University of Miami Ethics Triangle Organizational Infrastructure Case Questions
1. Use the ethics triangle to analyze the case below:
As a trustee of a local government, you have the opportunity to save a considerable amount of money by contracting out the collection of trash in your city to a private company. It will be necessary to lay off most of the staff members responsible for solid waste collection in the public works department. You are aware that the greatest factors that cause the city’s costs to be higher than the contractor’s is that your fulltime employees have higher wages are receive health, vacation, and retirement benefits. The contracting company would hire part-time staff at near minimum wage and not pay benefits. The budget in your city is running a deficit with the decline in housing values in recent years, and the reduced cost of trash collection would make up a large part of the deficit. Do you decide to recommend to the city council that this service be contracted out?
(source: J. Svara, The Ethics Primer, 2015, p.39)
1. Results-
2.Why is the traditional philosophical approach incomplete?
3.What are five examples of “bias and decision-making errors”
4. What is a psychological contract?
5. What are three building blocks of an ethical organizational infrastructure?
6. What are three examples from the reading of motivated blindness?
7. Use the ethics triangle to analyze the case below:
As a trustee of a local government, you have the opportunity to save a considerable amount of money by contracting out the collection of trash in your city to a private company. It will be necessary to lay off most of the staff members responsible for solid waste collection in the public works department. You are aware that the greatest factors that cause the city’s costs to be higher than the contractor’s is that your fulltime employees have higher wages are receive health, vacation, and retirement benefits. The contracting company would hire part-time staff at near minimum wage and not pay benefits. The budget in your city is running a deficit with the decline in housing values in recent years, and the reduced cost of trash collection would make up a large part of the deficit. Do you decide to recommend to the city council that this service be contracted out?
(source: J. Svara, The Ethics Primer, 2015, p.39)
3.Virtue
8. Use the ethics triangle to analyze the case below:
As a trustee of a local government, you have the opportunity to save a considerable amount of money by contracting out the collection of trash in your city to a private company. It will be necessary to lay off most of the staff members responsible for solid waste collection in the public works department. You are aware that the greatest factors that cause the city’s costs to be higher than the contractor’s is that your fulltime employees have higher wages are receive health, vacation, and retirement benefits. The contracting company would hire part-time staff at near minimum wage and not pay benefits. The budget in your city is running a deficit with the decline in housing values in recent years, and the reduced cost of trash collection would make up a large part of the deficit. Do you decide to recommend to the city council that this service be contracted out?
(source: J. Svara, The Ethics Primer, 2015, p.39)
2. Rules
9. What are two key the differences between the (a) high and (b) low road to ethics?
10. What are two tools that may be used by a trainer to demonstrate moral reasoning and decision-making skills?
11. What is the main point of “want/should theory”?
12. What are two things expected from culturally skilled staff to comprehend the worldview of diverse co-workers?
13. What is the focus of behavioral ethics?
14. What are five of the nine focal points in behavioral ethics research?
15. What is the difference between rationalist models and social-intuitionist models?
16. What is lacking in organizations ensnared in scandals?
17. What are three reasons why we fail to notice unethical behavior?
18. What is the purpose of the ethics triangle and what does it encompass?
References:
Public Service Ethics: Individual and Institutional Responsibilities
Chapter 7, “Conscious Deliberation and Subconscious Action” (pp. 117-141)
Chapter 8, “Organizational Ethics” (pp. 142-164)
Bowman, J. S., & West, J. P. (2015).
Blind Spots
Chapter 4, “Why You Aren’t as Ethical as You Think You Are” (pp. 61-76)
Bazerman, M., & Tenbrunsel, A. (2011).
To Serve with Honor: Doing the Right Thing in Government
Chapter 4, “Why is Decision Making So Tough?” (pp. 47-61)
Newell, T. (2015).
https://elearning.miami.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USM1/2195_S1/MS_MPA/POL_654/artifacts/Through%20the%20Lens%20Clearly-%20Using%20Films%20to%20Demonstrate%20Ethical%20Decision-Making%20in%20the%20Public%20Service.pdf
The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 80 minutes
Garbus, L
