Maintaining an ethical and legally compliant culture is essential to an organization’s long-term success.  Unethical and unlawful behavior can occur in any organization, but how quickly the organization responds can dictate whether the ethical culture is strengthened or whether the reputation and health of the organization are put at risk.

Resolving ethical issues requires advanced decision-making skills and keen moral sensibilities. Managers have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to ethics and compliance complaints in the workplace. However, they are often not equipped with the right training or tools to handle the difficult situations. To help effectively address and resolve ethical issues that arise in the workplace, this course introduces concepts for: ethical awareness, assessment, decision-making, and action.

Learning Objectives
  • Explore the need for an ethical decision-making framework.
  • Identify potential frameworks for ethical decision making.
  • Recognize the benefits and challenges of each decision-making framework.
  • Explore the questions to apply to the decision-making framework.
  • Discover how each question may be applied to each framework.
Last updated/reviewed: August 18, 2023

Included In Certifications

This course is included in the following Certification Programs:

13 CoursesEthical Leadership Certification

  1. History of Ethics
  2. Ethics and the Psychology Behind the Concept - Part 2
  3. COSO 2013 Control Environment
  4. Today’s Corporate Ethical Culture - An updated course
  5. Managing Through Corporate Politics
  6. Real World Business Ethics Scenarios
  7. Relationship between Ethics, Morality, and the Law
  8. Impact of Ethics on Leadership
  9. Framework for Ethical Decision Making
  10. Keys to an Effective Code of Conduct
  11. Keys to Understanding Conflicts of Interest
  12. Whistleblower Hotlines - History and Regulations
  13. Whistleblower Hotlines - Effective Management
91 Reviews (388 ratings)

Reviews

5
Anonymous Author
I always enjoy Lynn's courses as she presents materials in an effective, easy-to-understand manner. This course provided a great refresher of the ethical decision making framework as well as a deeper dive into the various theories. The supporting materials were extremely useful in reiterating key concepts discussed throughout the course.

5
Member's Profile
The highly conceptual and theoretical information is presented in a way that helps me appreciate why the information is important for appreciating how complex the decision making process is. The framework/decision step matrix will become a very useful tool for my own life.

5
Member's Profile
I thought this was a very good course. However I believe the answer to question 6, which is deemed the right answer is not correct.. the question is what is a BENEFIT of the Consequentialist approach.. The answer was D. Both 1 and 2. However answer 2 is NOT a Benefit.

4
Anonymous Author
I took this course without taking two earlier courses on ethical theory. I think those courses should be listed as prerequisites. It is not mandatory for completing this course, but would help to make the discussion on ethical theory easier to understand.

4
Member's Profile
Very detailed course and takes you on a journey through a lot of different questons /steps and theories. Will definitely use some of the items learned and will try them out. The speaker was easy to follow. Would recommend to others.

5
Anonymous Author
The course does a nice job of demonstrating the complexity of the decision-making process and how concepts of right and wrong may not the same to everyone. I enjoyed Lynn's delivery and will be seeking out more of her courses.

4
Anonymous Author
Very interesting course, a true in-depth presentation of ethical frameworks with detailed steps as well as with many considerations that provide both the breadth and depth necessary to understanding the complexities of ethics.

5
Anonymous Author
This course provided a wealth of content that made me think about how I could apply these principles in my day-to-day life, both personally and professionally. I believe that this course would be beneficial to all audiences.

4
Anonymous Author
I liked learning about the deliberative process and motivation. Those sections particularly stuck out to me and I found them interesting/hadn't thought of them in regards to the ethical decision making framework before.

5
Anonymous Author
Having a structural framework for thinking about ethics is helpful. The three frameworks make sense and understanding the benefits of each as well as the challenges are tools that will be used in our daily work.

4
Anonymous Author
This course do not put a lot of attention to identifying ethical problems (maybe there is another course on that). But it explains in great detail what questions to ask to make ethical decision.

5
Anonymous Author
Были представлены три разные теории. Хотелось бы побольше примеров и жизненных ситуаций по каждой из них

5
Member's Profile
Lynn is so easy to listen too. Even if you have a background in ethical conduct and application, you will gain an enhanced understanding in this deeper dive she provides. Thanks Lynn.

4
Member's Profile
The course was very thorough. However, it does tend to become a bit repetitive. All HR professionals should take this course. The presenter too often mentioned the other courses.

4
Anonymous Author
Great course that provides a great high level overview of ethical frameworks and how decisions are made under each of these frameworks. Practical exam[le helps reinforce concepts.

