Ethical Theory Matrix School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Capella University PHI-FPX3200-Ethics in Health Care ​​​​​​​Ethical Theory Matrix

Theory

Decision Criteria

Your Own Example

Strengths

Weaknesses

Utilitarianism

Utilitarian decision-making criteria center on an objective evaluation of an action's results. The foundation of the Utilitarian Approach is having a moral compass and knowing what is wrong via considering the net benefit or harm of a given behavior (woodard, 2019).

Management in the healthcare industry may opt to raise employee pay. In this case, the raise would not only make workers happier, but would also enhance their health. If the company puts the happiness of its employees above its own, it will be acting in accordance with utilitarian principles.

Since calculating the good and negative outcomes of our activities is simple, the theory is simple to implement. The idea is objective because the outcomes of an individual's activities can be quantified. -Because all cultures value minimizing negative effects on others, utilitarianism is widely accepted (woodard, 2019).

The hypothesis only touches on a small fraction of the factors that contribute to happy lives. It is not only happiness that makes people better off; things like love and freedom are crucial to a fulfilled life as well.

The approach advocates putting faith in people and letting them make their own moral judgments. However, it is important to remember that individuals are not to be blindly trusted, and that such freedom might lead them to behave selfishly before trying to rationalize the amount to which their acts were correct.

Kantian Ethics

According to this idea, doing one's duty is the only criterion for determining whether an action is right or bad. Each person is accountable for their own actions. 

These roles are met not by the morality of the individual's activities but by the degree to which those actions accomplish their responsibilities (Kudlek & Smith, 2022).

The philosophy takes a commanding stance, insisting that certain actions are necessary to achieve the goal.

The desire of management to employ skilled and appropriate personnel, for example, is crucial to the quality of services provided by health institutions. There is no need to worry about how much money the institution may have to spend on the hire. Consequently, it is crucial that the facility recruits competent people in order to achieve the necessary level of services.

The theory's overarching goal is to ensure that nobody is unfairly treated in the sake of maximizing some people's happiness at the expense of others. The theory's rational foundation makes it easy to understand for anybody.

The idea places an emphasis on reasoning, with the assumption that all humans think in the same way. Therefore, it disregards the nuances of human thought that may influence decisions. Some conceptions of God are essential to the theory in order to make sense of the logically ordered universe. Atheists cannot accept it because of this.

Ross’s Ethics

According to the hypothesis, people's behavior is influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic influences. Fidelity, thankfulness, non-injury, and restitution are often used criteria (Kolawole & David, 2022). Individual behavior is a direct result of these factors.

Workers who adhere to the principle have the option of always being genuine and grateful when they get a favor on the job. 

In addition, staff members might make amends for their mistakes and work toward a more peaceful, harm-free existence for themselves and others around them.

The notion allows for amends to be made when someone has been wronged since it recognizes that people are fallible (Kolawole & David, 2022). 

Rather than relying on a single factor, which may not always be effective, the theory lists several drivers of human behaviour.

With the assumption that the offender will make amends, the theory allows for wrongdoing (Kolawole & David, 2022). This can encourage unethical activity.

Natural Law Ethics

Individuals' behaviors, according