Ethics Awareness Inventory:
Results and Analysis
Brenna Dowd
July 28, 2008
Self-assessment is a journey into
who I am, what I believe and how I reached this point in life. Answering
questions about ethics and reviewing the results has made me more aware of my
personal ethics and how those correspond with personal beliefs. Growing up I
learned from my parents to have high standards when working with people. While
my viewpoints on issues may have changed through the years, my fundamental
ethical system has been strengthened, not changed.
Ethical Perspective
My ethical perspective closely
follows the deontological theory of Immanuel Kant and John Rawls. Duty and
obligation are comingled in my individual assessment. I consider the intent of
people’s actions and believe that the end does not justify the means,
especially if people are harmed in the process. Through the years, I have grown
skeptical of decisions made where the bottom line is the dollar without
consideration of the impact on the humans involved.
Ethical Style
Everyone has the right to individual
respect with equal opportunity for advancement for all segments of society.
Dehumanizing other people for the sake of society or personal gain is not a
positive in life and I do not believe society benefits from such actions. When
I read about the treatment of prisoners at GITMO, one side of me says, “They
are terrorists. Who cares?” The other side of me says, “This is not how
humanity should treat another human being. We should be better than this.”
Personal Frustrations with Ethics
At times, my sense of obligation to
others puts me in a bind. I do not like telling someone I cannot follow through
with a project once I have committed. This may lead to a health problem with my
diabetes, but I work to complete what I started, no matter the personal
consequences to myself.
When dealing with others, I expect them to act responsibly and to use
good judgment and sound ethical basis for their decisions. I am open to listen
to other viewpoints and work out a compromise to complete a job. However, I
have little tolerance for those who shirk their responsibility to the project,
who lie about their input yet are willing to accept the same reward as those
who gave the project 100% of their time and energy.
Educational Experience
While at times it seems like
yesterday when I began classes at University of Phoenix, the reality has been a
personal growth and awareness. My first academic advisor insisted that I
purchase the manual on APA formatting and learn referencing. His insistence has
been a blessing in disguise for my educational experience.
I have learned skills to avoid
plagiarism, not only in my own work, but I have learned how to detect
plagiarism in the works of teammates. My first team experience taught me that
standing alone on a critical issue is all right when standing alone is the
right thing to do. I can compromise on content and method of accomplishing a
project. However, I will never accept
plagiarism on any project to which my name is attached.
Conclusion
Ethics and values are part of
everyday life. Whether making decisions on personal relationships or on behalf
of a billion dollar corporation, the bottom line is, “Can I look in the mirror
and like the person who looks back at me?”
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