This document discusses the three levels of moral dilemmas: individual, organizational, and structural.
Individual dilemmas involve personal conflicts, like Heinz having to choose between saving his wife or obeying the law. Organizational dilemmas arise from opposing interests between groups within an organization, like a hospital prioritizing patients. Structural dilemmas involve conflicts between societal sectors affected by a decision, like a principal facing passive parents. The document provides examples and strategies for resolving moral dilemmas at each level.
This document discusses the three levels of moral dilemmas: individual, organizational, and structural.
Individual dilemmas involve personal conflicts, like Heinz having to choose between saving his wife or obeying the law. Organizational dilemmas arise from opposing interests between groups within an organization, like a hospital prioritizing patients. Structural dilemmas involve conflicts between societal sectors affected by a decision, like a principal facing passive parents. The document provides examples and strategies for resolving moral dilemmas at each level.
This document discusses the three levels of moral dilemmas: individual, organizational, and structural.
Individual dilemmas involve personal conflicts, like Heinz having to choose between saving his wife or obeying the law. Organizational dilemmas arise from opposing interests between groups within an organization, like a hospital prioritizing patients. Structural dilemmas involve conflicts between societal sectors affected by a decision, like a principal facing passive parents. The document provides examples and strategies for resolving moral dilemmas at each level.
Able to give examples of the different levels of moral dilemma Able to distinguish the differences of the three levels of moral dilemmas. Able to suggest resolution to moral dilemmas. ACTIVITY Read the following dilemmas: Case #1 The mission of catholic school A is to serve the poor by giving quality education. It is torn between the obligation to charge low tuition to help the poor and to pay better salaries to keep quality teachers. Case #2 Heinz’s wife was dying from a particular type of cancer. Doctors said a new drug might save her. The drug has been discovered by the local chemist, and the Heinz tried desperately to buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than the Heinz could afford. Heinz could only raise half of the money, even after the help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. The chemist refused, saying he had discovered the drug and was going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s laboratory and stole the drug. Case #3 A principal ought to welcome and encourage parents and community participation in school affairs. Based on her experience, parents and community are passive and so the principal always ends up deciding and doing things just the same. She is obliged to observe parents’ and community participation which do not give any input at all at the same time she obliged to accomplish things on time. ANALYSIS Answer the following questions: 1. Among the 3 dilemmas, which is an example of an individual dilemma? Organizational dilemma? Structural dilemma? 2. How do the 3 dilemmas differ? ABSTRACTION A. Individual Dilemmas This refers to personal dilemmas. It is an individual’s damn-if-you-do-damn-if you- don’t. A person is torn between two obligations (ex. Heinz dilemma, to save the wife or obey the law) B. Organizational Dilemmas An organizational dilemma is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social organization and members’ self interest. It may exist between personal interests and organizational welfare or between group interests and organizational well-being. Organizational dilemma occur in business, medical and public sector. Example: The story of Mr. Brown, a 74-year old man who is seriously ill of Metastatic Lung Cancer. Mr. Brown completed a full course of radiation therapy as well as chemotherapy for treatment of his cancer and he is now hospitalized with severe shortness of breath and pneumonia. His physician has managed the symptoms associated with lung disease but believes that there are no other options available to aggressively treat the underlying cancer… Both Mr. Brown and his wife clearly state that they “want everything done.”… The dilemma here lies in the conflicting concerns: a) The financial problems of Mr. Brown and his wife b) The hospital concern of focusing its attention on this hopeless patient when there are other cases which have still possible remedies. c) The other hospital patient’s concern particularly the their need of medicine used by Mr. Brown d) The other concern of medical staff et. al. Organizational dilemmas arise due to different opposing concerns between various groupings in an organization. STRUCTURAL DILEMMAS The case of the principal whether to be participatory and non-participatory in school affairs but due to her not so favorable experience of attempting to be participatory ended up to one-woman rule is an example of structural dilemma. Any attempt to introduce reform in society or government creates structural dilemma Example: promoting or introducing universal health care, which is tantamount to socialized health care give rise to structural dilemma. STRUCTURAL DILEMMA - a conflict of perspective of sectors, groupings and institutions that may be affected by the decision. STRUCTURAL DELIMMA – is the dilemma arising from conflicting concerns among various sectors of society. Below are more examples of structural dilemma: 1. Differentiation versus Integration in Structural Dilemma 2. Gap versus overlap 3. Lack of clarity versus lack of creativity 4. Flexibility versus strict adherence to Rules 1. Differentiation versus Integration in Structural Dilemma - Different division have their own different culture and so coordination between divisions or bringing them together becomes more difficult. *with Decentralization (institutions become more differentiated and so it becomes more difficult to integrate them as a unified structure) 2. Gap vs. overlap There may be gaps and overlaps in roles and responsibilities. If key responsibilities are not clearly assigned there may be gaps or overlaps an important tasks If there are Gaps, organization end up with no one doing responsibility. If there are overlaps, things become unclear and may lead to more confusion and even conflict and worse wasted effort and perhaps even resources because of unintended overlap. 3. Lack of clarity vs. lack of creativity – if employees are unclear about what they are supposed to do, they are often tailor their roles around personal preferences instead of system wide goals, frequently leading to trouble. Example: Most McDonald's customers are not seeking novelty and surprise in their burgers and fries. But when responsibilities are over-defined, people conform to prescribed roles and protocols in “bureaucratic” ways. They rigidly allow job descriptions regardless of how much the service of product suffers and so, end up uncreative. 4. Flexibility vs. strict adherence to rules - You accommodate by bending rules to help someone or; - You stick strictly to rules no matter what and so unable to help someone who is thrown into a helpless situation. Ex. Your jobs are defined so clearly that you will stick to them even if circumstances are such that by sticking to your job description the service or product that your organization provides suffers. 5. Excessive Autonomy Versus Excessive Interdependence – refers to being isolated versus too much coordination. *Excessive Autonomy – resulting to isolation and disconnection to a larger organization, groups or sector. *Excessive Interdependence – as a result people are distracted from work and waste of time on unnecessary or too much coordination. 6. Centralized versus Decentralized Decision Making *Decentralized Decision Making – can respond to change more rapidly and effectively on the other hand, *(Centralized) top managers or administrators may lose some control RESOLVING MORAL DILEMMAS 1.Think of available alternative options revealing that dilemma does not really exist. 2. “Choosing the greater good and lesser evil or…” Or one may apply the situation ethics approach. RESOLVING MORAL DILEMMAS 3. Kant’s principles “ought implies I can” rule. – If I ought to do something then I can do it. By contraposition, If I cannot do something then I cannot be obliged to do it. (in other words, only one is obliged to do something if and only he can do it.) RESOLVING MORAL DILEMMAS “do what you can where you are”(Joseph Fletcher) or quoting St. Augustine’s : “Dilege et quod vis fac” (Love and do what you will). The extent of one’s obligation and responsibility is the extent of one’s ability and measure of the “extent” is one’s capacity for love. Reflection What structural dilemma have you experienced? How did you deal with it? Are you happy with how you dealt with it?