Various Ethics Approaches

I recently read my March 2007 issue of Harvard Business Review, specifically an article titled “The Ethical Mind: A Conversation with Psychologist Howard Gardner.”

Gardner spoke of four different “minds.” They were/are:
- the Disciplined mind, gained “through applying ourselves in a disciplined way”;
- the Synthesizing mind, “which can survey a wide range of sources, decide what is important and worth paying attention to, and weave this information together in a coherent fashion for oneself and others”;
- the Creating mind, which “casts about for new ideas and practices, innovates, takes chances, discovers”, and lastly;
- the Respectful mind, “the kind of open mind that tries to understand and form relationships with other human beings.”

He seems to suggest that an Ethical mind “broadens respect for others into something more abstract … [such that a person may ask] … ‘What kind of a person, worker, and citizen do I want to be?’”

The article focused on ethics in business, and what might lead some business leaders to display poor ethics.

Gardner notes that businesspeople are more prone to poor ethical judgments because business is not a profession. In the professions – medical, legal, accounting, etc. – peer review plays a role. In business, while peer review may exist in a certain sense, it does not exist formally.

He also notes that movement away from a strict ethical code can be “catching”, or contagious. If certain behaviour is the norm in a particular company, despite the ethics, one may be swayed to join in.


We at Parmasters use specific hiring techniques to first identify candidates whose values and beliefs align with the values and beliefs embodied by Parmasters. While not specifically noted in a mission or vision statement, we as a company value ethical behaviour very highly.


This HBR article also reminded me of an ethics course from my MBA days. Part of the course focused on the many different ethical approaches or perspectives. I found this web page that lays them out quite succinctly.

Utilitarian Approach – The ethical course of action provides the greatest good for the greatest number.

Rights Approach – The ethical course of action does not infringe on anyone’s rights. This quickly leads to a debate regarding which, if any, rights are innate.

Fairness/Justice Approach – The ethical course of action treats all people fairly and equally.

Common-Good Approach – This approach focuses on the common good shared by all individuals in society.

Virtue Approach – This approach focuses on what type of person we want to be, how shall we pursue various virtues and make them part of ourselves?