What is a dilemma in business?

Asked by: Linnie Hammes  |  Last update: May 15, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (15 votes)

A business dilemma exists when an organizational decision maker faces a choice between two or more options that will have various impacts on (i) the organization's profitability and competitiveness; and (ii) its stakeholders. 'In situations of this kind, one must act out of prudence to take a better decision.

What is an example of a dilemma?

face a dilemma She faces the dilemma of disobeying her father or losing the man she loves. in a dilemma She's in a dilemma because she feels she would lose out if she tried to transfer her retirement fund elsewhere.

What are the 4 types of dilemma?

Rushworth Kidder, founder of the US-based Institute for Global Ethics, recognises four types of ethical dilemma: short-term versus long-term, individual versus community, truth versus loyalty and justice versus mercy. In addition, the triple bottom line represents a fifth source of ethical dilemmas.

What is a workplace dilemma?

Also called a moral dilemma or ethical paradox, you often face these challenges in professional settings. For example, you might bear witness to ethical dilemmas or get asked to do something you think is wrong. Your concern might be whichever decision you choose could lead to repercussions for yourself or others.

What is an ethical dilemma in business example?

Some examples of ethical dilemma include: Taking credit for others' work. Offering a client a worse product for your own profit. Utilizing inside knowledge for your own profit.

Ethical dilemma: The burger murders - George Siedel and Christine Ladwig

38 related questions found

What are the biggest ethical dilemmas?

Top 10 Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace
  • Information Privacy and Confidentiality. ...
  • Hiring and Firing Practices. ...
  • Gifts and Bribes. ...
  • Fairness and Equality. ...
  • Whistleblowing. ...
  • Intellectual Property and Confidentiality. ...
  • Employee Monitoring. ...
  • Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility.

What is the dilemma of business ethics?

On one hand, businesses need to generate profits to survive and grow. On the other hand, they are increasingly expected to contribute positively to society and minimize their negative impact on the environment. This dual obligation creates a challenging ethical dilemma for companies striving to achieve a balance.

What are three 3 different types of ethical dilemmas that could occur in the workplace?

5 Common Ethical Issues in the Workplace
  • Unethical Leadership. Having a personal issue with your boss is one thing, but reporting to a person who is behaving unethically is another. ...
  • Toxic Workplace Culture. ...
  • Discrimination and Harassment. ...
  • Unrealistic and Conflicting Goals. ...
  • Questionable Use of Company Technology.

What is an example of a management dilemma?

As a manager, you are likely to encounter problems or dilemmas regularly. Either you have too many employees calling out sick one week, or perhaps you have to meet a sales goal that seems beyond the scope of your workforce. A dilemma in the scope of dilemma management, however, is more than just one specific situation.

What is the most famous moral dilemma?

The trolley problem is a series of thought experiments in ethics, psychology, and artificial intelligence involving stylized ethical dilemmas of whether to sacrifice one person to save a larger number.

How do you identify a dilemma?

Identifying ethical dilemmas in the workplace
  1. Trust your instincts. “Trust your instincts” is a useful motto when it comes to spotting ethical issues. ...
  2. Check the law (but legal does not necessarily mean ethical) ...
  3. Consider reputation. ...
  4. Check your company guidance. ...
  5. Check your professional guidance. ...
  6. Talk it through.

What is an example of an organizational dilemma?

An example of an organizational moral dilemma is whether to promote a qualified person from within or recruit from outside. Another example is whether to lay off workers in an economic downturn, jeopardizing the security of the workers and their families, in order to save money and keep shareholders happy.

What are the 3 social dilemmas?

There are several social dilemmas, including prisoner's dilemmas, public goods dilemmas, and tragedy of the commons dilemmas. All of them involve some public good or interest that is undermined by the incentives for people making selfish choices.

What is dilemma in simple words?

A dilemma is a difficult situation in which you have to choose between two or more alternatives. He was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to return to his country. The issue raises a moral dilemma. Synonyms: predicament, problem, difficulty, spot [informal] More Synonyms of dilemma. 2.

What are common dilemmas?

The commons dilemma is a social dilemma in which individuals in a group each make decisions out of self-interest, eventually causing unintended harm to the entire group. As such, the commons dilemma can be categorized as a social trap, defined by Myers (2009, p.

How to solve a dilemma?

With any dilemma, there are basic steps you can take to resolve it:
  1. Name the dilemma for yourself. The first step is to identify the dilemma you face. ...
  2. Identify the interests you want to meet. ...
  3. Identify the assumptions embedded in the dilemma that keep the needs from being met. ...
  4. Describe the dilemma to others.

What is a dilemma in business strategy?

Some common business strategy dilemmas include the following: Choosing between growth and profitability. Deciding whether to enter a new market or stay in your current one. Weighing the benefits and risks of diversification vs.

What is an example of a professional dilemma?

Examples of Professional Dilemmas

Other examples include predicaments regarding disclosure of confidential information, withholding pertinent information, engaging in inappropriate relationships with colleagues, bosses or clients and accepting gifts that constitute a conflict of interest.

What are some leadership dilemmas?

[1] These are:
  • Preserving the core vs. innovating for the future.
  • Delivering short-term results vs. investing in long-term performance.
  • Managing a team of individual stars vs. maximizing a star team.
  • Empowering the team vs. maintaining sole control.
  • Immersing fully in the role of CEO vs. retaining personal identity.

What is an example of a dilemma in business?

False accounting, sexual harassment, data privacy, nepotism, discrimination—these are just some of the ethical dilemmas that happen in today's workplace. Many business owners and managers will deal with ethical issues at some point in their career.

What is unethical leadership?

They defined unethical leadership as “behaviors conducted and decisions made by organizational leaders that are illegal and/or violate moral standards, and those that impose processes and structures that promote unethical conduct by followers” (p.

What are the 4 main ethical dilemmas?

Ethical dilemmas can be divided according to the types of obligations that are in conflict with each other. For example, Rushworth Kidder suggests that four patterns of conflict can be discerned: "truth versus loyalty, individual versus community, short term versus long term, and justice versus virtue".

What is an ethical dilemma in business?

An ethical problem, often referred to as an ethical dilemma, could be described as the state in which a business must choose between behavior that is most advantageous to them or behavior that is just, fair, and morally right for stakeholders.

What is an example of a personal dilemma?

A personal dilemma is an extremely difficult situation for someone to handle. A classic example is deciding which parent to live with. Another classic example of a personal dilemma is someone deciding whether to let their family starve or steal bread from someone else.

What is a simple ethical dilemma?

Ethical dilemmas occur when one simply cannot perform all of the relevant prima facie duties; to perform one duty would require violation of another. One may have to choose between two incompatible but ordinarily appealing options or between two incompatible and ordinarily unappealing options.