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Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Was Edward Snowden’s release of confidential government documents ethically justifiable?

In 2013, computer expert and former CIA systems administrator, Edward Snowden released confidential government documents to the press about the existence of government surveillance programs. According to many legal experts, and the U.S. government, his actions violated the Espionage Act of 1917, which identified the leak of state secrets as an act of treason. Yet despite the fact that he broke the law, Snowden argued that he had a moral obligation to act. He gave a justification for his “whistleblowing” by stating that he had a duty “to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.” According to Snowden, the government’s violation of privacy had to be exposed regardless of legality.

Many agreed with Snowden. Jesselyn Radack of the Government Accountability Project defended his actions as ethical, arguing that he acted from a sense of public good. Radack said:

“Snowden may have violated a secrecy agreement, which is not a loyalty oath but a contract, and a less important one than the social contract a democracy has with its citizenry.”

Others argued that even if he was legally culpable, he was not ethically culpable because the law itself was unjust and unconstitutional.

The Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, did not find Snowden’s rationale convincing. Holder stated:

“He broke the law. He caused harm to our national security and I think that he has to be held accountable for his actions.”

Journalists were conflicted about the ethical implications of Snowden’s actions. The editorial board of The New York Times stated, “He may have committed a crime…but he has done his country a great service.” In an Op-ed in the same newspaper, Ed Morrissey argued that Snowden was not a hero, but a criminal: “by leaking information about the behavior rather than reporting it through legal channels, Snowden chose to break the law.” According to Morrissey, Snowden should be prosecuted for his actions, arguing that his actions broke a law “intended to keep legitimate national-security data and assets safe from our enemies; it is intended to keep Americans safe.”

Discussion Questions

1. What values are in conflict in this case? What harm did Snowden cause? What benefits did his actions bring?

2. Do you agree that Snowden’s actions were ethically justified even if legally prohibited? Why or why not? Make an argument by weighing the competing values in this case.

3. If you were in Snowden’s position, what would you have done and why?

4. Would you change your position if you knew that Snowden’s leak would lead to a loss of life among CIA operatives? What about if it would save lives?

5. Is there a circumstance in which you think whistleblowing would be ethically ideal? How about ethically prohibited?

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Bibliography

Whistle-Blowers Deserve Protection Not Prison http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/11/in-nsa-leak-case-a-whistle-blower-or-a-criminal/whistle-blowers-deserve-protection-not-prison

Eric Holder: If Edward Snowden were open to plea, we’d talk http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/eric-holder-edward-snowden-plea-102530.html

Edward Snowden: Whistleblower http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/opinion/edward-snowden-whistle-blower.html?_r=0

Edward Snowden Broke the Law and should be Prosecuted http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/06/11/in-nsa-leak-case-a-whistle-blower-or-a-criminal/edward-snowden-broke-the-law-and-should-be-prosecuted

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Sample Case Analysis

This page shows a sample case analysis for the course  Genomics, Ethics, and Society .

Below is a "model" answer to the whitebark pine case . The case doesn't focus on genomics, but nonetheless, the way the model answer is laid out should help you to see what's being asked for. You should refer back to this model when you are writing up case studies of your own. While undergraduates should find this model useful, it's more like a graduate case study in terms of length and complexity. By a "model" answer, we don't mean that this answer is perfect; and obviously there's much more that could be said. But an answer with this kind of structure, content, and use of resources, would get a strong A.

When you analyse a case study, you're usually considering a complex situation where many different interests and values are at stake. This makes it easy to get tangled up in your answer too: so here's some tips for answering the case study well.

• Write a clear introduction in which you (a) identify what you are going to talk about (b) give some idea of how you are going to structure the paper by setting up "signposts"; and (c) outline what view or policy position you're going to argue for. (Usually case studies ask you to recommend a view, policy or position.) You may be able to say much more than you have room for; if so, be explicit at the beginning about what you're not discussing for space reasons, so the person grading knows you did think about it! 
• Stick to the structure you've outlined.
• In the course of analyzing the case, be sure to explain what values you think are at stake, where appropriate, who the stakeholders are, and why this case is likely to be contested.
• In some cases it may be useful to consider the perspectives of different stakeholders and different ethical theories: for instance, will someone who is worried about violating rights regard the ethical issues differently from someone who is concerned about maximizing overall good (say in terms of human welfare?)
• Where you use terms such as "liberty" "utilitarianism" "wildness" or "rights" make sure that you explain how you are using them as if to someone who is unfamiliar with the terms.
• Make an argument for which approach or approaches you think is/are best in the particular situation being described, and why. However, while doing so you should also explain the difficulties with the view for which you’re arguing, what someone might say who disagreed with the argument, and why their objection is not a good one/there’s a good response to it, etc. If you are really ambivalent about the case, say so and explain why.
• You should reference carefully, both in-text and in the reference section. If you quote or paraphrase anything, or you're dependent on a publication, you must provide an in-text reference. We don't mind what referencing system you use in your references, but your references should be detailed enough for us to find them (ie not just author and title).

Drawing on the whitebark pine case, here's just an example how you might find the ethics assessment process useful:

Ethics Assessment Process and the Whitebark Pine Case

1) seeing the problem.

What are the main ethical issues and conflicts presented in the case?

The case asks us to focus on the selection of rust-resistant strains and the assisted migration of WBP. While the selection of rust resistant strains doesn't raise all the ethical problems that GM does, it still means that there's enhanced human intervention and deliberate action involved in what trees end up existing (which may raise value questions about loss of wildness). Assisted migration raises a number of ethical issues and potential conflicts, primarily (a) the value of protecting a species from extinction (b) the possible ecological disvalues (and values) of deliberately introducing a species into a new area (c) the possible loss of wildness (d) cultural, historical and aesthetic values - could these be preserved? (e) questions about who owns the land where the trees would be moved (property rights, perhaps indigenous peoples, questions of environmental justice) and relevant consultative processes (f) potential effects on sentient animals, especially Clark’s Nutcrackers. From some ethical perspectives there could be "in principle" objections here. For instance, it might be argued that in principle humans shouldn't "interfere" in nature to move things, or that if moving WBP infringes on the rights of indigenous peoples, it is unethical in principle. On the other hand, an ethical approach that focuses on consequences will attempt to weigh and balance the values involved and make a decision based on what is likely to bring about the best outcome overall.

Who are the stakeholders and what are their respective positions? What decisions and/or impacts do they face?

Some of the issues here  involve very general groups of stakeholders: eg those who maintain that all species are valuable, so will want to protect the WBP; those who value the unusual aesthetics of the whitebark pine (these may be hikers and photographers) so may want it to be saved (this will depend on whether the aesthetic value is tied to current geographic location; if it is then moving it won’t save the value). It might be argued that future generations of humans are stakeholders; they would never get to see or enjoy landscapes created by this iconic species. More specific groups of stakeholders include:  biologists doing the research, both those working on genetic selection of the tree and those involved in planning assisted migration – they are likely to be in favor of both actions, and to see it as developing their research and conservation work. There are also likely to be biologists who oppose  all plans for assisted migration, primarily because they are concerned about moved organisms becoming invasive.  All those who generally oppose genetic selection of wild organisms are likely to oppose it in this case. Those who own/live near potential relocation sites have a clear stake in what may happen, though these individuals may be in favor of or opposed to the relocation, depending on the predicted ecological/cultural consequences of moving it and the forms of consultation involved. If sentient non-humans can be stakeholders, Clark’s Nutcrackers should be considered, but it’s difficult to make sense of what the relocation might mean for individual Clark’s Nutcrackers, since the relocation would not occur until the trees were mature enough to have seeds. The nutcrackers then moved will likely be harmed; but either they or their offspring may over time also be benefited. It could be argued by some that species themselves are stakeholders, though that view would be difficult to defend.

2) Empirical Issues

What empirical information is most important for addressing the main ethical questions?

What empirical facts are widely accepted, based on scientific evidence and peer review, about this issue? What empirical issues are contested or uncertain? How good is the information we have? Is it reliable?

Is there other information it would be useful to have? How could we go about obtaining this information? What should we check on or verify? Are there obvious ways of doing this?

There is some reasonably uncontested empirical information: that the WBP is threatened, that climate change means its climate envelope will move (though there is disagreement about the precision of climate models). Research suggests that rust resistant WBP is possible, and there are already strains of WBP in existence that are more resistant than others. The most important empirical information needed in terms of the relocation is: what are the ecological impacts of relocating likely to be? Also needed is empirical information about how people in recipient communities would regard the relocation. This information could be collected, though trial sites would take a long time to become established.

3) Conflicting Values

What values are at stake in the case?

Values at stake include:

• Wildness : (loss of wildness/naturalness in selecting strains; loss of wildness in human-caused relocation; possible loss of wildness in relocation site)
• Aesthetic value : whitebark pine has high aesthetic value
• Cultural/historical value:  the iconic value of the tree as a symbol of the harshness and challenges of the American West
• Justice : Might be a cause of procedural and distributional environmental injustice if transplanted onto indigenous lands without adequate consultation or against their will (or other private lands)
• Species values : If it’s thought that species have moral status, then causing extinction is wrong (and this is human-caused, even if not intentionally). On the other hand, if assisted migration of WBP threatened other species then assisted migration would be problematic for this reason.
• Suffering and welfare:  On many ethical views, suffering is a disvalue. If translocating Clark’s Nutcrackers causes them or individuals of other species suffering, that would be a problem. If translocating WBP provided habitat or food for other species eg individual bears and enhanced their welfare, that would be positive.

