CONSIDER J. R. REST’S INFLUENTIAL DESCRIPTIVE MODEL OF ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING

Phuoc D. Nguyen

Bazerman & Tenbrunsel (2011) consider J. R. Rest’s influential descriptive model of ethical decision-making, including four phases: Moral awareness (sensitivity), judgment, intention (motivation), and action (character) certainly are important factors in understanding many ethical decisions. The model presumes that (1) awareness is needed for a decision to have moral implications, (2) an individual’s reasoning determines judgment, and (3) moral intention is required for her to understand her moral action. Additionally, Morales-Sanchez and Cabello-Medina (2013) integrate cardinal virtues including prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude as universal moral competencies into Rest’s (1986) influential descriptive model to create an ethical decision-making process of universal moral competencies. Gino (2015) based on Robertson et al.’s (2007) moral sensitivity model to describe the steps involved in ethical decision-making including ethical awareness, ethical judgment, and ethical behavior.

Morales-Sanchez and Cabello-Medina’s universal moral competencies have an impact and correlation with each other. Every cardinal virtue impacts one or some phases of Rest’s model. Specifically, virtue prudence impacts phases of moral awareness, moral judgment, and moral intention; virtue temperance impacts the phase of moral intention; virtue justice impacts phases of moral intention and moral action; and virtue fortitude impacts the phase of moral action. Presently, Rest’s model is missing the phase of ethical behavior, whereas Robertson et al.’s model is missing the phase of moral intention.

It is suggested to integrate the Robertson et al. model’s phase of ethical behavior into the Rest model’s phase of moral action because intention formulates behavior and behavior generates action. Furthermore, phases of an integrated model which is a loop. Good awareness leads to good judgment, good judgment leads to good intention, and good intention creates ethical behavior and action and vice versa. However, leaders should pay attention to the phase of moral intention because blind spots include unintentional unethical behavior and intentional unethical behavior may be generated in this phase. If unintentional unethical behavior and intentional unethical behavior happen then leaders find out the root causes and review phases of moral awareness and moral judgment. Complement virtue justice which impacts the phase of moral judgment; virtue fortitude impacts moral judgment; virtue prudence impacts moral behavior and action; and virtue temperance impacts moral judgment.