5
Member's Profile
Excellent course. Really enjoyed learning about the topics presented here. Instructor was wonderful. Would certainly recommend this course to my friends, family, and colleagues.

5
Anonymous Author
This was a wonderful course that really helped provide a practical application of ethics to the business setting. I could envision actually putting this into practice!

5
Member's Profile
Great in-depth demonstration of the complexity of ethical frameworks, and concepts of right and wrong and how they can be different from one individual to the next.

5
Anonymous Author
I appreciate the instructor's approach and use of actual situations or Dilemmas. The processes and frameworks used to arrive at the decisions were enlightening.

5
Member's Profile
The course went deep into the subject matter. I would look through the material first to see if it is relevant to your specific job duties before diving in.

5
Anonymous Author
Great ethics course from Lynn Fountain! Always looking for courses to met the annual ethics requirements and this was a an interesting one with great topics.

5
Anonymous Author
Easy to see how different organizations I have been involved in fit into each of the theories as a whole and also just as people on a team. super useful!

5
Anonymous Author
useful topic for internal auditors and for each staff member / employee. theory, yes, but interesting to know background of your decision making.

3
Member's Profile
very thorough but difficult to stay focused. wish there was more diversity / creativity in the slides. wish i could give more specific examples.

5
Anonymous Author
The course covers Ethical frameworks such as Consequentialist, Duty, Virtue and how to apply them in real life situations. Great examples also.

4
Anonymous Author
Very good course overall, provides interesting notes as to different methodologies and the advantages/disadvantages of those methodologies.

4
Anonymous Author
Excellent presentation of underlying foundation and methods that can be used in making decisions in a business environment

4
Member's Profile
Good course. A little slow moving, but very deliberate. Gave a moment to ponder what was being said. Detailed but not overly so.

4
Anonymous Author
Another good course by Lynn. I'm not sure knowing the sames of the various thoughts is important as much as the basis behind them.

4
Member's Profile
Course was well constructed and presented. I would have preferred a few more real life case studies to work through the framework.

4
Member's Profile
This course was thought provoking and insightful regarding organizational views of ethical behavior. It was very easy to follow.

5
Anonymous Author
Ethics is such an important part of the business world and understanding these concepts and framework is key to being successful.

5
Anonymous Author
Thoughtful course. Appreciated the three angles highlighted in the decision-making process. Also appreciated the examples.

4
Member's Profile
The relationship between theories and frameworks of ethics was presented in a clear concise method. Course was interesting.

5
Anonymous Author
It was interesting to see which theory framework my ethical decision making tendencies leaned. Something to think about.

5
Anonymous Author
This course really covered all the aspects of ethical decision making in great detail It was a good learning experience.

3
Anonymous Author
The material of this course was quite dry. I think if this course was divided into to modules it would more effective.

4
Anonymous Author
This is a great course. The instructor was great and she made it very clear that decision making is not an easy task.

4
Anonymous Author
This program was very helpful in establishing and evaluating different frameworks to apply to everyday situations.

5
Anonymous Author
This was an important training. I think more trainings for HR and all aspects of business should focus on ethics.

4
Anonymous Author
I thought this was a good course in that it offered a little more of a deeper dive into ethics and its theories.

4
Anonymous Author
This course covers the basic framework for ethical decision making within a corporate work/office environment.

4
Anonymous Author
Good definitions and terms put to the ethical decision making process. Slides were simple and easy to follow.

4
Anonymous Author
Very thorough review of the topic with good application scenarios and questions to make it more applicable.

5
Anonymous Author
Solid course for understanding frameworks for ethical decision making. Useful for all types of businesses.

5
Member's Profile
Useful framework for approaching ethical issues and good discussion of the issues within each framework.

5
Anonymous Author
I thought it was a thorough overview of different types of frameworks for for making ethical decisions.

5
Member's Profile
The points are all very clear and well described. The course is easy to understand, and a good value.

5
Member's Profile
I liked that it was well organized and easy to read. Any CPA would greatly benefit from this course.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course for reviewing the ethics within the Business Environment and overall decision making.