Which values have priority for which stakeholders?

Will particular decisions lead to the sacrifice of specific values? Is there any way of avoiding this?

Any decision here is going to involve the loss of wildness, which may be of concern to wilderness defenders – at least, those who value places fee of human influence. This wildness loss can’t be avoided. Any context-related value will be lost too, whatever is decided. It may be possible to avoid justice problems at the relocation site by adequate consultation & respect for local residents’ and indigenous peoples’ concerns and preferences. There may also be ways of minimizing suffering to Clark's nutcrackers, but this is likely to make the operation more expensive.  Not acting to save the WBP will involve loss of its aesthetic value for present and future generations.

4) Moral Imagination

Given the goals and objectives of the decision-makers, are there alternative courses of action that could be taken that fall outside the obvious parameters of this case? Can these be adopted without sacrificing any other goals or objectives?

When there are threats from climate change, organisms have to either adapt where they are or move. WBP additionally faces current problems from rust and beetles. Natural adaptation  in situ  alone is unlikely to happen, and moving the WBP without making it rust-resistant risks the same problems following it to the new location. And it’s unlikely the species will survive in its current locations, even if rust-resistant strains were introduced. So, the remaining alternative option (given that climate change is unlikely to stop) is just to let the tree become extinct and do nothing. This sacrifices species and aesthetic values, but is less ecologically risky in the reception ecosystem, is unlikely to cause new suffering (after all, the animals that lose WBP seeds for food in its current range will lose the seeds even if there is new WBP 600 miles north; and nutcrackers won’t have to be relocated) and avoids any justice concerns at the relocation site.

 5) Moral Justification

Among the available alternatives, which can be reasonably ethically defended?

Of the ethically defensible alternatives, is there one that's clearly the best? 

Both the main options (do nothing; move) can be ethically defended. For particular empirical reasons in this case, “move” may look best. However, judgment about this really depends on which values are prioritized and how precautionary you are.

6) Moral Criteria

Taking each alternative response to the case in turn (may not all be relevant to every case).

NB: In this case, whatever is done, some things are lost. For instance, those who value WBP as important cultural symbols of the American West, in their particular geographical locations, are going to lose this value whatever happens, since they can’t be preserved in their current location

Harm and Benefit :  Does this alternative cause harm? Does it cause less harm than the other alternatives? Does it bring about benefits?

• Do nothing:  Likely extinction of WBP. If species can be harmed, this causes species harm, but this argument is difficult to defend. If future people can be harmed, and if loss of a species can harm them, WBP extinction does harm them.
• Move without rust selection  This risks future harm to trees through WPBR and beetle, even in the new location. It’s possible that if ecosystems/species can be harmed that WBP in the new location could harm them (but there’s also a possibility of benefit). Possible harms to nutcrackers.
• Select and move :  Less risk of harm to trees in future. Small risk of harm to other species/systems from relocation. Also risk of harm to nutcrackers.

Justice : How does this alternative distribute harms and benefits or other natural and social goods? Are those affected meaningfully involved in decision-making?

• Do nothing : The species going extinct may affect some people’s interests, but it’s not really an injustice. It would be difficult to consult about not saving the tree, other than by surveys.
• Move (select or not) : The main location of a possible injustice to people lies in the move to new habitat without consultation or against the will of those who live there or own the land.

Other human values : Does this alternative have significant impacts on privacy, liberty, or other human values?

Moving could impact on property rights.

Environmental values : Does this alternative have significant impact on the non-human world?

All options have significant impacts on the non-human world, either by letting a species go extinct, or by selecting forms resistant to disease/ moving them to a new ecosystem. This is really a case where different environmental values are in conflict AND sometimes the same values are in conflict (eg moving WBP may save one species and threaten others, may protect one aesthetic value while changing another etc)

Ethical theories : What might different ethical theories say about what should be done?

• Consequentialist approaches will sum values; what values count will depend on the approach. Utilitarians, for instance, will sum pleasure net of pain over time; this will include humans and sentient animals. So the impacts gains/losses of values on human happiness will matter; so also impacts on Clark’s nutcrackers and other animals that use WBP for food or habitat.
• Rights theories: Relocation, if not handled appropriately, could violate property rights, or the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination over their own land. If animals have rights, relocation of Clark’s nutcrackers, if this constituted a serious harm to individual birds, would violate their rights. If rights are regarded as inviolable or virtually inviolable, these hurdles would have to be overcome for the relocation to be ethically permissible. If it could be argued that species have rights (which is doubtful) then the WBP might be argued to have a compensatory “right” to relocation, since humans are in part at least responsible for their being endangered.
• Virtue theory: As this is primarily a policy issue rather than a personal or professional issue, virtue theory is less helpful in thinking about this case.

7) Other Criteria

Practicality : Are specific alternatives really feasible?

All the considered alternatives are at least plausible. The relocation has had trials and is short-term successful (over a couple of years); selected rust resistance is currently being trialed. There may be hurdles to both, but not evident at the moment.

Publicity : How would the public react to different alternatives?

Reactions will be mixed. Some will want to save the species. Others will regard the relocation as unacceptable interference in "nature" or the wild, with potentially bad consequences.

Collegiality : How would one's peers react to different alternatives?

Not so relevant here.

Reversibility : Can a decision made be revisited?

If the tree goes extinct, while de-extinction is perhaps possible, it’s unlikely. If it’s relocated, and proves to be invasive, it’s easy to remove (slow growing, slow to reproductively mature, easy to locate, needs nutcrackers). It seems likely that most of the potential ecological harms of any move could be reversed.

Continue to Sample Case Response

NB: The case study and case analysis here draws on: Palmer, C. & Larson, B. 2014. "Should we move the Whitebark Pine?"  Environmental Values  23: 641-662.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2055332. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

7 Ethics Case Studies Students Should Use to Gain Inspiration from

1. Copyright Concerns by Clare Barlett

“Copyright Concerns” is an excellent case study that lays out the importance of copyright in the tech industry. The paper discusses how a computer start-up company is on the verge of violating copyright laws if it chooses to re-use a code that belongs to another company.

2. Freedom of  Speech, Facebook & Teens Worldwide by Irina Raicu

Should Facebook permit teens under 13 to open an account? Should the social media giant set different rules and regulations for the under-aged? This case study caters to such questions, and it rises up some pretty intriguing points. It will definitely bring more value into your ethical college paper.

3. Using the “Holocaust” Metaphor by Jill Hamilton

PETA’s 2003 campaign, “Holocaust on Your Plate” compares animal slaughtering with the infamous Holocaust event that led to the death of nearly 6 million Jews. Is the analogy right or wrong? Is it ethical to use such a metaphor or not? If you’re writing a paper on animals’ rights, then this case study is a great source to get inspired from.

4.  The Drinking Age: The Ethics Behind Change by Logan Peterson

The legal drinking age in the US is 21. In other countries, it’s 18. Should the United States lower the number, or not? There are certain risks associated with under-aged drinking, although many students don’t care about any of them. This ethics case study highlights some clear points on alcohol consumption by the youth. It should definitely inspire you to write an amazing paper.

5.  Browsing or Cyberstalking by Akshay Vyas

Should checking up on your ex or even close friends on social media be considered stalking? This ethical case study focuses on the pros and cons of this idea, and the arguments are quite plausible. Some say there’s a line that people often cross, especially since Facebook doesn’t let its users see who checked their profile or how many times their profile was viewed by someone.

6.  Placing Unreasonable Expectations on a Student by CCAB

Many students are pressured to perform an unreasonable amount of work when they get a new job, in spite of their lack of experience. This case study talks about the difference between constructive and destructive feedback at the work place, so it should definitely be useful when writing an ethics essay, term paper or thesis.

7. We’ve Got You Covered by Pat Wolfe and Others

This ethics study focuses on a registered nurse’s incompetent behavior and inability to care for his patients. If you’re writing a paper in the medical field, tackling this subject and mentioning this case study will definitely improve the value of your paper.

There lots of interesting ethics case studies out there to gain inspiration from. It all depends on your paper’s main subject. Check out the ones we’ve mentioned and take your college paper on to the next level.

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3 Key Tips to Writing a Great Ethics Case Study

Table of Contents

Writing an ethics case study is one of the most effective ways to explore an ethical dilemma or research any topic. Studying real-life scenarios and their circumstances might help you understand what went wrong and how to avoid similar problems. Read on if you’re ready to learn about writing an honest and informative ethics case study.

What Is an Ethics Case Study?

An ethics case study analyzes a specific ethical dilemma or situation that presents a moral conflict . Ethics case studies demonstrate how moral concepts apply in real life and how to make ethical decisions. A good ethics case study includes extensive research, numerous views, and an emphasis on the ethical implications of each possible action. It must include enough information about the circumstance and the people involved to let readers understand the intricacy of the issue. In an ethics case study, it’s essential to remain impartial and present all sides of the argument without bias. This case study style encourages critical thinking and meditation on complicated ethical dilemmas rather than persuasion. A well-written ethics case study might make us question our ideals as we meet ethical issues in our personal and professional lives.

Why Write an Ethics Case Study?

