Kingfisher

School of Business and Finance

Foundations
of Moral
Reasonings,
Behavior, and
Responsibility
Module 3

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Learning Objectives

1.Emphasize the importance of moral

reasoning and moral decision-making in
our daily lives
2.Explain the deep foundations and
structure of moral reasoning
3.Explain why only human beings can be
ethical
©DarylEjeilSinlao
Foundations of Moral
Reasoning
Moral Development
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Gilligan’s Gendered Theory
Development of Moral Development
- Lawrence Kohlberg believes that – Carol Gilligan claims that there
a person passes through a are “male” and “female”
sequence of six identifiable stages approaches to morality
that exist in the development of a
person’s ability to deal with moral
issues

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
 Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral
Development

Postconventional Stage

Conventional Stage

Preconventional Stage

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Gilligan’s Gendered Theory
of Moral Development

Justice Perspective Care Perspective

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Moral Reasoning

– The reasoning process by which human

behaviors, institutions, or policies are judged to
be in accordance with or in violation of moral
standards.
– In Logic, you have premises (1st premise is the
MORAL STANDARD & 2nd premises is the
EVIDENCE) and the conclusion (MORAL
JUDGMENT)
©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
 Corporations
practicing
corruption
must be
punished.

Philhealth
must be
“The Presidential Anti-
punished.
Corruption Commission
(PACC) disclosed that the
anomalies committed in the
Philippine Health Insurance
Corp. (PhilHealth) were “the
worst” because its weekly
fund releases that amount
to as much as P3
billion “were exposed to
corruption.” ~ The Manila
Times 8/12/20

©DarylEjeilSinlao Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1

Moral Action/Behavior

James Rest’ 4 Steps

From Thinking to Clicking

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Step 1: Recognizing an
ethical situation
– The Act of FRAMING

– In Business Ethics:
Systemic
Corporate
Individual
©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
 Step 1: Recognizing an
ethical situation
A. Bandura’s Eight Forms of Moral Disengagement
(Taylor & Francis, 2009)
1. Moral Justification – viewing harmful activities as serving worthy
ends
2. Euphemistic Labelling – using of sanitized language
3. Advantageous Comparison – comparing/contrasting injurious
products to other injurious products making the former benign
and has lesser negative effects
4. Displacement of responsibility – transferring of responsibilities –
©DarylEjeilSinlao stating that the injurious activity was just an order
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Step 1: Recognizing an
ethical situation
A. Bandura’s Eight Forms of Moral Disengagement
(Taylor & Francis, 2009)
5. Diffusion of responsibility – transferring of responsibility to the
members of the group
6. Redirecting Blame – those who suffer the harmful effects of the
products are blamed for bringing the harm on themselves
7. Disregarding or distorting the Harm – evidence of the harm is
discredited
8. Dehumanizing the victim – treating the victim as less human or
not human
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Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Step 2: Judging what the
ethical course of action is

– Facts vs Biases

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Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Step 3: Deciding whether to
do what is right
Ethical climate (What is expected)
- the beliefs an organization’s members have about how they
are expected to behave
Egoistic vs Benevolent

Ethical culture (How will the expectation be a reality)

- the kind of behavior an organization encourages or
discourages by repeated use of examples of appropriate behavior,
incentives for ethical behavior, clear rules, rewards, stories of notable
ethical actions, etc.
©DarylEjeilSinlao Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Step 3: Deciding whether to
do what is right

Moral seduction
- the subtle pressures that
can gradually lead to an ethical
person into decisions to do what he or
she knows is wrong.
©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Step 4: Carrying out one’s
decision

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
Moral Responsibility
and Blame

I AM (NOT) RESPONSIBLE!

©DarylEjeilSinlao
 When is a person morally
responsible? – 3 conditions
1. Causality
- a person’s actions “caused” an injury or wrong (Commissions)
- when a party does not cause an injury but merely fails to prevent
it (Omissions)

2. Knowledge and Ignorance

3. Freedom

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
 Who to blame?

A. Rationalization of the Act

“Everybody does it.” “There’s no rule against it!” “If I didn’t do it, somebody
else would.”

B. Loyal Agent’s Argument (A. Michales)

when a subordinate acts on the orders of a legitimate superior, the
subordinate is absolved of responsibility for that act

C. Corporation or Individual Dilemma

The corporate act is the responsibility of the corporation, not the individual
©DarylEjeilSinlao
Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1
 Challenge Accepted

©DarylEjeilSinlao Module 3 Ethics 11 Chapter 1

Reference

Taylor & Francis. (2009). Moral Disengagement in the Corporate World.

https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/Bandura2009Accountability.pdf.
Velasquez, M. (2018). Business Ethics Concepts and Cases. Philippines:
Pearson Education South Asia PTE. LTD.

©DarylEjeilSinlao
Kingfisher
School of Business and Finance
Foundations
of Moral
Reasonings,
Behavior, and
Responsibility
Module 3

Daryl Ejeil F. Sinlao

darylejeilsinlao@gmail.com

©DarylEjeilSinlao