Professional Ethics

Ethics is the study of the moral principles that guide behaviour — what is good and bad conduct. In professional contexts, individual ethics must align with an organization’s stated values. A shared ethical framework allows consistent decision-making across an organization, especially in complex or ambiguous situations.

How It Appears Per Course

ADMN 233

Covered in Communication for Business III (Ametros simulation). Applied directly in the simulation: Josh had to reject Isaac’s request for a premature “no flaws” press release using ethical reasoning. Received STRONG rating on Professional Ethics.

PHIL 252

Ethics appears as informal fallacies (appeals to authority, emotion, etc.) and in evaluating argument validity. The Potter Process parallels the structured, step-by-step reasoning that PHIL 252 trains. See ProfessionalEthics-CriticalThinking.

Potter Process — Ethical Decision-Making

Developed by Harvard professor Ralph Potter. Four sequential steps to work through professionally complex ethical situations.

flowchart TD
    P1[1. Explain the Problem Fully] --> P2[2. Consider Values]
    P2 --> P3[3. Apply Philosophical Principles]
    P3 --> P4[4. Consider Loyalties]
    P4 --> D[Ethical Decision]

    P3 --> A[Aristotle:\nMiddle-ground between extremes]
    P3 --> K[Kant:\nUniversal law test]
    P3 --> M[Mill:\nUtilitarianism — most benefit, least harm]

Step 1 — Explain the Problem Fully

Without complete information, you cannot make an informed decision. Fully define what is happening before evaluating options.

Step 2 — Consider Values

How does your proposed action reflect the values of your community?

• “Community” = society as a whole, your profession, or your organization
• Example: the value of reliability — most communities expect reliable products; concealing a defect violates this

Step 3 — Apply Timeless Philosophical Principles

Philosopher	Principle	Test
Aristotle	Ethical actions are the middle ground between two extremes	Is this action too extreme in either direction?
Kant	An action should only be performed if it could reasonably become universal law	”Would I want everyone to do this?”
Mill (Utilitarianism)	Maximize benefit; minimize harm	Does this action create the most good for the least harm? Note: some harm to some people may still result

Step 4 — Consider Loyalties

In professional settings, loyalties often conflict. Consider them in order of scope:

Loyalty Level	Priority
Self	Lowest
Boss	Low
Organization	Medium
Professional field	Medium
General public / customers	Highest

Think about the bigger loyalties, not just those to yourself or your boss. A decision that saves your organization but harms the public is not ethical.

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Unethical Workplace Behaviours (examples)

• Bullying, name-calling, slander, personal attacks, sarcasm
• Withholding information selectively
• Excluding colleagues from meetings
• Setting unrealistic deadlines to ensure others fail
• Playing favourites

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Applied Example — Isaac’s Press Release (Simulation)

Isaac (Design Lead) asked Josh to issue a press release stating Regency III had no flaws, before the root cause was investigated.

Potter Process applied:

1. Problem: Unknown root cause; premature public statement could be false
2. Values: Monarchy’s stated value = “integrity in every interaction”
3. Principles: Kant — “Could everyone issue premature no-fault statements?” No. Mill — the press release benefits only the company briefly; harms clients and public if the flaw is later confirmed
4. Loyalties: Loyalty to clients and public > loyalty to the design team or immediate reputation

Decision: Reject the press release; propose a neutral holding statement and begin a joint review.

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Key Points for Exam/Study

• Potter Process = 4 steps: Explain problem → Consider values → Apply philosophical principles → Consider loyalties
• Three philosophical traditions: Aristotle (middle-ground), Kant (universal law), Mill (utilitarianism)
• Loyalties ordered: general public > organization > boss > self
• Professional ethics aligns personal morals with organizational values
• Ethics is needed when actions could harm others — more often than most people realize

Cross-Course Connections

ProfessionalEthics-CriticalThinking — Potter Process ↔ structured reasoning in PHIL 252
Empathy — ethical decisions require cognitive empathy (understanding others’ perspectives)
AudienceAnalysis — knowing your audience’s loyalties and values is part of ethical communication