Critical Thinking in Management: Case Study Analysis Report

This report delves into the application of critical thinking within a management context, specifically addressing ethical dilemmas arising from employee misconduct. It begins by presenting a scenario where a valuable employee damages the organization's reputation through social media posts. The report emphasizes the need for a comprehensive analysis beyond immediate termination, advocating for the use of ethical frameworks to guide decision-making. It explores various ethical theories, including consequentialist (utilitarianism, ethical egoism) and non-consequentialist (duty-based, rights-based, justice approach, divine command) approaches. The report then provides a step-by-step guide for resolving workplace issues, emphasizing rational analysis, compassionate communication, and understanding the root causes of the employee's actions. It concludes by stressing the importance of applying these techniques to foster a harmonious and productive work environment, highlighting the positive impact on both the organization and its workforce. The report underscores the significance of choosing the right techniques for resolving workplace issues to achieve remarkable improvements in addressing any kind of ethical complexities in the workplace.

Running head: CRITICAL THINKING I N MANAGEMENT
Critical Thinking in Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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It is seen that in a reputed organization, a valuable employee of that organization
whose production level in the organization is beyond the expectation of the management has
posted some derogatory comments on social media that harmed the reputation of the
organization. He was given chance first time and then again he did the same and the
organization fired him. In every situation, firing the staff might not be the ideal choice, and
there lies the purpose of this report. In this report it is thoroughly discussed how the
managerial body of any organization can analyze this type of issues usig multiple ethical
frameworks and decide what to do for the betterment of the organization. After a detailed
analysis, a brief recommendation regarding the solution of this type of issues is provided in
this report.
In an organization, it is seen that a valuable sales person of that organization has
posted such comments on social media website that it has affected the reputation of that
organization. The complex part in this case is that the person who has committed this act
actually loves his job, his organization and in his field, he is the best and most effective
employee of the organization. His employers has already given him a second chance and
second time he did something offensive. Now the problem that the management is facing is
whether to terminate his service or to penalize him and make an example of him or they
should talk and clear things out. For this particular reason, an ethical business framework can
be utilized to solve the issue. A detailed discussion on that ethical framework is provided
below.
Briefly, it can be said that ethics gives a set of standards for conduct that helps
individuals to decide how they should act in certain situations. It can also be said in this
context that, ethics is all about making the right choices and providing valid reasons behind
the making of those choices (Ariely and Jones 2012). The traditional field of ethics can be
categorized into three parts. First part is meta-ethics and this basically deals with the nature

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of the situation whether it is right or good and also the nature and the valid justification of the
ethical claims. The second part is normative ethics and this part sheds light on the standards
and principles those are used to determine whether something is good or else correct. Finally,
the last part, applied ethics, deals with actual application of the ethical principles in a specific
situation (Iphofen 2016).
Apart from these, the ethical theories can be divided into three major categories and
those are Consequentialist theories, Non-consequentialist theories and finally Agent-centered
theories. Consequentialist theories deal with the ethical consequences of any specific actions.
The non–consequentialist theories are concerned with the intentions of the individuals
making ethical decisions about any specified actions. The Agent-centered theories are largely
concerned with the ethical status of the persons and these theories are a reduced amount of
concerned about the identification f the morality of specific actions (Ariely and Jones 2012).
These three main theories have various approaches to ethics and in this report, as per the case
studies the approach of consequentialist theories and the approaches of non-consequential
theories would be appropriate to discuss.
Utilitarian approach is among one of the most widespread approaches in making
ethcal decisions, and specially the decisions with consequences that concerns huge groups of
individuals in part, as it directs to weigh various amounts of good and bad those can be
produced by the actions of the individuals (Johnson 2017). This conforms to the feelings of
the decision makers that either good or bad would necessarily be the result of the actions, and
the action that generates the best things or causes less harm can be referred to as the best
action. Ethical environmental action is the one that generates the most goods and the least
bads for all the affected individuals or organizations.

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A variation of utilitarian approach is widely known as ethical egoism. In this type of
approach, individuals often use utilitarian calculation to generate the most amounts of good
for him or herself. In most of the cases, it is seen that, the best society must be guided by
general will of the population, which would produce the best for the individuals as a whole
(Iphofen 2016). This variety of ethics underscores the networked aspect of society and
emphasizes respect and empathy towards the other members of the society and especially to
those who are vulnerable.
There are four types of approaches included in the Non-consequentialist theories and
in this section those approaches are discussed thoroughly.
Duty-based approaches are sometimes referred to as deontological ethics and are most
widely associated with philosopher Immanuel Kant (Hershfield, Cohen and Thompson 2012).
Kant’s famous formula to discover the ethical duty is known as the categorical imperative.
This approach has numerous visions, but Kant had a belief that those all visions amounts to
the same imperative. The basic form of imperative is to act according to the maxim by which
individuals can at the same time will that it would become a universal law. Thus, for an
example, it can be said that lying is unethical as individuals cannot universalize a maxim that
says states individuals may always lie (Heizer 2016). Thus, such a maxim will render all
speech meaningless. Individuals may universalize he maxim and may always speak the truth
without getting into any logical contradiction. In short, it can be said that choosing to obey
the universal moral law is the nature of acting ethically.
The rights approach derives its current force as of duty-based ethics. This approach
stipulates that best ethical action is the one that protect the ethical rights of the individuals
who are affected by the action (Heizer 2016). It sheds light on the belief that all individuals

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have a basic right to dignity. The list of ethical rights is a debatable issue and there have been
many arguments that animals as well as other non-humans may also have rights.
The most impressive version of this Justice approach can be found in the works of
John Rawls who stated that ethical principles are individuals, which might be chosen by
rational and free people in an initial situation of equality (Epstein 2013). This hypothetical
contract is generally considered as just as it provides a system for what counts as a reasonable
action, and not necessarily concern it with consequences of those actions. Fairness of the
starting point is the main principle for what is widely considered as just.
According to the name, Divine command approach approach concentrates on what is
right as the same as that God commands, as it is believed that the ethical standards are created
by the will of God. It is also widely believed that following the commands of God is the
ethical action (Clemen and Reilly 2013). It is also believed that God may change what is
considered as principled and God is not at all bound by any standards of right or wrong, good
or bad or any kinds of logical contradiction.

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Source: (Salvia, Ysseldyke and Witmer 2012)
From the picture above it is evident that there are specified steps following which
individuals can take proper steps for solution of any complex situations within the
organization (Bardach and Patashnik 2015). The individuals need to feel the situation
rationally and then they need to analyze how grave the situation is. After that, they need to
clear things out with the person who has committed the offence with compassion and search
the reason behind the deed. It is a matter of fact that management needs to understand that
what might causing the disruption or what exactly is the reason behind any sort of unwanted

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actions taken by the individual (Ariely and Jones 2012). Then they have to analyze the
situation and take decisions accordingly for the benefit of the organization as well as for the
workforce, as it is a well-known fact that the general workforce is the nucleus of any
organization. The more motivated and loyal towards the company will be the workforce, the
more productivity and profitability the organization can expect.
This to conclude, it can be said that individuals must know the proper ways to solve
an issue in within the workplace using the techniques and the theories mentioned in this
report to maintain harmony and positive ambience within the workplace. It is a matter of fact
that choosing the right techniques of solving the issues within the workplace, individuals can
see remarkable improvements in solving any kind of ethical complexities in the workplace

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References
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