SOURCES OF ETHICS AND ETHICAL DILEMMA IN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

An ethical dilemma is a situation of making a choice between two or more alternatives. An agent is in unpleasant and difficult situation because he/she often needs to make a choice between ethical and unethical alternatives, and when it comes to the ethical alternatives, he/she should choose the best one. Selection reflects to a large number of principals, so this situation causes conflicts between different levels of ethical dilemmas, but also the conflicts within the same level. These conflicts can be solved by applying the hierarchy and priority rules which are incorporated in the procedure and, in particular, in the strategy for solving the ethical dilemmas. This study points out the sources of ethics, essence and different types of the ethical dilemmas, as well as the characteristics of several strategies for resolving the ethical dilemmas. The studies, old and new are used, showing that the ethical dilemma is continuously present phenomenon. Also, these studies show that  the  way  of  thinking  in  the  process  of resolving the ethical dilemma affects the survival of the ethical dilemma actors at all levels.