Ethics case studies help people understand how moral ideas apply in real life and make good decisions. These case studies help readers grasp complex ethical issues by researching, considering various views , and evaluating the ethical consequences of potential actions. Ethics case studies encourage critical thinking and reflection on complex ethical dilemmas by remaining impartial and presenting all sides of an argument without bias. These case studies enable readers to explore their values and views when facing ethical issues in their personal and professional lives. Ultimately, an ethics case study is a powerful way to help others navigate the complexities of ethical decision-making. Writers can aid their readers in making morally sound decisions by thoroughly understanding the situations and people involved. Doing so may create a more just and equitable world that respects honesty, integrity, and human dignity.

How to Write an Ethics Case Study in Steps

Ethics is a complex and subjective topic, making it challenging to navigate ethical dilemmas. Writing an ethics case study is one way to help people understand the intricacies of ethical decision-making. When writing one, it’s essential to remain impartial and present all sides of the argument without bias. This approach encourages critical thinking and reflection on complex ethical issues.

1. Select an Ethical Issue

Begin by selecting a specific ethical issue that you want to explore in depth. You can recall ethical issues from memory, society, a book, a movie, or a similar experience.

2. Gather Relevant Information

Once you have gathered all relevant information and analyzed the situation thoroughly, it’s time to write your case study. Include details about their backgrounds, motivations, and values. It’s essential to consider the impact on everyone involved, including any potential stakeholders affected by the outcome.

3. Writing Format

The format should include an introduction, background information, an analysis of the issue, alternative solutions, recommendations, and a conclusion.  Remember to remain objective throughout the process and avoid inserting personal biases or opinions.

In conclusion, writing an ethics case study can be a challenging but rewarding task. It allows you to explore complex ethical dilemmas and develop critical thinking skills. However, it is essential to remember that the output must comply with specific rules to communicate your ideas effectively. This means using clear and concise language and avoiding jargon or technical terms whenever possible. Furthermore, when writing an ethics case study, it is essential to remember your target reader.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Find ethics case studies on bribery, sourcing, intellectual property, downsizing, and other topics in business ethics, corporate governance, and ethical leadership. (For permission to reprint articles, submit requests to [email protected] .)

In this business ethics case study, Swedish multinational company IKEA faced accusations relating to child labor abuses in the rug industry in Pakistan which posed a serious challenge for the company and its supply chain management goals.

A dog may be humanity’s best friend. But that may not always be the case in the workplace.

A recent college graduate works in the finance and analytics department of a large publicly traded software company and discovers an alarming discrepancy in sales records, raising concerns about the company’s commitment to truthful reporting to investors. 

What responsibility does an employee have when information they obtained in confidence from a coworker friend may be in conflict with the needs of the company or raises legal and ethical questions.

A manager at a prominent multinational company is ethically challenged by a thin line between opportunity for economic expansion in a deeply underserved community, awareness of child labor practices, and cultural relativism.

A volunteer providing service in the Dominican Republic discovered that the non-profit he had partnered with was exchanging his donor money on the black market, prompting him to navigate a series of complex decisions with significant ethical implications.

The CFO of a family business faces difficult decisions about how to proceed when the COVID-19 pandemic changes the business revenue models, and one family shareholder wants a full buyout.

An employee at an after-school learning institution must balance a decision to accept or decline an offered gift, while considering the cultural norms of the client, upholding the best interests of all stakeholders, and following the operational rules of his employer. 

A senior vice president for a Fortune 500 savings and loan company is tasked with the crucial responsibility of representing the buyer in a multi-million dollar loan purchase deal and faces several ethical challenges from his counterpart representing the seller.

Extensive teaching note based on interviews with Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz. The teaching note can be used to explore issues around whistleblowing, leadership, the blocks to ethical behavior inside organizations, and board governance.

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Case Study Application of an Ethical Decision-Making Process for a Fragility Hip Fracture Patient

In Canada, up to 32,000 older adults experience a fragility hip fracture. In Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has implemented strategies to reduce surgical wait times and improve outcomes in target areas. These best practice standards advocate for immediate surgical repair, within 48 hours of admission, in order to achieve optimal recovery outcomes. The majority of patients are good candidates for surgical repair; however, for some patients, given the risks of anesthetic and trauma of the operative procedure, surgery may not be the best choice. Patients and families face a difficult and hurried decision, often with no time to voice their concerns, or with little-to-no information on which to guide their choice. Similarly, health-care providers may experience moral distress or hesitancy to articulate other options, such as palliative care. Is every fragility fracture a candidate for surgery, no matter what the outcome? When is it right to discuss other options with the patient? This article examines a case study via an application of a framework for ethical decision-making.

INTRODUCTION

Every year, over 30,000 Canadian older adults experience a fragility hip fracture. The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care of Ontario has promoted best practice recommendations which advocate for immediate surgical repair, within 48 hours of admission, in order to achieve optimal recovery outcomes. ( 1 , 2 ) The majority of patients are good candidates for surgical repair; however, given the risks of anesthetic and trauma of the operative procedure, surgery may not be the best choice for all. The patients at higher risk of poor outcomes perioperatively deserve the opportunity to explore options and articulate their values. Unfortunately, as a short pre-operative interval predicts the best outcomes, patients and families face a difficult and hurried decision, potentially with limited time to voice their concerns, and little to no information on which to guide their decision.

From a systems perspective, quality of care and health outcomes have not always incorporated the patient-centred perspective. ( 3 ) Patient-centred care is “a moral concept and philosophy, considering it to be the right thing to do when designing and delivering respectful, humane, and ethical care”. ( 4 , 5 ) Patients and families have reported in the past that they feel left out of crucial conversations and decisions surrounding care, ( 6 ) and that relevant information is not always provided. ( 7 )

To better understand the underlying ethical complexities which arise from critical decisions in the acute care setting, this paper will examine a case study to demonstrate application of the Corey et al . ( 8 ) 8-step framework (see Appendix A ) for ethical decision-making.

Ms. Jones is 93 years old and lives in a Long Term Care residence. She was admitted to hospital with a fragility hip fracture after being found on the floor in the middle of the night. Ms. Jones has dementia and is unable to make her own decisions. She has limited mobility, previously used a walker. Her two daughters are at her bedside. They state her health has been declining over the last few weeks, with increasing confusion and she now rarely leaves her room.

On admission, the team discovered a pleural effusion, taking up much of her right lung. Her pre-operative assessment also revealed a heart murmur; the resulting echocardiogram demonstrated a heart in very poor condition, with significant valve issues. Between her cardiac and pulmonary function, the surgery poses an increased risk of perioperative complications—she may never survive the surgery, or come off of the ventilator once she is intubated.

Interprofessional teams (surgery, anesthesia, nursing) are of differing opinions. The issue at hand is very difficult. The family is informed that the risk of not having surgery will likely result in death, yet in this patient’s case, proceeding with surgery carries its own risk. The family is left with an hour to think things over. Should they pursue the palliative care route or proceed with surgery?

Step 1. Identify the Problem or Dilemma

In our case study, 93 year old Ms. Jones is admitted to hospital with a fragility hip fracture. As a first step, we must recognize that there is actually an ethical dilemma; in this case, the dilemma is whether the patient should proceed with surgery or not, given her underlying medical conditions and potential for perioperative complications. We also need to acknowledge that there is an underlying assumption from all involved (staff, Ms. Jones’ family) that surgery will occur, and that health-care providers (HCPs) may not clearly articulate the option of ‘no surgical intervention’. The stakeholders who are required to proceed through the decision-making process include the patient and family, the surgical team, anesthesia, nursing staff, social work, and potentially the palliative care team and bioethics team.

Step 2. Identify the Potential Issues Involved

There are several assumptions made when a patient presents to the hospital with a fragility hip fracture: a) the fracture will be repaired; b) the patient will recover; and c) the patient will eventually go home or to rehabilitation. With a critically ill, frail, and/or previously compromised patient, this standard trajectory should be questioned. Barry and Edgman-Levitan ( 9 ) promote an ideology of patient-centredness, with the argument that an intervention should only be considered standard if there is ‘virtual unanimity amongst patients about the overall desirability… of the outcomes’.

The first potential issue is the ‘standard’ intervention of surgical repair—the assumption to proceed with the surgery, as directed by best practice recommendations. Is this standard intervention appropriate in all patients with a fragility hip fracture? A second potential issue arises with the patient and their family—the presumption that the acute medical issue will be resolved and the patient will eventually return home. Given her underlying health, this concept is in jeopardy. To add to the complexity, Ms. Jones is likely not able to articulate her wishes and values, as she has dementia. Finally, there is the potential issue of moral distress experienced by health-care providers (HCPs) who feel uncomfortable with the expectant surgical trajectory of this patient, and may feel they are not empowered to advocate for the wishes of the patient.

As health-care professionals, we are guided by moral principles in our decision-making process, namely, autonomy, non-malfeasance, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity. ( 10 ) A focused examination and application of the principles to the case study will help to support potential resolutions for the identified issues.

