Ethical Decision Making
Goal: Learn from real-life ethical dilemmas to prepare ourselves for challenging situations.
“Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody is watching."
– C.S. Lewis, Author
Reflect: How would you define integrity?
4
Relevant
Ethical: Doing what's right and fair according to a set of standards or our values.
Vocabulary
Dilemma: A difficult situation where you have to choose between 2 or more options, and each choice has consequences.
Consequence: The result or outcome of an action or decision. It can be positive or negative.
Value: A personal belief about what in life is important, that guides our behavior and our choices.
Integrity: Being honest and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Choose a category to reveal a starting question. Then dig a little deeper with 3 follow-up prompts.
4
What does the word "integrity" mean to you?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Integrity
Why do people sometimes hide mistakes instead of being honest?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Integrity
How can showing integrity affect others' impression of you at school or work?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Integrity
Has someone ever asked you to cover for them when they made a mistake? What happened?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Integrity
What does it mean to be fair?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Fairness
Why is fairness important when working on a team or in a job?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Fairness
Can being fair ever feel like a difficult decision? Why or why not?
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Fairness
Do you believe this quote to be true? Why or why not? “Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same.” - Rick Riordan
DEEP DIGGING
Connection
Fairness
16
Why: In any career, our choices can significantly influence our trust, reputation, and long-term success. Choices may have a greater impact in the workplace than our skills or talents.
Ethical Decision Making
Ethical Decision Making
Today, we will talk about decision-making.
We all face choices that test our values and what matters to us. When values influence our decisions, we refer to these as ethical choices.
On the next few slides we will vote.
ETHICS TEST
Unethical
Ethical
1/2
You notice a large tip left on the table that you and a coworker were both serving. Technically, it was your coworker’s table. You decide to take a portion of the tip.
Is this ethical?
1/4
Ethical
Unethical
You’ve used all your vacation days at work, but you’re invited to a close friend’s birthday party. You decide to call in sick.
Is this ethical?
Ethical
Unethical
1/4
A coworker vents to you that they are thinking about quitting soon. You let their manager know so that they can be prepared.
Is this ethical?
Ethical
Unethical
1/4
Your manager asks you to remove negative reviews or refrain from responding to customers who criticize the quality of your business.
Is this ethical?
Ethical
Unethical
1/4
The ethical, or right choice, is not always the easiest or most obvious.
There may be "gray areas" or other people and factors to consider when making tough decisions. These more challenging choices are known as ethical dilemmas.
1/2
Ethical
Decision Making
Let's define the term:
Ethical Dilemma
1/4
Let's define the term:
Ethical Dilemma
- Something right, fair, or good
- Related to our values
Ethical
- A difficult choice
- Often involves 2 or more
equally challenging options - Potentially unclear consequences
Dilemma
1
DISCUSS
2
Have you ever had to make a difficult choice that challenged your values or that had unclear consequences?
What happened?
2
...why do you think so many people feel pressured to compromise their ethics at work?
DISCUSS
If ethics and integrity are such valued traits by employers...
1 in 3
U.S. employees
feel pressure to compromise
their ethical standards at work.
ECI Global Business Ethics Survey, 2021
9 in 10
Employers list integrity as a top trait.
NACE Job Outlook Survey, 2022
Research shows that preparing in advance for potential ethical dilemmas encourages more careful, values-based decisions.
On the next few slides, we will:
- Learn 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity to help us during
ethical dilemmas. - Then we will practice using
examples from real companies.
1/2
(Tenbrunsel & Messick, 2004)
Ethical
Decision Making
What values are guiding my decision?
What could be the consequences of my decision?
If this decision were made public, would I feel proud of it?
1
When facing an ethical dilemma, ask yourself 3 questions.
The 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity
1/2
What Would You Do?
The 3Qs
Practice the 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity by selecting 2 case studies from the list below:
Click to listen.
