Business Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas: A Detailed Report

This report delves into the realm of applied business ethics, focusing on the identification and resolution of ethical dilemmas within organizational contexts. The report commences with a description of a specific ethical dilemma, emphasizing the significance of business ethics in establishing benchmarks for conduct. It then provides a justification for the ethical dilemma, categorizing it into various facets such as conflicts of interest, human resource issues, and employee safety. The report discusses the critical importance of health and safety as a core ethical dilemma, referencing the role of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in safeguarding employee well-being. Furthermore, the report analyzes the dilemma using ethical theories like utilitarianism, justice, and virtue ethics, offering solutions like open communication, consulting codes of ethics, and reviewing past news articles to address the identified issues. The report highlights the role of health and safety professionals in the workplace to ensure employee well-being and morale. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for ethical behavior and compliance to effectively manage and resolve business dilemmas.

Applied Business
Ethics

Table of Contents
PART A...........................................................................................................................................3
1. Ethical dilemma description....................................................................................................3
2. Justification of ethical dilemma into business situation..........................................................4
3. Solutions of ethical dilemma's................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

PART A
1. Ethical dilemma description.
Business ethics are essential in determining the criteria for conducting the work and is
known as professional ethics. It is crucial for every organisations, institutes or companies in
order to maintain various ethics in regard to deal with dilemma's in the businesses. However,
several challenges are undertaking under business environment in which some are applicable to
certain companies whereas most of them are affecting all types of business organisations.
Similarly, to make challenges easier ethical dilemma are categorized among several parts such
as- conflicts of interest, human resource issues, customer confidence, employees’ safety issues
and utilization of corporate resources. Further, several scandals are undertaking inside business
environment and to overcome such factors every employers or employee must effectively
understand the ethical dilemma and take emphasis in order to understand them (Antonakakis,
Chatziantoniou & Filis, 2017). Thus, before hiring any candidate under business organisation
employer need to ask three specific questions such as- do you have the feeling in mind in order
to create a win-win situation and fairness for an employee or organisation?, is it legal or is
related with civil laws and the company? and lastly what is your perception and feeling about
other employers would perform in your position? Therefore, these are the examples that makes
our discussion easier and understandable.
Health and safety is the most important ethical dilemma which is generally faced by
every business organisation. It is showcased that 63000 people dies every day due to work
related diseases or occupational accidents. However, International Labor Organisation (ILO) has
formulated the rights to protect health and safety of every employee under business organisation.
In order to eradicate such hazards various safety measures are ascertained such as- scaffolding,
lockout/tag out which indicates hazardous energy such as gas and oil need to be controlled,
classification of harmful chemicals, machine guarding, safety measures for fire trucks etc.
One of the ethical dilemmas that is faced by an individual or an employer under business
organisation can be 'governance and compliance issues' (Sulzgruber , 2017). As we areaware that
all business organisations should fully comply with fiscal and monetary reporting statues, state
and safety regulations, environmental laws and civil right laws are applicable among all of them.
However, this choice has made me into dilemma inn order to agree with organisational laws or to
concentrate about health and safety of employees working under business organisations.

Working under business organization as an employee I had faced 'health and safety'
dilemma that creates occupational injuries. However, it is scientifically identified that industrial
hygiene and health are principle profession which provides protection to workers from job
hazards, toxic chemicals and other air contaminants. Mostly, ethical issues rises from health and
safety hazards which should be controlled by every business firms in order to achieve morale of
employees.
2. Justification of ethical dilemma into business situation.
In order to eradicate all the ethical dilemmas that are prevailing under business
organisations several ethical dilemma theories have applied such as: -Utilitarianism: - theory
that solely places focus on right and wrong outcomes while selecting a particular action or
policies among one another. This indicates that positive consequences are produced only when
the actions that are ethically presented whereas if it’s not correctly presented than the situation
will be vice versa. However, this theory indicates the rule that if actions performed under
business organisation goes within ethical rules and policies framed by companies. Therefore,
would result in effectiveness or usefulness among employees working in the cited firm.
Utilitarianism depicts that when it comes to morality than there should not be any compromises
made by employees under business organisation. To make decisions regarding business
undertaking certain tools such as risk assessment and cost benefit etc. are depended upon
utilitarian theories. In this theory arguments are made under company regarding specific
principle that is ' the greatest happiness principle'. Thus, every employee working under business
organisation has the right to overcome health and safety dilemma in order to ensure his health
and security inside workplace.Justice: - this theory is formulated in order to gain importance
regarding equality, rights and fair treatments under business organisation in which we are
working. Nozick's libertarianism and Rawl's justice has described this theory in more effective
way for better understanding. However, Nozick states that every individual possess rights to put
his part under business organisations in order to increase its recognition and morale (Mintz,
2016). On the other hand, Rawl's theory justifies that equal distribution of social goods
including- food, education and housing must be provided to every individual. Similarly, every
employee under business organisation must be treated without any inequalities. Health and safety
is the most important aspect of ethical dilemma because every employee possess certain rights in