The spirit of ‘patient-centred care’ endorses that patients should be involved at their level of choice to make an autonomous decision. ( 11 ) However, it is important to recognize that no decision is made in isolation. ( 12 ) The decision at hand is not a simple or straightforward one; literature demonstrates that patients and families have a difficult time with making decisions at time of a critical illness, identifying fear, worthlessness, and a lack of autonomy within the hospital system. ( 7 ) Differing levels of patient and family participation requires an individualized approach to convey meaningful, accurate, and timely information. ( 8 ) Older adult patients tend to take a ‘non-participative’ stance in their care. They often have limited participation in the process for decision-making for a variety of reasons, thereby increasing the risk of their inability to understand or find value within the end decision. ( 6 , 7 , 13 )

Non-malfeasance

Hospitalization can cause the patient to experience “needless mental and physical suffering” ( 14 ) in any number of ways (i.e., pain, waiting for surgery, uncertainty of outcomes, patient/family relationship stress). Evidence indicates that the number of different HCPs involved causes immense anxiety to the family, especially when they do not hear the same message from all members of the team. ( 13 , 15 ) HCPs must ensure that they are not withholding information, or are untruthful as to the options in order to expedite a decision. A study by Ekdahl, Andersson, and Friedrichsen ( 13 ) found that physicians perceive they are ‘too short’ of time for patients to participate in the decision making process, that decisions were ‘too complex’ and ‘time consuming’ to fit into the schedule. Ekdahl et al. ( 13 ) also found that physicians feel frustration with the ‘health-care production machine’, especially in those older adult patients with multiple co-morbidities.

Beneficence

Beneficence promotes wellbeing; or is an action that is carried out to benefit another. ( 8 ) The hospitalization ‘process’ promotes assessment of a patient, treatment of the illness, followed by a physical approach to recovery (allowing recovery to be measured against specific milestones), and discharge in a timely manner. ( 15 , 16 ) This ‘process’ may promote beneficence in an overarching global perspective of the system; however, on an individual level, it often falls short. On an individual level, key actions that have been found to be beneficial and meaningful are open communication and sharing of information. ( 6 , 7 , 14 , 17 )

“Practitioners have a responsibility to provide appropriate services to all clients”. ( 8 ) Older adult patients may not receive information about options available, especially if the HCPs feel that it would take too much time to thoroughly explain, or if HCPs assume that patients are too ill to participate in the decision-making process, ( 13 ) or if the assumption is made that all patients want to proceed with surgery. Focusing on each older adult’s individual health goals is time-consuming—in this case, the patient has dementia, and a family meeting would be required. The concept of patient-centred care revolves around patient and HCP partnerships, yet older adult patients face unique problems with hospitalization—a slower communication process, a decreased level of functioning, and a degree of family involvement. ( 14 ) Can we provide this type of relationship and communication effort equally for every patient? Or only for those patients who may be at higher risk of negative outcomes?

Fidelity and Veracity

Fidelity involves fulfilling ones’ professional roles, creating a trusting relationship, and veracity ensures that we are truthful and honest to the patients. How do we ensure that as a HCP we are providing an unbiased opinion? Do we take the same amount of time to present patients with the option of conservative, non-surgical treatment, including palliative care, as we take to advocate for surgery? The HCP team assumes that patients will commit to surgery; however, a patient often displays a suboptimal understanding of the risks and benefits of surgery. ( 18 ) Similarly, there is the very real risk of bias towards an argument of palliative care in those frail patients or those with dementia. HCPs must return to the voice of the patient through their family, to understand that patients’ identity, their meaning of life, and desired goals which emphasize the patients’ dignity. ( 12 )

It is important to acknowledge assumptions that the patient and family may have made upon admission to hospital—that surgery will occur and the patient will recover. Have we presented the patient and their family with as much information as they need to make a decision in a clear format (without medical jargon)? In addition to understanding risks of surgery, it is paramount that the family understands the non-surgical option may result in death or decreased function (if any functional ability returns). It is in an acute situation such as this that families require truthful and open communication with physicians, nurses, and other members of the health-care team. ( 11 )

Self Care (HCPs)

Can we consistently provide care that prioritizes a patient’s values? HCPs are not always able to preserve all of the values and interests at stake. ( 19 ) We know that the most common cause of moral distress in nursing is prolonged, aggressive treatment which we do not believe will be likely to have a positive outcome. ( 20 ) As a HCP, we must look to root causes operating within the larger system, to prevent and/or respond to feelings of moral distress. ( 19 )

From a systems perspective, does the hospital provide an avenue for exploration of patient values within a timely fashion? Is there a framework in place to enhance the HCP’s understanding of moral distress and provide strategies for coping with situations such as these (i.e., an opportunity for a team debriefing with the entire team, or opportunities for learning how to deal with situations that may cause moral distress)?

Step 3. Review the Relevant Ethics Codes

The philosophy of patient-centred care within the hospital encourages active listening, respect, and an attempt to understand individuals. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) supports “practicing the profession of medicine in a manner that treats the patient with dignity and as a person worthy of respect”. ( 21 ) The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) supports the view that nurses “must use the client’s views as a starting point”. ( 22 ) Across all HCPs is the similarity of the need to listen, understand, support, and advocate for a respect of patients’ values with the expected course of treatment.

The importance of collaboration with the patient and respecting a patient’s values are highlighted within similar statements: ”…it is the patient who ultimately must make informed choices about the care he or she will receive”. ( 21 )

Step 4. Know the Applicable Laws and Regulations

In Ontario, legislation and common law require that the wishes of patients or substitute decision-makers be respected. ( 22 ) However, in many systems, health care is not truly patient-centred; rather, patients are required to adapt to the system. ( 11 ) A number of initiatives have been undertaken in the last few years in an attempt to improve the focus of patient-centredness, with the principle assertion that patients should be involved at the level of their choice. ( 11 )

Step 5. Obtain Consultation

It is important to realize that we bring our own biases to the decision-making process, making it difficult to view the current patient/family’s situation objectively. As an individual HCP, our previous experiences will have an impact on the messaging that we provide. From a systems perspective, we are likely to pose a ‘knowledge’ bias towards meeting treatment based outcomes—for example, surgery within 48 hours, immediate post-operative mobility, and the expected length of stay for this type of patient.

Inter-disciplinary consultations with patients and their families ensure review of unbiased information about the risks and benefits of proceeding with surgery, allowing for a fully informed decision. In addition to discussing the operative plan with the surgical team, there is an opportunity to provide Ms. Jones’ family with other options that may be available to her. Consultation with extended family members, clergy, social workers, or an ethics team may help the family to reflect on the patient values; what this illness means to them as a family unit, and how best to proceed. A discussion with palliative care may help the family to better understand what symptom management consists of for their mother. Social work may also be able help explore community services available to the family in this situation—for example, is the patient able to return to home with the future of wheelchair dependence? Are there any other options which may be available to this patient and her family that were not originally considered? How do we, as HCPs, ensure that the family is afforded the opportunity to obtain all the necessary information from differing disciplines to make an informed choice?

Step 6. Consider Possible and Probable Courses of Action

In order to fully understand the options, it is helpful to outline all the possible and probable courses of action that are open to Ms. Jones and her family.

• Surgical team offers a ‘purposeful pause’ to discover Ms. Jones’ core values; to discuss the consequences of a) delaying surgery, b) proceeding with surgery, and c) the non-surgical intervention. From an ethical and legal perspective, this may meet the concept of patient-centred care, but does not likely provide the patient and her family with all the information they need to make an informed choice. They may have more questions that the surgical team may not be able to answer, or they may request more time to consider. Additionally, the patient and her family would still be expected to adapt to the system in place in order to make a decision within the proposed wait time frame (admission to surgery less than 48 hours).
• Advocate for a family meeting with the primary nurse, social work, palliative care team, clergy, internal medicine, in addition to the surgical (surgeon, anesthesia) team, to fully explore both options, and to explore what the ‘non-surgical’ option would mean. From a legal and ethical perspective this embodies the concept of patient-centred care, with as many members of the health-care team at the table to help Ms. Jones’ family fully explore their options.
• Apply the current standard of care recommendations to Ms. Jones’ situation, without consideration of the patient’s needs, values, or preferences. From an ethical and legal perspective, this approach does not represent patient-centred care.

Step 7. Enumerate the Consequences of Various Decisions

With the first option, the surgical team takes a ‘purposeful pause’ to discover the patient’s core values and discusses pros and cons of a surgical intervention. Often, this may be most ‘efficient’ way to deal with the situation at hand. It may also be the preference of the patient; some patients have reported that they value this limited level of involvement—“I get a description of what is going to happen”. ( 13 ) As a consequence, there will be a number of patients who will want to have a greater sense of involvement other than a simple description of planned events. The first option does recognize the principle of autonomy, but does not follow the principle of justice; practitioners have the responsibility to provide information about other options which may be available. The principles of beneficence and non-maleficence are not completely met, as the team approaches the solution primarily to benefit the system (i.e., efficiency). The principles of fidelity and veracity are also partially met, as the surgical team provides an honest perspective, although it may be biased towards proceeding with surgery.

The second option, offering the patient and her family a meeting with all stakeholders, strongly aligns with the fidelity and veracity principles. The information offered is truthful and complete, and is in Ms. Jones’ best interest, as it attempts to discover her values that will affect the family’s final decision. Principles of beneficence and autonomy would be met with patient empowerment through information sharing, and secondly, by allowing the patient and family to arrive at their own decision with that information. As a consequence, taking the time to arrange for a family meeting with all stakeholders may not be possible for all patients, and the principles of justice and non-maleficence are brought to the forefront for future patients. A potential consequence could be harm to the patient, as the time it takes to arrange a meeting could push the time to surgery beyond the recommended 48 hours post-admission, placing the patient at greater risk of negative post-operative outcomes.

The third option is one of passive action, with a lack of communication and recognition of patient-centred care values. Ms. Jones would be placed on the operating room list, and the surgical repair will occur. Consent must legally be obtained for the surgery; however, the family may not think of key questions to ask that may be relevant in this situation. The onus remains on the HCP to provide a full explanation of all options to the family. The only benefit would be to the system, as the procedure will be carried out in a timely manner. Ms. Jones may benefit from the surgery; we cannot assume that surgery is a negative option. As a consequence of this option, HCPs do not explore patient values, and this option is against almost all of the ethical principles. Additionally, this option is likely to cause the highest moral distress amongst staff, as they are unable to meet the unique needs of Ms. Jones and her family.