In 1967, during the development of the Lunar Module, a small ship designed to land on the moon, a single employee at Grumman noticed a problem with the ship's design. Reporting it would mean admitting a costly mistake, delaying the project, millions of dollars lost, and potentially losing the NASA contract. A decision had to be made about whether to report the problem to NASA.
NASA'S MOON LANDING
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What would be the consequences of reporting the problem vs. not speaking up?
If you worked for Grumman, what decision would make you the most proud?
Grumman carefully documented the issue and reported it, risking backlash and their jobs. They ultimately prioritized safety and the mission's success. The ship was redesigned, which delayed the mission by a year. NASA supported Grumman's decision, and the fix helped ensure the safety of astronauts, contributing to the success of the Apollo missions.
NASA'S MOON LANDING
What did Grumman do?
1/2
In 1986, the Challenger space shuttle was scheduled to launch with 7 astronauts onboard. Engineers at Morton, the contractor responsible for the shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, had concerns prior to launch about the shuttle's ability to operate safely in cold weather. The pressure to proceed was intense, and the clock was ticking toward liftoff. NASA had to decide whether to delay the launch.
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What would be the consequences of voicing concerns vs. going forward to launch?
If you worked for NASA, what decision would make you the most proud?
Click to listen.
NASA downplayed the warnings from Morton, and the launch went forward. 73 seconds into the televised spaceflight, the shuttle exploded, killing all 7 astronauts onboard. The world watched in shock, leaving behind grieving families and sparking public questions about accountability, fault, and ethical responsibility.
What did NASA do?
1/2
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE
In 1982, Johnson & Johnson, the producer of Tylenol, faced a crisis: Several people in Chicago died after ingesting tampered Tylenol. It seemed the company wasn’t directly at fault, but faced the decision to issue an expensive recall, do nothing as the tampering appeared isolated, or deny responsibility.
TYLENOL PRODUCT RECALL
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What would you do next, and what could be the potential consequences?
If you worked for J&J, what decision would make you the most proud?
Click to listen.
Instead of minimizing the issue, Johnson & Johnson pulled 31 million bottles from store shelves, halted advertising, redesigned the lid with safety seals, and communicated openly with the public. It cost them over $100 million, but their transparency and quick action ultimately rebuilt public trust and strengthened the company’s reputation.
What did Johnson & Johnson do?
1/2
TYLENOL PRODUCT RECALL
In 2025, just before a scheduled flight to the islands, a Hawaiian Airlines pilot noticed a concerning change in the plane's fuel pressure gauge reading, despite no other apparent issues with the aircraft. Delaying the flight could lead to missed connections, delayed vacations, and frustrated passengers. A decision had to be made about whether or not to proceed with the flight.
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What could be the consequences of delaying vs. proceeding with the flight?
If you were the pilot, what decision would make you the most proud?
Click to listen.
Before takeoff, the pilot announced over the intercom that he "wasn't feeling it" when it came to risking a long flight over the ocean. Passengers were angry, voicing their frustration and objecting to the pilot's announcement. Although there was no way to determine the outcome of the flight, the pilot ultimately chose to deplane to be "absolutely certain" that the passengers and crew would be safe.
What did the pilot do?
1/2
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Integrity often requires us to make difficult choices to uphold our values or those of our company.
We may not always know the outcome of our choices in advance. But the 3Qs can help us determine the best path forward and remind us what matters the most.
1/2
What are my values?
What are the potential consequences?
What would I be the most proud of?
EXTEND
OR
Click to choose how to move on
END
Find a
Partner
1
Your Ethical Decisions
With your partner, do a 1 minute brainstorm:
What kinds of ethical dilemmas do students have to make at school, with friends, or online?
Examples
- Misusing AI
- Reporting cheating
- Covering for a friend
- Following the crowd
- Loyalty despite wrongdoing
- Stealing out of need
Advance slide to reveal examples.
