Business ethics assignment

Running Head: Franciscan Values Franciscan Values Cardinal Stritch University Ethics and Social Responsibility for Business Leaders CMB 620 January 8, 2012 This paper will compare the Franciscan Values with Kohlberg’s Levels. Cardinal Stritch University is a Catholic Institution of higher education. Cardinal Stritch was found and is sponsored by congregation if the Sister of St. Francis of Assisi. The Franciscan Values are Creating a Caring Community, Showing Compassion, Reverencing All of Creation, and Making Peace.

The Kohlberg`s Three Levels and Six Stages of Moral Reasoning Lawrence Kohlberg, a professor of psychology in the University of Chicago, he created his own theory of moral development. The theory is based on children’s reasoning, when facing moral dilemmas, however, Kohlberg went far beyond that and created a common theory for all ages. Under his theory moral thinking passes through six separate stages, which are broken into three levels.

This paper aims to compare the Franciscan Values The Catholic Church and will look to these beliefs to determine what God is like, how men and women should view and interact with God, and what determines spirituality (http://www. ubscure. com). When some follows the Franciscan Values, at what stage would he or she be in Kohlberg’s levels of moral development. Level 3: Post conventional, Autonomous, or Principles Level (Universal Humankind Orientation). Kohlberg’s levels states that any individuals in this stage understand that codes of conduct are relative to their social group.

This varies from culture to culture and subgroup to subgroup. With that in mind, the individual enters into a contract with fellow human beings to treat them fairly and kindly and to respect authority when it is equally moral and deserved (Weiss, J. W. page 21) The Franciscan Values and Kohlberg’s levels of moral development help professionals and business decision makers prevent and resolve ethical problems by generally acting on their beliefs, values, and financially motivated stragies. Business ethics deals with what is “ right and “ wrong in any organization decisions, behavior, and policies.

Problem solving and decision-making are important skills for business and life. Problem-solving often involves decision-making, and decision-making is especially important for professionals and business decision making. In business, ethical dilemmas often arise when managers face conflicting values. For example, a salesperson might face the dilemma of telling the truth about a product and thus losing a sale and his or her commission major responsibility for all managers is to maintain a constant lookout for actual or potential problems.

Managers can do this by keeping channels of communication open, monitoring employees’ current performance, and examining deviations from present plans as well as from past experience. Serious mistakes can be made if managers act before they accurately identify all the sources of a problem. To identify a problem accurately, it must be understood from all points of view. References Susan O’Brien, What-is-the-Franciscan-way. Retrieved from http://www. ubscure. com/Art/142929/111/What-Is-The-Franciscan-Way. html. Weiss, J. W. (2009). Business Ethics: A Stakeholder ; Issues Management Approach (5th ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western/Centrage