Step 8. Choose what Appears to be the Best Course of Action

Virtue ethics asks us if we are doing the best action for our patients, and compels us to be conscious of our behaviours. ( 8 ) We need to take the necessary time to discover the patient’s values within the unique situation they are now experiencing. Simply stated, we need to remember that they are a person, with feelings, emotions, past experiences, future hopes/plans, and usually an element of fear and anxiety. The goal is to work with Ms. Jones and her family to decide together on the current care plan and the best plan for action (or inaction), a plan that truly aligns with the patient’s values.

From an ethical perspective, the best course of action is to hold a family meeting with all stakeholders to discover Ms. Jones’ values about a meaningful life and a meaningful death, and come to a consensus as to what the right decision is for this patient. ( 12 ) The team must ensure that the patient and the family have all the necessary tools in which to make this decision. Have we provided them with all the information required? Do they understand the information? Do they understand the consequences of their decision? From a systems perspective, we need to continue to strive towards engaging patients and family members more fully and consistently in care and decision-making processes. ( 6 ) Dissemination of lessons learned from assisting patients and families through difficult decision-making may be helpful to other health-care teams experiencing similar moral conflicts.

As a next step, the HCP team may consider development of an educational reference for future patients to assist with similar decisions, including promotion of an advanced care plan to help communicate goals and concerns to HCPs. ( 12 , 18 ) Additionally, decision aids, such as videos and brochures, can help deliver information to patients and their families. ( 9 ) The use of readily available technology, such as iPads and cellphones, means that families are better able to access these materials at any time of day. A recent Cochrane Review demonstrated that, in comparison to usual care, decision aids can increase knowledge, resulting in a higher proportion of patients choosing the option which most aligns with their values. ( 23 ) Providing patients with information that outlines potential options with risks and benefits clearly explained can also meet many of the ethical principles that are to be considered with ethical decision-making.

The in-depth review of the case study has helped us to examine the underlying issues that come into play when helping this patient and her family to make a critical decision. Although each patient is an individual, literature tells us that many perceive the concept of patient-centredness to represent an ‘involvement in their care’. The level of involvement may vary from person to person, but all patients want the care they receive to reflect their values and preferences, and to make them feel that they have been treated as a whole person. ( 24 )

Clinicians also like to believe that they deliver patient-centred care, yet the characterization of the concept will vary with the health-care provider, their relationship with the patient, and the circumstances surrounding the admission to hospital. Recognizing that there is potential for an ethical dilemma when patients present with a critical illness is important to ensure that we continue to act upon the key concept of understanding a patients’ values and proceeding to align provision of care with those values.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author wishes to acknowledge Dr. Tracy Trothen (Queen’s University) for her time and expertise as a ‘practical ethicist’.

Appendix AFramework for Ethical Decision-Making (Corey et al ., 2014)

• Identify the problem or dilemma
• Identify the potential issues involved
• Review the relevant ethics codes
• Know the applicable laws and regulations
• Obtain consultation
• Consider possible and probable courses of action
• Enumerate the consequences of various decisions
• Choose what appears to be the best course of action

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES

The author declares that no conflicts of interest exist.

Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Ethics — Mcdonalds Code of Ethics Case Study

Mcdonalds Code of Ethics Case Study

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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Introduction, ethical challenges faced by mcdonald's, mcdonald's code of ethics, evaluation of mcdonald's code of ethics.

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These studies provide a foundation for discussing ethical issues so we can better integrate data ethics in real life.

To help us think seriously about data ethics, we need case studies that we can discuss, argue about, and come to terms with as we engage with the real world. Good case studies give us the opportunity to think through problems before facing them in real life. And case studies show us that ethical problems aren't simple. They are multi-faceted, and frequently there's no single right answer. And they help us to recognize there are few situations that don't raise ethical questions.

Princeton's  Center for Information Technology Policy  and  Center for Human Values  have created four anonymized  case studies  to promote the discussion of ethics. The first of these studies,  Automated Healthcare App , discusses a smartphone app designed to help adult onset diabetes patients. It raises issues like paternalism, consent, and even language choices. Is it OK to “nudge” patients toward more healthy behaviors? What about automatically moderating the users’ discussion groups to emphasize scientifically accurate information? And how do you deal with minorities who don’t respond to treatment as well? Could the problem be the language itself that is used to discuss treatment?

The next case study,  Dynamic Sound Identification , covers an application that can identify voices, raising issues about privacy, language, and even gender. How far should developers go in identifying potential harm that can be caused by an application? What are acceptable error rates for an application that can potentially do harm? How can a voice application handle people with different accents or dialects? And what responsibility do developers have when a small experimental tool is bought by a large corporation that wants to commercialize it?

The  Optimizing Schools  case study deals with the problem of finding at-risk children in school systems. Privacy and language are again an issue; it also raises the issue of how decisions to use data are made. Who makes those decisions, and who needs to be informed about them? What are the consequences when people find out how their data has been used? And how do you interpret the results of an experiment? Under what conditions can you say that a data experiment has really yielded improved educational results?

The final case study,  Law Enforcement Chatbots , raises issues about the tradeoff between liberty and security, entrapment, openness and accountability, and compliance with international law.

None of these issues are simple, and there are few (if any) "right answers." For example, it’s easy to react against perceived paternalism in a medical application, but the purpose of such an application is to encourage patients to comply with their treatment program. It’s easy to object to monitoring students in a public school, but students are minors, and schools by nature handle a lot of private personal data. Where is the boundary between what is, and isn’t, acceptable? What's important isn’t getting to the correct answer on any issue, but to make sure the issue is discussed and understood, and that we know what tradeoffs we are making. What is important is that we get practice in discussing ethical issues and put that practice to work in our jobs. That’s what these case studies give us.

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All You Wanted to Know About How to Write a Case Study

What do you study in your college? If you are a psychology, sociology, or anthropology student, we bet you might be familiar with what a case study is. This research method is used to study a certain person, group, or situation. In this guide from our dissertation writing service , you will learn how to write a case study professionally, from researching to citing sources properly. Also, we will explore different types of case studies and show you examples — so that you won’t have any other questions left.

What Is a Case Study?

A case study is a subcategory of research design which investigates problems and offers solutions. Case studies can range from academic research studies to corporate promotional tools trying to sell an idea—their scope is quite vast.

What Is the Difference Between a Research Paper and a Case Study?

While research papers turn the reader’s attention to a certain problem, case studies go even further. Case study guidelines require students to pay attention to details, examining issues closely and in-depth using different research methods. For example, case studies may be used to examine court cases if you study Law, or a patient's health history if you study Medicine. Case studies are also used in Marketing, which are thorough, empirically supported analysis of a good or service's performance. Well-designed case studies can be valuable for prospective customers as they can identify and solve the potential customers pain point.

Case studies involve a lot of storytelling – they usually examine particular cases for a person or a group of people. This method of research is very helpful, as it is very practical and can give a lot of hands-on information. Most commonly, the length of the case study is about 500-900 words, which is much less than the length of an average research paper.

The structure of a case study is very similar to storytelling. It has a protagonist or main character, which in your case is actually a problem you are trying to solve. You can use the system of 3 Acts to make it a compelling story. It should have an introduction, rising action, a climax where transformation occurs, falling action, and a solution.

Here is a rough formula for you to use in your case study:

Problem (Act I): > Solution (Act II) > Result (Act III) > Conclusion.

Types of Case Studies

The purpose of a case study is to provide detailed reports on an event, an institution, a place, future customers, or pretty much anything. There are a few common types of case study, but the type depends on the topic. The following are the most common domains where case studies are needed:

• Historical case studies are great to learn from. Historical events have a multitude of source info offering different perspectives. There are always modern parallels where these perspectives can be applied, compared, and thoroughly analyzed.
• Problem-oriented case studies are usually used for solving problems. These are often assigned as theoretical situations where you need to immerse yourself in the situation to examine it. Imagine you’re working for a startup and you’ve just noticed a significant flaw in your product’s design. Before taking it to the senior manager, you want to do a comprehensive study on the issue and provide solutions. On a greater scale, problem-oriented case studies are a vital part of relevant socio-economic discussions.
• Cumulative case studies collect information and offer comparisons. In business, case studies are often used to tell people about the value of a product.
• Critical case studies explore the causes and effects of a certain case.
• Illustrative case studies describe certain events, investigating outcomes and lessons learned.

Need a compelling case study? EssayPro has got you covered. Our experts are ready to provide you with detailed, insightful case studies that capture the essence of real-world scenarios. Elevate your academic work with our professional assistance.

Case Study Format

The case study format is typically made up of eight parts:

• Executive Summary. Explain what you will examine in the case study. Write an overview of the field you’re researching. Make a thesis statement and sum up the results of your observation in a maximum of 2 sentences.
• Background. Provide background information and the most relevant facts. Isolate the issues.
• Case Evaluation. Isolate the sections of the study you want to focus on. In it, explain why something is working or is not working.
• Proposed Solutions. Offer realistic ways to solve what isn’t working or how to improve its current condition. Explain why these solutions work by offering testable evidence.
• Conclusion. Summarize the main points from the case evaluations and proposed solutions. 6. Recommendations. Talk about the strategy that you should choose. Explain why this choice is the most appropriate.
• Implementation. Explain how to put the specific strategies into action.
• References. Provide all the citations.