order to obtain job security by assuring their health. Thus, every worker should provide equality
of health and safety measures under the organisation in which they are working.
Virtue ethics: - under this theory a person is judged regarding his/her character and not
according to their action that is deviated. While rating the unusual or irregular behaviour of an
individual his reputation, motivation and morale must be determined (Aguirre 2017). However,
this theory emerges certain weaknesses such as it doesn't pursue changes that has occurred under
morale of an individual. Similarly, if an employee working under business organisation has
improvised his character and perception and has not been taken under consideration than it will
divert that person into dilemma which is not beneficial for business environment. Further, under
this business situation health and safety is the most effective aspect in order to generate
employees’ motivation, morale and reputation within his/her workplace.
Working under mineral industry I'm facing health and safety dilemma as a severe issue
that is decreasing my morale among the cited organisation. It is very crucial that such dilemma
need to be eradicated because working under mineral profession develops diverse activities that
includes several risk factors of health and safety. Such risks must be managed and assessed
equally by the company. Further, it has also showcased under statistics of mineral sector that
majority of workers working under such environment incurs develops severe health hazards.
However, an individual cannot identify risks until that incident has occurred. For instance, there
are many situations in which risks can be controlled but proper measures are not followed in
order to restrict them. Such behaviour is unacceptable and therefore, it prevails an ethical
dilemma of health and safety under me working under business organisation.
3. Solutions of ethical dilemma's
Decision making process is undertaking at every level under business organisation.
Similarly, every employee under business organisation faces several ethical dilemmas mainly
'health and safety' factor. However, in order to solve this dilemma of employees in their
workplace several solutions can be adopted by such as: - Sharing of dilemma among supervisor in order to take advantage of his/her
experience: - under business organisation employees undergo with several dilemma's and
to overcome them their superiors should provide them support and effective motivation .
However, 'health and safety' dilemma that has been a serious issue under every business

organisation can also be solved with the effective support of superiors towards their
employees. Speak with colleagues and peers from different companies without divulging secrets of
companies: - sharing the problems among friends or relatives who are working under
different organisation can enhance diversification among rules and policies that are
undertaking among several other companies (Fehr, Hazen & Nielsen, 2017). Similarly,
company can enhance its undertakings such as availing proper 'health and safety'
background of employees working under business environment in order to decrease the
dilemma of business ethics. For formal guidance consulting company's code of ethics: - by depending upon the
ethics of company statement an individual's dilemmas could be easily resolved. It can
generate a clear picture of company's ethics so that an employee can easily generate pros
and cons of the cited organisation. However, this factor is beneficial in overcoming the
health and safety problems that are faced by individuals at his/her workplace.
 Reading of past news article about different companies that are facing with specific
dilemma: - In overcoming the dilemma of an individual they should read about
challenges that has already been faced by employees. Similarly, for eradicating the
problem of 'health and safety' an employee must go through towards some news which
are related with exact situation that are faced by individuals among different workplaces.
Thus, this would result in a better solution for the emerged problem.
My research on business ethics has profound that solutions can be done in order to eradicate
business dilemma's in future by adopting ethical behavior/action in an organization and by
developing compliance/ethics management. However, it improvises on fair treatment of
employees and by providing measures of health/safety/ security which in turn enhances its
morale towards the company. On the other hand, business ethics also develops solutions to those
problems which are generally emerging due to political and legal structures.
Every employee has a right to obtain healthy and safety working environment under their
business organisation. In order to fulfill those rights health and safety professionals should be
employed for either part-time or full-time. Primary goal of HSP's is to develop health of every
workers at their workplaces. However, their duty is to prevent the influence of such dilemma's by
promoting staff-medical examinations, disclosing useful information's related to health risks as

well as enhancing safety guidelines for its workers. Thus, by adopting all such measures 'health
and safety' ethical dilemma can be overcome under every business firms and would even result
in generating morale of employees towards their workplaces.

REFERENCES
Aguirre, G. & et.al. (2017). Teaching ethics to marketing and logistics majors: A transformative
learning experiment. Journal of Education for Business.92(3). 121-128.
Antonakakis, N., Chatziantoniou, I., & Filis, G. (2017). Energy consumption, CO 2 emissions,
and economic growth: an ethical dilemma. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews.68. 808-824.
Fehr, K. K., Hazen, R. A., & Nielsen, B. A. (2017). Ethical decision making for psychology
trainees in the clinical pediatric setting: Case examples and practical solutions for trainees
and supervisors.Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology.5(1). 123.
Mintz, S. (2016). Giving voice to values: A new approach to accounting ethics education. Global
Perspectives on Accounting Education.13. 37-50.
Sulzgruber, P. & et.al. (2017). Age-specific prognostication after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest–
The ethical dilemma between ‘life-sustaining treatment’and ‘the right to die’in the
elderly. European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care.6(2). 112-120.