The Ethical Value in Decision Making

Introduction

My paper will show the ethical value in making a decision, right or wrong, that the ultimate result is, I’ll say money. This paper illustrates my opinion in why Harry Stonecipher should have been forced to resign, to save the company name so to say. I’ll talk about the utilitarian and deontological considerations for both parties involved and explain why this decision must have been hard to make.

Should Stonecipher have been forced to resign?

Harry Stonecipher in all reality should be forced to resign. The fact that he’s in a position of this magnitude which affects, perhaps most people who fly commercially on airplanes, can be ethically challenged. As a flyer myself, I would have to say that if my boss was having an affair with co-worker or anyone for that matter, would build an integrity problem in my mind. With leadership integrity issues, this can create dissention in the ranks if you may, as this can be a contagious problem, monkey see monkey do attitude. Now, being that the Stonecipher was forced to resign because of an affair will set precedence in the work environment, quick and decisive punishment that is infused within the workforce that in the long run will likely encourage ethical decisions. When people are forced to see the light, in this case, this forces deeper thinking on what is right and wrong for each individual. This domino effect, as I will call it, catches on and therefore promotes people to think more ethically and make decisions that would better the company in the long run. Here are a few examples of what could happen. Say John, a maintenance worker, is out fixing one of Boeing’s airplanes, he decides that an inspection that is due is too hard to get to, so he signs off the inspection anyway knowing it’s probably good given the trend of the inspection but he doesn’t know 100% that it is good, but given the recent scandal that the President can get away with his affair John should be able to do so also. The plane eventually crashes because this part was not replaced when John should have inspected it. Now given, that the real action Stonecipher received I believe that John would have thought through his actions, being that his job would be on the line, and would have physically inspected and replaced the part that caused the jet to crash.