How to Write a Case Study

Let's discover how to write a case study.

Setting Up the Research

When writing a case study, remember that research should always come first. Reading many different sources and analyzing other points of view will help you come up with more creative solutions. You can also conduct an actual interview to thoroughly investigate the customer story that you'll need for your case study. Including all of the necessary research, writing a case study may take some time. The research process involves doing the following:

• Define your objective. Explain the reason why you’re presenting your subject. Figure out where you will feature your case study; whether it is written, on video, shown as an infographic, streamed as a podcast, etc.
• Determine who will be the right candidate for your case study. Get permission, quotes, and other features that will make your case study effective. Get in touch with your candidate to see if they approve of being part of your work. Study that candidate’s situation and note down what caused it.
• Identify which various consequences could result from the situation. Follow these guidelines on how to start a case study: surf the net to find some general information you might find useful.
• Make a list of credible sources and examine them. Seek out important facts and highlight problems. Always write down your ideas and make sure to brainstorm.
• Focus on several key issues – why they exist, and how they impact your research subject. Think of several unique solutions. Draw from class discussions, readings, and personal experience. When writing a case study, focus on the best solution and explore it in depth. After having all your research in place, writing a case study will be easy. You may first want to check the rubric and criteria of your assignment for the correct case study structure.

Read Also: ' WHAT IS A CREDIBLE SOURCES ?'

Although your instructor might be looking at slightly different criteria, every case study rubric essentially has the same standards. Your professor will want you to exhibit 8 different outcomes:

• Correctly identify the concepts, theories, and practices in the discipline.
• Identify the relevant theories and principles associated with the particular study.
• Evaluate legal and ethical principles and apply them to your decision-making.
• Recognize the global importance and contribution of your case.
• Construct a coherent summary and explanation of the study.
• Demonstrate analytical and critical-thinking skills.
• Explain the interrelationships between the environment and nature.
• Integrate theory and practice of the discipline within the analysis.

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Case Study Outline

Let's look at the structure of an outline based on the issue of the alcoholic addiction of 30 people.

Introduction

• Statement of the issue: Alcoholism is a disease rather than a weakness of character.
• Presentation of the problem: Alcoholism is affecting more than 14 million people in the USA, which makes it the third most common mental illness there.
• Explanation of the terms: In the past, alcoholism was commonly referred to as alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction. Alcoholism is now the more severe stage of this addiction in the disorder spectrum.
• Hypotheses: Drinking in excess can lead to the use of other drugs.
• Importance of your story: How the information you present can help people with their addictions.
• Background of the story: Include an explanation of why you chose this topic.
• Presentation of analysis and data: Describe the criteria for choosing 30 candidates, the structure of the interview, and the outcomes.
• Strong argument 1: ex. X% of candidates dealing with anxiety and depression...
• Strong argument 2: ex. X amount of people started drinking by their mid-teens.
• Strong argument 3: ex. X% of respondents’ parents had issues with alcohol.
• Concluding statement: I have researched if alcoholism is a disease and found out that…
• Recommendations: Ways and actions for preventing alcohol use.

Writing a Case Study Draft

After you’ve done your case study research and written the outline, it’s time to focus on the draft. In a draft, you have to develop and write your case study by using: the data which you collected throughout the research, interviews, and the analysis processes that were undertaken. Follow these rules for the draft:

• Your draft should contain at least 4 sections: an introduction; a body where you should include background information, an explanation of why you decided to do this case study, and a presentation of your main findings; a conclusion where you present data; and references.
• In the introduction, you should set the pace very clearly. You can even raise a question or quote someone you interviewed in the research phase. It must provide adequate background information on the topic. The background may include analyses of previous studies on your topic. Include the aim of your case here as well. Think of it as a thesis statement. The aim must describe the purpose of your work—presenting the issues that you want to tackle. Include background information, such as photos or videos you used when doing the research.
• Describe your unique research process, whether it was through interviews, observations, academic journals, etc. The next point includes providing the results of your research. Tell the audience what you found out. Why is this important, and what could be learned from it? Discuss the real implications of the problem and its significance in the world.
• Include quotes and data (such as findings, percentages, and awards). This will add a personal touch and better credibility to the case you present. Explain what results you find during your interviews in regards to the problem and how it developed. Also, write about solutions which have already been proposed by other people who have already written about this case.
• At the end of your case study, you should offer possible solutions, but don’t worry about solving them yourself.

Use Data to Illustrate Key Points in Your Case Study

Even though your case study is a story, it should be based on evidence. Use as much data as possible to illustrate your point. Without the right data, your case study may appear weak and the readers may not be able to relate to your issue as much as they should. Let's see the examples from essay writing service :

‍ With data: Alcoholism is affecting more than 14 million people in the USA, which makes it the third most common mental illness there. Without data: A lot of people suffer from alcoholism in the United States.

Try to include as many credible sources as possible. You may have terms or sources that could be hard for other cultures to understand. If this is the case, you should include them in the appendix or Notes for the Instructor or Professor.

Finalizing the Draft: Checklist

After you finish drafting your case study, polish it up by answering these ‘ask yourself’ questions and think about how to end your case study:

• Check that you follow the correct case study format, also in regards to text formatting.
• Check that your work is consistent with its referencing and citation style.
• Micro-editing — check for grammar and spelling issues.
• Macro-editing — does ‘the big picture’ come across to the reader? Is there enough raw data, such as real-life examples or personal experiences? Have you made your data collection process completely transparent? Does your analysis provide a clear conclusion, allowing for further research and practice?

Problems to avoid:

• Overgeneralization – Do not go into further research that deviates from the main problem.
• Failure to Document Limitations – Just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study, you must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis.
• Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications – Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings.

How to Create a Title Page and Cite a Case Study

Let's see how to create an awesome title page.

Your title page depends on the prescribed citation format. The title page should include:

• A title that attracts some attention and describes your study
• The title should have the words “case study” in it
• The title should range between 5-9 words in length
• Your name and contact information
• Your finished paper should be only 500 to 1,500 words in length.With this type of assignment, write effectively and avoid fluff

Here is a template for the APA and MLA format title page:

There are some cases when you need to cite someone else's study in your own one – therefore, you need to master how to cite a case study. A case study is like a research paper when it comes to citations. You can cite it like you cite a book, depending on what style you need.

Citation Example in MLA ‍ Hill, Linda, Tarun Khanna, and Emily A. Stecker. HCL Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing, 2008. Print.

Citation Example in APA ‍ Hill, L., Khanna, T., & Stecker, E. A. (2008). HCL Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing.

Citation Example in Chicago Hill, Linda, Tarun Khanna, and Emily A. Stecker. HCL Technologies.

Case Study Examples

To give you an idea of a professional case study example, we gathered and linked some below.

Eastman Kodak Case Study

Case Study Example: Audi Trains Mexican Autoworkers in Germany

To conclude, a case study is one of the best methods of getting an overview of what happened to a person, a group, or a situation in practice. It allows you to have an in-depth glance at the real-life problems that businesses, healthcare industry, criminal justice, etc. may face. This insight helps us look at such situations in a different light. This is because we see scenarios that we otherwise would not, without necessarily being there. If you need custom essays , try our research paper writing services .

Get Help Form Qualified Writers

Crafting a case study is not easy. You might want to write one of high quality, but you don’t have the time or expertise. If you’re having trouble with your case study, help with essay request - we'll help. EssayPro writers have read and written countless case studies and are experts in endless disciplines. Request essay writing, editing, or proofreading assistance from our custom case study writing service , and all of your worries will be gone.

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Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

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Ethics Case Studies Samples For Students

962 samples of this type

Over the course of studying in college, you will definitely have to compose a bunch of Case Studies on Ethics. Lucky you if putting words together and transforming them into relevant text comes easy to you; if it's not the case, you can save the day by finding an already written Ethics Case Study example and using it as a model to follow.

This is when you will certainly find WowEssays' free samples catalog extremely useful as it contains numerous expertly written works on most various Ethics Case Studies topics. Ideally, you should be able to find a piece that meets your requirements and use it as a template to compose your own Case Study. Alternatively, our competent essay writers can deliver you a unique Ethics Case Study model crafted from scratch according to your personal instructions.

The Ad Agency Dispute Case Studies Example

McCorkle and Melanie’s book on the case of the Ad Agency provides for a very scholarly read for anyone who is interested in this sector. The book outlines and explains the principles that should be applied in the Ad Agency. In addition, it gives the concepts and models in mediation, as well as the ethical standards that should be followed. Ethics can be defined as the code of behavior in business practices. Ethics also refer to day to day interactions and how people and businesses should interact.

Example Of Case Study On Ethical Responsibility

1. what are the legal and ethical responsibilities of whirlpool in a plant-closing case such as the one in evansville, indiana.

The decision to close the Whirlpool plant in Indiana was a business one, but Whirlpool had legal and ethical responsibilities to take care of. The legal responsibility of Whirlpool was to notify its workers at least sixty days before mass downsizing, under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988(WARN Act). As Whirlpool had informed its employees a year before, it had fulfilled its legal responsibilities.

