Immediately, when I started reading “Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model” by Thomas M. Jones, the definitions for his terms stuck out to me. For the sake of his model, a moral issue describes any situation where “a person’s actions, when freely performed, may harm or benefit others.” Where I perked up was the phrase “when freely performed”. Sometimes, when we consider morality and the actions of others, we forget about all of the outside pressures and expectations put upon society. This reminded me of a similar model that focuses on conflict management. The purpose of this model is to minimize conflict and maximize positive outcomes. For this model, a conflict is defined as an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive goals as incompatible. The key phrase being “expressed struggle”. By this definition, a conflict does not exist unless the parties have made an attempt to verbally, or nonverbally, express their issue and made the other person away. Otherwise, it is simply a private struggle within the individual. 

Taking a step back, these small aspects of these models are crucial to understanding what constitutes a decision. More specifically, a decision must be consciously made or considered and there must be viable alternatives. This reminds me of how pure ignorance can prevent people from maximizing their choices. If people are simply unaware of their options, they are not capable of making another decision. Thus, limiting their free will. When analyzing situations and ethical decisions, it’s important to consider the available knowledge of both parties.

Jones, T. M. (1991). Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: An issue-contingent model. The Academy of Management Review, 16(2), 366. https://doi.org/10.2307/258867