In one line
An ethical dilemma is a situation in which you must choose between conflicting duties or values, and a structured step-by-step analysis helps you reach a decision you can justify.
Explained simply
Your best friend asks you to mark his proxy attendance because he is helping at his family shop. Loyalty to a friend pulls one way; honesty and college rules pull the other. That tension is an ethical dilemma: no option feels perfectly comfortable.
Technically, an ethical dilemma involves two or more obligations that cannot all be fulfilled, such as loyalty to an employer versus public safety. Case studies in the MU syllabus present such situations and ask you to analyse them using ethical principles.
How it works
- State the facts: what happened, who is involved, what is known and unknown.
- Identify stakeholders: everyone affected (you, colleagues, employer, customers, public, environment).
- Identify the ethical issue and the conflicting values or duties (e.g. honesty vs loyalty, profit vs safety).
- List options: at least three, including creative middle paths.
- Evaluate each option using ethical principles (safety, honesty, fairness), laws and codes of conduct, consequences for each stakeholder, and simple tests: Would I be comfortable if this were public? Would I accept it if I were the affected person?
- Decide and justify: choose the option that best protects safety and integrity; explain why.
- Act through proper channels: document, inform supervisors, escalate if needed.
- Reflect: what can prevent this dilemma in future?
Quick example
Case: A junior civil engineer finds that the concrete used on one floor did not reach the required strength in cube tests. The site manager tells her to ignore it because the deadline is near. Stakeholders: future occupants, company, client, the engineer. Conflict: obedience and deadlines vs public safety and honesty. Options: stay silent; quietly resign; report in writing and recommend further testing. Evaluation: silence risks lives; resigning leaves the risk unaddressed. Decision: report the results in writing to the manager and the project head, recommend core tests and expert assessment, and escalate further if ignored. Justification: public safety is paramount, and honest reporting protects everyone, including the company.
Common mistakes
- Jumping to a decision without listing stakeholders and options.
- Choosing an option only because it is convenient or keeps the boss happy.
- Giving an opinion without justifying it with ethical principles.
How MU asks it
Asked as a case study: 'Read the case and answer: identify the dilemma, stakeholders and your course of action with justification' (5 to 6 marks). Use the steps above as headings, keep the answer structured, refer to principles (safety, honesty, fairness, accountability), and end with a clear, justified decision.