Good Example Of Case Study On Heileman Brewing Company

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Free Case Study About The Plumpy Nut Controversy

Plumply’nut has been well received since its release. So far, it has been successfully serving its purpose of combating the worldwide problem of malnutrition. Most notably, it has started to affect one of the less industrialized countries and considered desperately poor in the world, Nigeria. Anderson Cooper from CBS News, together with the Nobel Prize awardee relief group Doctors Without Borders, featured the region. They stated that it was the worst and most rampant site of malnutrition. Two years later, it was claimed to have the lowest malnutrition rate (CBS, 2007).

Good Utilitarianism Case Study Example

Ethics and the conduct of business case study examples, executive summary.

There are set of standards and policies that guide how people behave in the places of work. These form workplace or business ethics. The ethical viewpoints include utilitarian view, deontology ethics, virtue ethics and intuitionism. From the case in accounting department, there are various considerations in the analysis of the case. This paper looks at the viewpoints mentioned and analyze them in relation to the case where Mr. Jones is reported to be developing a workplace relationship with Ms. Smith.

Introduction

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The place of ethics in business cannot be overlooked. Indeed, it is said that energy and intellect without ethics is destructive. In the modern industrial times where competition has tremendously increased and an increased technology application, the place of ethics in business needs to be reinforced and guarded jealously.

The Resignation of Port Hueneme Police Chief Kathleen Sheehan Case Study

Free case study on plagiarism.

It is not very common for academicians to take up the works of others and present it as their own. Rather, it is always encouraged that the in case of such, the individual should take up the ideas of others and manipulates them to fit their context while giving credit to the original source. However, it so happens that copy pasting can take place. This is referred to as plagiarism and is the subject of this essay.

Coffee Market Analysis Case Study Example

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Question Presented Did the client’s interactions with the plaintiff including multiple requests for dates, talking in a sexually explicit manner, and a question, asked in quest, of whether she slept with a client in order to complete a sale amount to sexual harassment under federal or state law?

No. While client’s interactions with the plaintiff might be considered offensive or unsophisticated, under a legal analysis, they do not amount to sexual harassment.

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Wal-Mart ranks highest in the list of United States’ private employers and brags of having employed an astonishing 1.4 million workers. It is the nation’s favorite retailer registering about 379 billion dollars of sales revenue in the year that ended on January 31, 2008. It achieved this through lowering costs of operation and low costs made possible by an efficient inventory system.

Ethical Dilemmas Facing Wal-Mart

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Federal Trade Commission V. Morton Salt Co. 334 U.S. 37 (1948)

Question One: Abstract

Martin marietta: managing corporate ethics (a): case analysis case study samples, specifically, how would you advise the ethics steering committee.

Major Issues faced by the Ethical Steering Committee The major issues faced by the ethics steering committee were as follows: Fear of RetributionFear of retribution existed among employees, which inhibited employees from sharing their ethical concerns with the management . Measuring Effectiveness of Ethics Programs It was challenging to measure the effectiveness of ethics programs for organizations . Recommendations for Ethical Steering Committee I would advise the ethical steering committee to adopt the following initiatives in collaboration with the organizations:

Advise Internal Analysis of Organizations

Example of case study on facilitation or bribery: cultural and ethical disparities (case 2), case study on employees communication.

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How to Answer GS 4 Ethics Paper in UPSC Mains

Note : This is a free chapter from my book, Fundamentals of Essay and Answer Writing. I have previously published two excerpts on  GS-2  and  Introductions to Essay . The book has similar detailed chapters on Essay and answer writing for GS-1,2,3,4, including the Anthropology optional. You can get the book here.

GS-IV can be confounding. That’s because the questions in this paper tend to be subjective with no single correct answer. There can be multiple ways to answer a particular question and all of them might be right. Hence, though aspirants are clear about the syllabus, they are often confused about how to answer ethics questions. Given this subjectivity and confusion pertaining to this paper, it becomes challenging to come up with a convincing framework for answer writing. However, some broad principles can guide us in structuring our responses.

In this chapter, we will go through some of those guidelines that can help you argue your case more clearly and make your ethics answer compelling.

GS- IV syllabus can be divided into two segments:

I. Theory II. Case Studies

In this portion (and to some extent in case studies) questions are usually of three types. One, the definition of an ethical value; two, the significance of the value; and three, the application of that value in our daily lives. To put it simply, theory questions ask you to explain a value along with examples.

Let’s take the term integrity. Three questions that could be asked about it are:

• What do you understand by integrity?  [Definition of the value]
• What is the importance of integrity? In its absence, what are the consequences for an individual, society, country or in different walks of life?  [Significance of the value]
• What are the challenges in cultivating integrity? How do you overcome them?  [Application of the value]You may substitute other ethical values for integrity to guess the kind of questions you may face in the test. Anticipate such questions and formulate a basic answer to all ethical terms given in the syllabus. This exercise will help you immensely in preparing for the theory portion.

Prepare a Definition for Each of the Terms in the Syllabus

If the question pertains to a specific ethical value, you must introduce the answer with a crisp definition, followed by an example. The definition can be a personal one, reflecting what it means to you.

Example 1: Integrity

Integrity means being honest and doing the right thing even when nobody is watching you. It can be conveyed through a simple example: Stopping at a red light signal at 3am in the night, even when the entire road was clear. This is an example of my integrity.

Example 2: Leadership

Leadership is the act of motivating a group of people towards achieving a common goal. Leadership provides inspiration, motivation and a vision for the future. Eg: Mahatma Gandhi showed exemplary leadership to unite the country in the fight for independence.

Always prefer a simple definition and avoid jargon. Simplicity is clarity. Another useful way of introducing your answers is by starting with an interesting quote and then proceeding to define the term.

Example 1: When you are answering a question on Emotional Intelligence, it can be started with the following quote:  “As much as 80% of adult success comes from EQ” – Daniel Goleman

Example 2: A question on RTI can be introduced with this quote:  “RTI is the master key to Good Governance” – 2nd ARC

Value mapping

In this exercise, you think of an eminent personality and then map him or her onto the values they stood for.

Below is a table with some examples of prominent leaders. You can add other values that you think match with a particular leader and repeat this exercise for all eminent persons.

As you map values onto the list of the most important leaders, philosophers, or administrators, it will become easier to recollect and quote relevant thinkers in your answers to give weight to your Ethical analysis.

Flow charts and Diagrams

For some topics such as Emotional Intelligence, Good Governance, and Civil Service Values, illustrating their features through flowcharts and diagrams makes your answers concise and neat. Prepare these flowcharts and diagrams beforehand and incorporate them in your mock tests so that it becomes easier to use them in the final test.

Make a database of real life examples

Examples are what make your answer come alive. They not only make the concept clearer, but also convey how the ethical principles and conflicts manifest in real life. Without them, an ethics answer would be a pointless theoretical rambling. Remember that the examiner is not evaluating how much you know about ethics. They want to see how well you can apply those principles in your day-to-day life. For this, examples are crucial.

Some important sources from which to collect these examples are:

• Newspapers — When you read the newspaper, look out for interesting incidents and news that can be used in your ethics paper. There are tons of examples that are reported everyday. For example, when you read about ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign, you must be able to correlate with ‘Social persuasion’ topic of the syllabus. Or, say, a newsarticle about civil servants working in remote districts of the country and how they are transforming them for the better. Even happenings in international affairs can be used as examples. Think of Cyber espionage, Syrian refugee crisis, Snowden controversy, Cambridge Analytica scandal and the moral issues pertaining to big tech companies like Facebook and Google. Such everyday examples are numerous, all you have to do is to link it with the syllabus and note them down for future reference.
• Personal Life (School, College, Family) : Littering on the street, jumping a traffic signal, cheating on a test, lying to your parents, shirking work at office. You can think of many examples from your everyday life to quote in your answers. Also, don’t restrict yourself to your own perspective. For instance, there might have been cases of extreme ragging in a certain college and the administration might have turned a blind eye to it in order to protect its image. You can discuss such ethical violations from other’s perspective which has come to your knowledge.
• Workplace : Every profession has its peculiar set of ethical dilemmas. So when you are brainstorming for examples, think of doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, civil servants etc and imagine the moral challenges they might come across in their respective professions. For instance, a lawyer defending a client who is guilty faces an ethical dilemma. An SDM who has to protect government lands and remove encroachments might, in the process, make some poor families homeless. Once you brainstorm, you will have a rich repository of such examples to cite from in your theory answers and case studies.
• From the Lives of Leaders, Philosophers, and Administrators:  Anecdotes, actions, stories, and quotes from the lives of eminent personalities can also be used as examples to drive your argument. Even mythology can be a rich resource to collect good examples. Lincoln’s fight against slavery is an example of moral courage. Dr. Kalam’s commitment to space and nuclear field is a testament to his professional competence.
• Crowdsourcing:  Many online portals such as Insights, IASBABA, ForumIAS, CivilsDaily run a daily module for answer writing practice. Sift through them and you will find some really good answers other people are writing. Reading these can help you build a blueprint for makes an excellent example and prepare your own list.The point of this exercise is to have enough examples for different kinds of situations so that you can easily pick the right one in the right context without wasting much time in the exam hall.

II. Case studies

More than the theory part, case studies bring out our ethical dilemmas and logical reasoning sharply. Done well, they can propel your score beyond 110. Gone wrong, they may restrict your marks to under 90.