1
With your partner, apply the 3Qs for Ethical Clarity to 1 of your dilemmas.
The 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity
4
What are my values?
What are the potential consequences?
What would I be the most proud of?
Today, we applied the 3Qs of Ethical Decision Making to historical ethical dilemmas.
Challenge yourself to use the 3Qs when facing an ethical decision; they can help you make choices you’ll be proud of.
REVIEW
Learning Objective
1/2
16
Why: In any career, our choices can significantly influence our trust, reputation, and long-term success. Choices may have a greater impact in the workplace than our skills or talents.
Ethical Decision Making
Why: In any career, our choices can significantly influence our trust, reputation, and long-term success. Choices may have a greater impact in the workplace than our skills or talents.
Ethical Decision Making
Virtual Version
Ethical Decision Making
Today, we will talk about decision-making.
We all face choices that test our values and what matters to us. When values influence our decisions, we refer to these as ethical choices.
On the next few slides we will vote.
ETHICS TEST
Unethical
Ethical
1/2
You notice a large tip left on the table that you and a coworker were both serving. Technically, it was your coworker’s table. You decide to take a portion of the tip.
Is this ethical?
1/4
Ethical
Unethical
You’ve used all your vacation days at work, but you’re invited to a close friend’s birthday party. You decide to call in sick.
Is this ethical?
Ethical
Unethical
1/4
A coworker vents to you that they are thinking about quitting soon. You let their manager know so that they can be prepared.
Is this ethical?
Ethical
Unethical
1/4
Your manager asks you to remove negative reviews or refrain from responding to customers who criticize the quality of your business.
Is this ethical?
Ethical
Unethical
1/4
The ethical, or right choice, is not always the easiest or most obvious.
There may be "gray areas" or other people and factors to consider when making tough decisions. These more challenging choices are known as ethical dilemmas.
1/2
Ethical
Decision Making
Let's define the term:
Ethical Dilemma
1/4
Let's define the term:
Ethical Dilemma
- Something right, fair, or good
- Related to our values
Ethical
- A difficult choice
- Often involves 2 or more
equally challenging options - Potentially unclear consequences
Dilemma
1
DISCUSS
2
Have you ever had to make a difficult choice that challenged your values or that had unclear consequences?
What happened?
2
...why do you think so many people feel pressured to compromise their ethics at work?
DISCUSS
If ethics and integrity are such valued traits by employers...
1 in 3
U.S. employees
feel pressure to compromise
their ethical standards at work.
ECI Global Business Ethics Survey, 2021
9 in 10
Employers list integrity as a top trait.
NACE Job Outlook Survey, 2022
Research shows that preparing in advance for potential ethical dilemmas encourages more careful, values-based decisions.
We will:
- Learn 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity to help us plan for
ethical dilemmas. - Practice using historical examples from real companies.
1/2
(Tenbrunsel & Messick, 2004)
Ethical
Decision Making
What values are guiding my decision?
What could be the consequences of my decision?
If this decision were made public, would I feel proud of it?
1
When facing an ethical dilemma, ask yourself 3 questions.
The 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity
1/2
What Would You Do?
The 3Qs
Practice the 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity by selecting 2 case studies from the list below:
Click to listen.
In 1967, during the development of the Lunar Module, a small ship designed to land on the moon, a single employee at Grumman noticed a problem with the ship's design. Reporting it would mean admitting a costly mistake, delaying the project, millions of dollars lost, and potentially losing the NASA contract. A decision had to be made about whether to report the problem to NASA.
NASA'S MOON LANDING
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What would be the consequences of reporting the problem vs. not speaking up?
If you worked for Grumman, what decision would make you the most proud?
Grumman carefully documented the issue and reported it, risking backlash and their jobs. They ultimately prioritized safety and the mission's success. The ship was redesigned, which delayed the mission by a year. NASA supported Grumman's decision, and the fix helped ensure the safety of astronauts, contributing to the success of the Apollo missions.
