Values-Based Decision Making
Manual: A Toolkit for Moral
Decisions Problem-Solving
William J. Frey
ADEM / UPRM
Agenda
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Introduction: Ethics and SOV Process
Problem-Solving as Design
Tests and Values in the Design Process
Gilbane Gold (Video)
Gilbane Gold Worksheets (in small groups)
Group Debriefing
One last slide…
What is Ethics?
• The systematic and critical study of moral
practices
– Business ethics is the systematic and critical study
of moral practice in business
– Engineering ethics is the systematic and critical
study of moral practices in engineering
– Research Ethics studies systematically and
critically research practices in science
– Codes of ethics (corporate and professional) are a
good start for identifying the moral practices of a
given institution, profession, or community
ADEM Statement of Values
• Draft of a rule-based code of ethics
• Provisions were “decoded” to identify the values they
embedded
• These were compared with values of other
communities
• A large list of values was pared into a small list and
these were prioritized
• Draft profiles were prepared by an ethicist; these were
written by a committee of stakeholders
• In May 2006, ADEM approved a Statement of Values
for students, support staff, faculty, and administration
Values
• Justice / Fairness
– Be impartial, objective and refrain from discrimination or preferential
treatment in the administration of rules and policies and in its dealings
with students, faculty, staff, administration, and other stakeholders.
• Responsibility
– Recognize and fulfill its obligations to its constituents by caring for
their essential interests, by honoring its commitments, and by
balancing and integrating conflicting interests.
• Respect
– Acknowledge the inherent dignity present in its diverse constituents
by recognizing and respecting their fundamental rights.
• Trust
– Create an environment where each can expect ethically justifiable
behavior from all others.
• Integrity
– Characterized by sincerity, honesty, authenticity, and the pursuit of
excellence, this value shall permeate and color all its decisions, actions
and expressions.
There is an analogy between design
problems and ethical problems
Design Problem
Ethical Problem
Construct a prototype that
business and engineering
values (efficiency, profit,
serviceability = specifications)
Construct a solution that
realizes ethical values
(specifications = justice,
responsibility, reasonableness,
respect, and safety)
Conflicts between
specifications are resolved
through integration,
compromise or tradeoff
Conflicts between values
(moral & non-moral) are
resolved through integration,
compromise or tradeoff
Implement design over
background constraints
Implement solution (with
integrated ethical value) over
resource, technical, and
interest constraints
Specify the problem…
• Disagreement on Facts
• Disagreement on Concepts
• Conflicts
• A key value becomes vulnerable
• Immediate, Midterm, or Remote
Harms
Generate as Many Solutions as Possible
• Don’t fall into the dilemma trap
– Assumption that ethical problems are di-lemmas—
force choice between two options, usually pursue
profits or “do the right (=ethical) thing”
• Brainstorm
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Do exercises to unlock creative thought
Set a quota
Suspend criticism until you meet your quota
Refine rather than criticize
• Eliminate impractical solutions
• Combine solutions (one is part of another; plan A, plan B)
• Test solutions globally to trim further into a manageable list
Generic Solutions (For every occasion)
• Gather more information
• Nolo Contendere
• Be diplomatic. Negotiate with the different
parties. Look for a “win-win” solution
• Oppose. Stand up to authority. Organize
opposition. Document and publicize the wrong
• Exit (Get a transfer. Look for another job. Live
to fight another time)
• Organize these as plans A, B, C, etc. Try one
first, then the other….
Test the Solutions You Have Generated…
• What are the harms and benefits likely to occur if
you act on your solution?
• Is the solution reversible with stakeholders?
– Any group or individual with a vital or essential interest at risk
• What would I become if I were to carry out the
action?
– Associate the values of the action with the agent
• Apply Justice to the results of the harm/benefit test
– Is the distribution of harms and benefits just?
• Apply Respect to the reversibility test
– Does the solution treat stakeholders with respect even if they
don’t like it?
Harm / Benefits
• What are the likely harms and benefits that will
follow from the action under consideration?
• What is their magnitude and range? How are
they distributed?
• Which alternative produces the most benefits
coupled with the least harms?
• Avoid too much and too little
Reversibility
• Does the action still look good when viewed
from the standpoint of key stakeholders?
• Agent projects into standpoint of those
targeted by the action and views it through
their eyes
• Avoid too much and too little
Values Test
• What are the values embedded in the action
you are considering?
– Is it responsible or irresponsible? Just or unfair?
Respectful or disrespectful?
• Would you want to be publically associated
with this action given the values it embodies?
– People would view you as responsible, just, or
respectful; irresponsible, unjust (biased?),
disrespectful
Feasibility Test—Will it Work?
• Restate your global feasibility analysis
• Are there resource constraints?
– Are these fixed or negotiable?
• Are there technical or manufacturing constraints?
– Are these fixed or negotiable?
• Are there interest constraints?
– Are these fixed or negotiable?
What if you can’t realize your ethical
solution?
• Try out what Westin calls the “intermediate
impossible” (Practical Companion, 38)
– Take your ethically, financially, technically ideal
solution
– Test its feasibility. If it is lacking…
– Modify it as little as possible until it becomes feasible.
Then implement the “intermediate impossible.”
Some Readings
• Anthony Weston. (2002). A Practical Companion to Ethics: Second
Edition. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
– Weston has several excellent suggestions for brainstorming solutions
to ethical problems. He also discusses how to avoid the dilemma trap.
• Good Computing. (Book under development through Jones and
Bartlett) (Huff, Frey, Cruz)
– The manuscript describes the four-stage software development cycle
that is used as a model here for problem-solving.
• Carolyn Whitbeck. (1998). Ethics in engineering practice and
research. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
– Whitbeck provides an illuminating discussion of the analogy between
ethics and design problems.
Gilbane Gold
What would you do if you were David
Jackson?
Worksheets
• Work through the exercises
• Be prepared to debrief on one
• Practice your problem-solving tools
• What are the muddy points?
Thank-you
William Frey
ADEM
Williamjoseph.frey@upr.edu