethics is defined as an oxymoron, that is, contradictory in the very combination of words that are opposite in meaning. In addition, some scientists consider it doubtful the possibility of using business ethics "in the face of fierce competition, the struggle for survival, pressure from the authorities" . Due to different perceptions of benefits, different goals and moral beliefs, each side may consider its own position to be correct. However, the use of universal moral values in the course of its activities and in making economic decisions, it contributes to the establishment of a positive image of the enterprise and reliable successful relations with counterparties.

In the practice of management, the norms prohibiting such acts of fraud have become widespread; extortion; giving gifts to an official; incitement of conflicts on the basis of clash of interests; tax avoidance; sale of substandard products; disclosure of enterprise secrets; illegal use of information obtained from a person, trusts the one who makes an economic decision, etc. . However, these norms are not always implemented in practice, especially when a person knows that he will not be held responsible for the economic decisions made.

Reasons for unethical activities may be competition; desire to have big profits; inept incentives for executives for ethical behavior; the diminishing importance of ethics in society; the desire to achieve the goal and fulfill the mission of the enterprise at any cost; unethical behavior of partners (subcontractors, founders, suppliers, etc.); occurrence of conflict, stress and other similar phenomena at the enterprise; unsuccessful selection and inept application of leadership styles in the enterprise; too complex system of development and decision-making in the enterprise. Making unethical decisions can, in fact, lead to profits and the achievement of goals faster or at a lower cost than when making ethical decisions. However, unethical behavior over time will lead to distrust of such an enterprise and the loss of partners and possible income in the future.

Every person who makes economic decisions, in the course of his work, sooner or later encounters situations in which there is no unambiguously correct solution - the so-called ethical dilemmas. In such situations, there is a contradiction between the interests and values ​​of different individuals, which cannot always be resolved using ethical principles.

An example of an ethical dilemma would be such a situation in which a person needs to make a decision, selected from two alternatives, each of which can be "" correct". For example, there is an enterprise in which one of the top managers is responsible for the work of individual employees and makes a decision about hiring or firing them from work according to their performance and results of work.The company employs a woman who, like other employees, sells the product of the enterprise.she was a successful sales manager, she was respected by customers, often it was she who the employee who could exceed the plan and increase sales and profits of the entire enterprise.Recently, the daughter of this woman fell ill, the time of illness is uncertain, so it is impossible to predict its duration and recovery.Due to the serious illness of her daughter, the performance of the woman became unsatisfactory, which overall performance of the enterprise. Iyatiya warned the top manager that the poor performance of his department and subordinates would directly affect his career and compensation for the work done. The top manager has to make a decision. The alternatives for this solution are. The first alternative is to release the woman from her position and hire another worker who can perform the duties in accordance with the plans. The second alternative is to keep the woman in office and convince other workers to do her part of the work to ensure the plan of the whole enterprise is carried out until the woman herself can perform her duties properly (that is, after her daughter has recovered after an indefinite period of time). This decision turned out to be an ethical dilemma for the top manager, since both alternatives can be defined as "correct" and "ethical". On the one hand, releasing a woman means punishing her for unintentional actions and circumstances beyond her control. In addition, the successful work of a woman during the entire time in the past, her reliability and productivity may serve as a reason for the manifestation of some loyalty from the management towards her. On the other hand, if a woman remains in the workplace, her employees will have to work harder and take on other people's duties for an indefinite period without adequate compensation. This redistribution of duties is unfair to other workers. Any decision that a top manager makes will turn out, on the one hand, to be ethical in relation to either a woman or her employees, and on the other hand, will affect some interests of either employees or women (in accordance with what decision will be made ).

So, an ethical dilemma is a situation in which a decision is made that increases the well-being of one person and at the same time reduces the well-being of another person. Moreover, a person can be understood as any person, group of people, organization. Depending on the number of people affected by the decision, a simple (two people) or complex (three or more people or two or more problems) ethical dilemma is distinguished.

Several types of ethical dilemmas are also highlighted (Table 6.3.).

Table 6.3

Types of ethical dilemmas

Any way of solving the ethical dilemma cannot be considered unambiguously correct. Often, when making a certain decision, the person responsible for this is forced to determine priorities: their own moral convictions, the requirements of society or the standards of professional ethics and the requirements of management. Often there are cases when the correctness of a decision is not clearly stated in any professional standards, and then the person must act at his own discretion.

Thus, ethics plays a significant role in the activities of the enterprise and individual employees; its principles can be used in making business decisions. Compliance with the principles of business ethics when making decisions helps the company to improve relations with employees and external counterparties. Sometimes situations arise that do not have an unambiguously correct solution, since they affect the values ​​and interests of various individuals and lead to losses when choosing any alternative to their solution. Such situations are called ethical dilemmas, and their solution often depends on the person who has to make the decision.