NASA'S MOON LANDING
What did Grumman do?
1/2
In 1986, the Challenger space shuttle was scheduled to launch with 7 astronauts onboard. Engineers at Morton, the contractor responsible for the shuttle’s solid rocket boosters, had concerns prior to launch about the shuttle's ability to operate safely in cold weather. The pressure to proceed was intense, and the clock was ticking toward liftoff. NASA had to decide whether to delay the launch.
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What would be the consequences of voicing concerns vs. going forward to launch?
If you worked for NASA, what decision would make you the most proud?
Click to listen.
NASA downplayed the warnings from Morton, and the launch went forward. 73 seconds into the televised spaceflight, the shuttle exploded, killing all 7 astronauts onboard. The world watched in shock, leaving behind grieving families and sparking public questions about accountability, fault, and ethical responsibility.
What did NASA do?
1/2
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE
In 1982, Johnson & Johnson, the producer of Tylenol, faced a crisis: Several people in Chicago died after ingesting tampered Tylenol. It seemed the company wasn’t directly at fault, but faced the decision to issue an expensive recall, do nothing as the tampering appeared isolated, or deny responsibility.
TYLENOL PRODUCT RECALL
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What would you do next, and what could be the potential consequences?
If you worked for J&J, what decision would make you the most proud?
Click to listen.
Instead of minimizing the issue, Johnson & Johnson pulled 31 million bottles from store shelves, halted advertising, redesigned the lid with safety seals, and communicated openly with the public. It cost them over $100 million, but their transparency and quick action ultimately rebuilt public trust and strengthened the company’s reputation.
What did Johnson & Johnson do?
1/2
TYLENOL PRODUCT RECALL
In 2025, just before a scheduled flight to the islands, a Hawaiian Airlines pilot noticed a concerning change in the plane's fuel pressure gauge reading, despite no other apparent issues with the aircraft. Delaying the flight could lead to missed connections, delayed vacations, and frustrated passengers. A decision had to be made about whether or not to proceed with the flight.
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
What would you do?
Choose how to continue.
3
What values would guide your decision?
What could be the consequences of delaying vs. proceeding with the flight?
If you were the pilot, what decision would make you the most proud?
Click to listen.
Before takeoff, the pilot announced over the intercom that he "wasn't feeling it" when it came to risking a long flight over the ocean. Passengers were angry, voicing their frustration and objecting to the pilot's announcement. Although there was no way to determine the outcome of the flight, the pilot ultimately chose to deplane to be "absolutely certain" that the passengers and crew would be safe.
What did the pilot do?
1/2
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Integrity often requires us to make difficult choices to uphold our values or those of our company.
We may not always know the outcome of our choices in advance. But the 3Qs can help us determine the best path forward and remind us what matters the most.
1/2
What are my values?
What are the potential consequences?
What would I be the most proud of?
EXTEND
OR
Click to choose how to move on
END
Brainstorm Ethical Dilemmas
Brainstorm some ethical dilemmas students might face at school, online, or with friends. We each will type 1 example into the chat.
Examples
- Misusing AI
- Reporting cheating
- Covering for a friend
- Following the crowd
- Loyalty despite wrongdoing
- Stealing out of need
Advance slide to reveal examples.
1
Choose a Dilemma
As a class, choose a dilemma in the chat. On the next few slides, we will practice applying our ethical clarity questions to this dilemma.
1
In the chat, apply the 3Qs for Ethical Clarity to 1 of your dilemmas. Answer as many of the 3 questions as you can.
The 3 Questions for Ethical Clarity
4
What are my values?
What are the potential consequences?
What would I be the most proud of?
Today, we applied the 3Qs of Ethical Decision Making to historical ethical dilemmas.
Challenge yourself to use the 3Qs when facing an ethical decision; they can help you make choices you’ll be proud of.
REVIEW
Learning Objective
1/2