5
Member's Profile
Still seems very theoretical. Was hoping for a practical view. My expectations may be unrealistic.

5
Member's Profile
Well thought-out course that helps to better understand how ethics frame one's decision-making.

5
Member's Profile
Very insightful way of evaluating our responses to ethical issues, and giving a means to do so.

3
Anonymous Author
This was very informative course. This will be highly recommended for all interested parties.

5
Anonymous Author
Good background to ethical decisions and useful theories to think about when faced with same.

1
Anonymous Author
add more examples and case studies in slides, and reduce the time for the slide to 3 mins.

5
Anonymous Author
Good class to help better understand decision making, especially ethical decision making.

5
Anonymous Author
This course provides a good understanding of the framework for ethical decision making.

4
Anonymous Author
For anyone that has taken an ethics course, it is pretty basic. Decent course, though.

3
Member's Profile
Provides a good review and refresher of ethical frameworks that are used in society.

4
Member's Profile
this course is a bit congested. the theories are a bit simplistic and passed over.

4
Member's Profile
a bit boring and repetetive but i did learn alot about the different frameworks

5
Member's Profile
I like that I can complete this on my own time. Material is applicable to my job.

5
Anonymous Author
Interesting course. Enjoyed the material, well presented and helpful, thank you.

5
Anonymous Author
This course provided valuable insight into the topic of ethical decision making.

4
Anonymous Author
Thank you for the general overview of these ethical concepts. It is helpful.

5
Member's Profile
This was a great presentation. Easy to understand and easy to stay with her.

4
Anonymous Author
The course was put together in a way that made the topic easy to understand.

5
Anonymous Author
This was a great class to learn about the different theories and approaches.

5
Member's Profile
Ms. Fountain presents the materials well. I will take more of her classes.

4
Anonymous Author
Great course! I wasn't aware that there were several frameworks available.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course! It was a lot of content but filled with helpful information.

4
Anonymous Author
A good course for outlining ethical decision making and what motivates us.

4
Anonymous Author
Very helpful course on what can be tough topics to understand / navigate.

5
Member's Profile
Ethics courses are always a good refresher. This one did not disappoint.

5
Anonymous Author
Great discussion around ethics and the different frameworks. Thank you!

4
Member's Profile
It is really good Course. I recommend all users to take this course.

4
Anonymous Author
This was something new for me, the explanation of all the frameworks

5
Anonymous Author
This was a good course; engaging and broken into manageable pieces.

5
Member's Profile
Lots of interesting information. Very well organized and presented.

5
Anonymous Author
Lynn is a great presenter, informative and clearly communicated.

5
Member's Profile
Great slides and presentation. Easy to follow and understand

5
Anonymous Author
This course was very easy to follow and was taught very well.

5
Anonymous Author
This course is generally ok... not much information gained.

5
Anonymous Author
This was a very good course. Quite instructive and effective.

4
Anonymous Author
Great course, with practical example, nice presentation

4
Member's Profile
Presenter was thorough and course content appropriate.

5
Anonymous Author
I liked the class instructor and the review course.

5
Member's Profile
Love the philosphy aspect

4
Anonymous Author
good review.

4
Anonymous Author
Good

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

No Advanced Preparation or Prerequisites are needed for this course. However it is suggested to take other Ethics course by Lynn Fountain.
Ethics and Psychology: Part 1
Ethics and Psychology: Part 2

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Course Questions and Answers(2 Questions)
Member's Profile

Hello, Perhaps you would want to review the following exam question. I assume 1 is correct and not 1&2 because harming people unexpectedly would not be a benefit. Thanks!

Question:

In using a psychological theory in decision making, which of the following would be a benefit of the consequentialism theory?

Response:

Wrong
The method is a practical/sensible approach because it focuses on the results of an action.

Some actions that are expected to produce good consequences might end up harming people.

It is useful in situations that ask what type of a person or company do we want to be.

Should have chosen
1 & 2

Member's Profile

Lynn, I also want to let you know that I enjoyed the course and believe the information will be helpful. Thanks!

Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
  Introduction to Ethical Decision Making6:15
Framework for Ethical Decision Making
  The Need8:44
  Frameworks6:48
  Theory Frameworks12:42
  Consequentialist Framework6:32
  Duty Framework4:34
  Virtue Framework8:31
  Applying the Framworks6:41
  Deliberative Process7:22
  Motivation4:17
  Deliberative Application Business Setting5:36
  Focus Application Business Setting6:53
  Motivation in a Business Setting5:09
CONCLUSION
  Summary5:34
CONTINUOUS PLAY
  Framework for Ethical Decision Making1:35:38
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Framework for Ethical Decision MakingPDF
  Framework for Ethical Decision Making Glossary/IndexPDF
REVIEW AND TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONS quiz
 FINAL EXAMexam