Temptations in the Office
This book will guide you through a thought process to tackle moral decisions with the necessary lucidity and rigor.
Author(s): Stephen M. Goldman
Publisher: Praeger
Date of publication: 2008
Manageris opinion
Far from theoretical or philosophical ponderings on ethics, this book attempts to be resolutely pragmatic. It is thus a valuable guide for managers faced with concrete problems.
Ultimately, postulates the author, ethics is not so much a question of beliefs and convictions as of decisions. It’s thus best to focus first and foremost on the rigor and quality of decision-making processes in order to perfect the application of one’s values. To help put this advice into practice, Chapter 3 guides you through a thought process to tackle moral decisions with the necessary lucidity and rigor. The right attitude, including a combination of objectivity, subtlety and creativity, is the best guarantor of decisions which, while not necessarily perfect, are at least consistent with your values.
A key lesson from this book is that ethics are eminently personal. The law, rules and customs are useful for relatively simple decisions, when good and evil are clearly in opposition. However, in more ambiguous situations, when a decision brings apparently contradictory values into play, each individual must orient him or herself personally.
With the help of numerous well-developed examples taken from daily life in the business world, this book offers not a one-dimensional thought model, but rather a guide to enable you to expand your thinking and create your own models.
