An Ethical Problem in My Life Right Now

Name Institution

nCourse

nDate

nAn Ethical Problem in My Life Right Now

nSchool versus employment

nAs a young person, I am challenged by the dilemma to continue working versus pursuing my academic dreams. Since I graduated from high school, I secured an employment with one of the financial bank in the city as a cashier. I had passed very well in my exams and I have the opportunity to join Harvard University to pursue Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.

nHowever, I am right now in a dilemma of whether to continue with my current employment or join the University. I come from a humble background and I need to support my parent who is a single mother. My mother is also asthmatic and requires huge medical cost. This is because her medications are beyond the financial capacity of my family.

nI am also required to support my younger brother and sister who are in high school. I am aware that without proper certification, my dreams of ever becoming a financial professional are uncertain. On the other hand, if I join Harvard University, my mother, brother and sister will be in great financial difficulties. This has presented an ethical problem either to continue working as a non-professional employee or to pursue my higher education. In my current job status I am not employed permanently hence, I do not have security of tenure.

nContrary education is a wiser investment. It can make me intelligent and smart. Moreover, it will help me to develop my career. For example, my degree in Business administration will help me to earn money by applying my managerial skills. However, my mother and siblings are in dire need of finances, which I am providing through my current employment. I hardly get enough money to save or to invest. With education, I feel that it can get more money in the future that can help me to invest. Further, I feel that if I acquire adequate education I can find a new interesting job and even increase my income.

nWith sufficient education, I can secure a bright future I feel that if I can continue working without adequate education, I will increase the risk of losing it in near future due to incompetency. The management is allocating many assignments hence I have a huge workload. I think that schooling will broaden my financial perspective. Notwithstanding, the process of acquiring higher education will take a lot of time.

nTherefore, I feel that I will suffer for a long time before I am able to provide adequately for my parents. My mother also deserves someone to stay close to her because of home based care she is receiving. Therefore, I feel that if I move away from home her health condition is going to be fatal. My siblings will be discouraged from studying thus they are likely to drop out of school. Therefore, I am faced with ethical dilemma of what I am supposed to do.

nElements of a model for making moral decisions

nGathering the facts

nAccording to Scott B. Raes seven-step Model for Moral Decision-Making, ethical dilemma can be resolved through analyzing the facts of the pressing case (Rae, 1). The analyses help to make intelligent ethical decision. The relevant facts in my current case include; my parent is suffering from chronic asthmatic conditions and she requires huge medical cost.

nSecondly, I am the only person with financial capacity to help my mother and siblings. Thirdly, I need to join Harvard university to study hence I will not be earning during this period (Rae, 5). My education will consume a lot of my time hence I will be unable to assist my parent. My brother and sister are in High school and they need my financial assistance. Fourth, I am not employed permanently in the organization.

nDetermine the ethical issues

nThe conflicting interest makes an ethical dilemma. My competing interest is to quit from current employment to pursue my academic excellence versus remaining in employment without academic proficiency (Rae, 10). I fears that if I quit from my current employment my mother would probably die while my siblings will not complete high school (Rae, 11). The conflict is the need to pursue my education versus the duty to provide for my sick mother and my sibling education.

nWhat Principles have a bearing on the case

nSome moral values or principles are paramount in any ethical dilemma, which determine the positions being taken. In decision-making, it is important to analyze whether some principles have more weight as compared to others (Rae, 113). Therefore, in my case two principles emerge. First, parents have a right to get assistance from their children particularly when they are suffering from diseases.

nSecondly, I am entitled to the right of education hence I should initiate strategies of advancing my education (Rae, 12). In biblical setting the principle of helping the parents particularly when they are in need is given more weight as compared to pursuing education. However, the risk of not advancing my education is more in current world.

nList the alternatives

nIn solving ethical dilemma, creative thinking is crucial as it involves coming with alternative courses of actions. In addition, I can list many alternatives that increase the chance of solving the problem (Rae, 21). In my case, several viable alternatives encompass compromise on either my parents part or my education. Two alternatives do not need compromise. They reflect weighing the principles.

nThe first alternative is to continue working in order to provide for medical bill of my parent. This alternative comes from using the biblical principle as the high priority (Rae, 22). Second alternative is to ignore my parent health and join the university in order to advance my professional career. This involves upholding the need in modern world to have proficiency in education.

nHowever, there are other alternatives. For instance, I will inform my employer the kind of challenges that I am encountering (Rae, 26). Therefore, I can request for more time that will facilitate enrolment for part time classes. Moreover, I can enroll for distance learning with Harvard University. In this respect, I will be able to continue with my education and at the same time continue with working (Rae, 30).

nThis will help me to use my salary to pay for medical bills for my mother and pay school fees for my siblings. In other words, I will be in a position to help my family to cope with financial constraints while I am in school (Rae, 42). Moreover, I can subscribe for my mother for medical insurance, which reduces my burden for paying medical bills. I will also ask my employers to increase my salary since I will work as a competent professional.

nA further alternative is to carry out a funds drive towards payment of hospital bills for my mother and payment of school fee for my siblings. Additionally, I can seek for funds from the government authority that will assist my family to solve the financial challenges.

nCompare alternatives with principles

nIn this step, I will eliminate alternatives according to the moral principle that have a bearing on the case. The principles will help me to eliminate the entire alternatives except the one that best solves the problem (Rae, 45). Comparison will assist me to make a clear decision without further deliberations. However, in case I do not make a clear decision, then I will weigh the consequences of the alternatives.

nIn fact, the alternative of enrolling for part time classes through distance and e learning is the best option to satisfy my issues. However, there emerging challenges of how I will complete my assignment while at the same time I have huge workload. The concerns are whether company will reduce my workload in order to enroll for more classes. Secondly, I am weighing the alternative whether I will be getting adequate finance to pay for my education and my parents medical bills.

nAssessing the consequences

nHere I am tasked with the responsibility to choose the viable alternative in attempt to predict the likely consequences both positive and negative (Rae, 49). Moreover, I will try to estimate the benefits of positive consequences and adverse effects of negatives. There is the consequence of quitting my current job and advancing in my education. This may negatively affect my mothers health and she may soon die. Secondly, if I quit my siblings who are in high school are likely to drop out of school because of lack of school fees.

nHowever, the second alternative is to continue working in the organization although the job is unsustainable since I am not a tenured employee. I also do not have proficiency skills to continue working in the capacity (Rae, 49). Therefore, my employer can decide to fire me at any given moment. In addition, I cannot secure employment in any other company without University degree certificate.

nMy alternative to enroll for my Degree through distance e learning has positive consequences because I will mutually help my family members as well as pursue my education. Nonetheless, my income will not be sufficient to meet the needs of the family and that of my education. Besides, I face the challenge of huge workload in the organization, which consumes most of my time. This is likely to affect negatively my education because of the limited period I am spending academics.

nMake a decision

nI have realized that deliberation will not be kept forever. In this regard, I have decided to make my final decision. I have come to realize that there are no simple and unproblematic solutions (Rae, 51). I decide to enroll for part time classes through distance and e-learning program. This is because it involves minimum negative consequences and less number of problems (Rae, 46). I hope I will be able to help my mother and my siblings as well as complete my education. The seven-step model for decision-making will assist me solves my current ethical problem. I am determined to live a good life and that of my family.

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nWork cited

nRae, Scott B. Moral Choices. 1st ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 2000. Print.