Sartrean existentialism and ethical decision-making in business
Journal of Business Ethics 81 (1):15 - 25 (2008)
| Abstract | A wide range of decision-making models have been offered to assist in making ethical decisions in the workplace. Those that are based on normative moral frameworks typically include elements of traditional moral philosophy such as consequentialist and/or deontological␣ethics. This paper suggests an alternative model drawing on Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialism. Accordingly, the model focuses on making decisions in full awareness of one’s freedom and responsibility. The steps of the model are intended to encourage reflection of one’s projects and one’s situation and the possibility of refusing the expectations of others. A case study involving affirmative action in South Africa is used to demonstrate the workings of the model and a number of strengths and weaknesses are identified. Despite several weaknesses that can be raised regarding existential ethics, the model’s success lies in the way that it reframes ethical dilemmas in terms of individual freedom and responsibility, and in its acceptance and analysis of subjective experiences and personal situations. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,875 |
| External links |
 |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesPhilippe D.’Anjou (2010). Toward an Horizon in Design Ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics 16 (2).
Marc D. Street, Chris Robertson & Scott W. Geiger (1997). Ethical Decision Making: The Effects of Escalating Commitment. Journal of Business Ethics 16 (11):1153-1161.
David J. Fritzsche (1991). A Model of Decision-Making Incorporating Ethical Values. Journal of Business Ethics 10 (11):841 - 852.
Rivka Grundstein-Amado (1991). An Integrative Model of Clinical-Ethical Decision Making. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 12 (2).
Suzanne C. Wagner & G. Lawrence Sanders (2001). Considerations in Ethical Decision-Making and Software Piracy. Journal of Business Ethics 29 (1-2):161 - 167.
Chris Robertson & Paul A. Fadil (1999). Ethical Decision Making in Multinational Organizations: A Culture-Based Model. Journal of Business Ethics 19 (4):385 - 392.
Alice Gaudine & Linda Thorne (2001). Emotion and Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics 31 (2):175 - 187.
Naresh K. Malhotra & Gina L. Miller (1998). An Integrated Model for Ethical Decisions in Marketing Research. Journal of Business Ethics 17 (3):263-280.
Jaana Woiceshyn (2011). A Model for Ethical Decision Making in Business: Reasoning, Intuition, and Rational Moral Principles. Journal of Business Ethics 104 (3):311-323.
Eugene C. Hargrove (1985). The Role of Rules in Ethical Decision Making. Inquiry 28 (1-4):3 – 42.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads14 ( #84,232 of 556,840 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #64,931 of 556,840 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