The purpose of case studies is to make you ready for the field experience. Once you enter the civil service, you may face situations in which competing values clash. Would you strictly adhere to rules or stay flexible at times to help the needy? Would you suspend an erring subordinate, thereby curtailing his income, or overlook his misdeeds and close it with a warning, considering his dependent family? These are the real-life situations a civil servant confronts on a daily basis. Through case studies, the examiner can understand how you might behave if you were in a similar situation. So, one of the foremost tips (and one of the obvious) is to put yourself in the shoes of an administrator, and consider yourself a problem solver. This makes the whole exercise enjoyable and inevitably your answers exude passion and cogent articulation.

In this component, we will go through some pointers which can help you answer the case studies well.

A standard framework for answers

Having a concrete framework ready while answering gives a sense of flow, coherence and structure to your case study. Else, it

faces the risk of steering away from the question and exceeding the word limit. Therefore, it’s helpful to categorise your answer under the following subheadings:

•  Subject Matter : Briefly in a line or two, capture the entire case study. E.g. In a case Study dealing with an IAS aspirant heading for Interview but sees an accident on the way, subject Matter could be: Dilemma between achieving career ambition and responding to the accident as a good samaritan.

•  Stakeholders : List down the set of people who would be directly and indirectly affected in the case. For instance, you are the CEO of a PSU which is facing severe unionism and strikes, affecting company profits. Stakeholders are yourself, employees, government, public at large, local families, investors, and shareholders. You may also represent this information through a spoke and wheel diagram.

•  EthicalDilemmas/KeyPrinciples :Enumeratetheethicalissues in the case study. This is a crucial part of your answer since you explicitly mention the conflicting values you face in your judgement. For instance, in a case involving mining in a tribal inhabited forest, ethical issues will be: development vs. nature conservation; public interest vs protection of tribal land rights; economic growth vs equitable prosperity. Mention these issues in bullet points, sequentially.

•  Options Available to You : Write 3-4 choices you have in the scenario, along with the pros and cons of choosing each alternative. Two choices inevitably will be the extreme options, which are generally avoided as your choice. The remaining ones should be the practical courses of action you wish to pursue.

•  Choosing an Option : Under this subheading, write about the course of action which can be a combination of the above mentioned options. It should be followed by clear articulation of your arguments (more on this below) along with quotes and examples to substantiate your point of view. The best option to choose in any given situation is not the most original but the most practical. If you come up with a spectacular innovative idea, but isn’t easily implementable, it’s as good as doing nothing. Search for options that can be executed amidst the constraints a govt servant faces. For instance, let’s say in your district, tribals are agitating against a mining company planning to raze the forests and explore the mineral wealth. In such a case, a decision to put a complete ban or a moratorium on mining in your district is impractical and sub-optimal. By

prohibiting any form of mining, you will not help the cause of tribals who would have benefited from the new employment opportunities in the region. So choose an option in which you balance competing interests.

Articulation

Articulation is the beating heart of a case study answer. This follows ‘choosing an option’ section we discussed above.

In this segment, you reason out why you chose a particular option and elaborate on the further of course of action. More than the option you choose, it is the reasoning that led you to choose that particular option that matters more. It’s helpful to narrate from the first person point of view: Use I, wherever possible. It will personalise your answer and therefore carries the weight of a good argument. But, use your discretion based on your experiences on which perspective you want to use.

The course of action you wish to pursue must be mentioned in detail, enumerating the steps clearly. Put yourself in the shoes of the administrator, dive into the details, and make your answer as vivid and concrete as possible. Let me illustrate this through the following examples:

Consider a case study dealing with gender issues in the district. Don’t write something vague saying you will ensure women empowerment in the area. Describe concrete steps by writing on

the lines of: I will try to set up a livelihood opportunity based on their skills, help them produce marketable goods, procure that material in all govt departments, and then encourage local private sector to buy these goods. Quote examples of successful models like SEWA, Prajwala, Lijjat papad etc.

In a case relating to negligent monitoring of government schemes or projects, instead of saying I will collaborate with NGOs to ensure third party accountability, a better way of conveying would be: “I will speak to the reputed local NGOs, hold a meeting with them to take their views. I will give them specific inputs as to when they can go and inspect the schemes and project works discreetly and report to me in person or through WhatsApp.” You can substantiate with a real life example how such Socialcops played a terrific role in effective implementation of Ujjwala Yojana.

Consider a hypothetical case in which you are posted as the DM of a resource-poor district that has a history of vector-borne disease outbreaks. Monsoon season is approaching and you have to prepare for the challenge with limited funds at your disposal. You can narrate the following concrete steps. “Based on the previous years’ data, I will rank specific blocks in terms of their vulnerability and prioritise these hotspots for immediate attention. Fogging shall be done and anti-mosquito nets shall be distributed to these blocks on priority. Intense training sessions will be provided for ASHAs to help them detect of malaria/dengue promptly. I will use the District Mineral Fund (if available) and local CSR funds to procure rapid diagnostic kits. I shall designate every Friday as Dry-day where households in the district will be encouraged to drain out

stagnant water along with conducting a weekly review meeting with all health workers from village level to district level to assess preparedness and correct any issues.”

For a case on eradicating child marriages in a remote area, instead of saying “I will ensure awareness on the subject and adherence to law”, write— “I will take part in bi-weekly Gram Sabha sessions and make the community take a pledge against child marriages. I shall encourage rallies by school children and officers of all government departments. To monitor the on ground situation, I shall depute my officers as special officers responsible for set of blocks where they will tour, discreetly inspect and report back to me. I will monitor complaints and grievances on the issue and ensure a resolution within 30 days.” It helps to mention Govt. schemes like Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana or slogans such as Meri Beti-Mera Garv.

In a case where you, as the Chief, must change the work culture in your office— “At the start of every month, I will conduct a one-on-one meeting with each of my officers, take them into confidence and set mutually agreed goals. At the end of the month, I shall review each officer’s performance against these preset goals and rate them as per objective criteria. Best performers shall be given a letter of appreciation under my letterhead and put a copy of it on the notice board for others to see. The laggards shall be given a warning and if they don’t heed, I will initiate disciplinary action as per the rules to ensure deterrence.”

I don’t mean to say these are the only solutions to these case studies. The point is whatever be your decision, be concrete and specific. It will strike the examiner as practical and implementable.

Towards the end of your answer, quoting a relevant thinker’s opinion or quote gives credence to your decision. For instance, if the ethical issue is about professional integrity, E Sreedharan and his leadership in executing a complex rail project should be quoted as an example. Or let’s take a case study in which you are faced with a decision whether to give clearance to an important road project through a National Park (thereby helping the government save taxpayer’s money) or devising an alternate, but more expensive option (thereby preserving the ecosystem, but hurting govt finances). If you opt for the second option, you can stress on the importance of environmental economics and end with a quote saying:

As environmentalist Wangari Maathai said,  “We need to promote development that does not destroy our environment”.

Just the addition of the above sentence makes the argument more powerful. Your arguments now have the moral backing of an eminent personality. The value mapping exercise we did for the theory section will be helpful here. So for every case study, try and add such relevant quotes to substantiate your points. It will show that you not only read the works of those eminent people, but also understand how to apply their teachings in real-life.

Observe Time Limit

There is a tendency among aspirants to dedicate disproportionate time to case studies. But, remember that they are worth only 120 marks. Irrespective of whether you start with theory portion or the case studies, dedicate time proportionate to their weightage for marks. So for case studies, you should spend the maximum of 90 minutes i.e. 15 minutes per case study.

Further, you should realise that UPSC can change how it distributes marks across questions, but it cannot change the 250 marks assigned to a paper (without prior notice). So, whatever be the number of questions or distribution of marks across those questions, your target must be to write 80 marks worth of answers in the first hour, another 80 in the second hour and 90 in the final hour. This translates to 40 marks in the initial 30 minutes. So whether you start with Part A or Part B, aim to finish questions worth 40 marks in the first half-hour and then repeat this process. Always have an eye on the clock and if you think you are falling behind time, accelerate.

Gain Adequate Practice

Ethics paper has an emphasis on articulation and practical examples, which comes only with adequate practice. Besides, case studies across the years tend to have similar themes and ideas. So answering a lot of these beforehand will give you a sense of confidence to tackle any type of question.

III. Sample Answers

Q. How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? (10 Marks)

Social influence is the process through which a person’s attitudes, opinions, or behaviour are changed through social communication. Persuasion is a method of social influence.

Social influence and persuasion contribute to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) through:

•  Behavioural change among all the stakeholders : By changing attitude toward open defecation in the society through campaigns and media. E.g: Darwaza Band campaign and rallies by school children to build awareness

•  Social pressure and peer pressure : By naming and shaming people who don’t have toilets, they will be forced to build one.

E.g: Children persuading their parents, Gram sabhas reading out names of households without toilets. Positive peer pressure in the form of prizes and rewards for building and using toilets can also help people change.

•  Role-Model effect:  When celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan persuade for SBA, it can bring about a change in orthodox opinions about open defecation.

•  Community Ownership : Through Gram Swachhdhoots, SBA can be made community driven to make it . Such persuasive methods were very successful in Bangladesh.

•  Healthy competition among stakeholders : through initiatives like Swacch Survekshan.

Thus social Influence and persuasion techniques, by effectively targeting the social psyche and behaviour can accelerate the goal of Swacch Bharat Mission.

Q. You are aspiring to become an IAS officer and you have cleared various stages and now you have been selected for the personal interview. On the day of the interview, on the way to the venue you saw an accident where a mother and child who happen to be your relatives were badly injured. They needed immediate help. What would you have done in such a situation? Justify your action. (25 Marks)

Subject matter:  Dilemma between achieving career ambition Vs responding to accident as a good samaritan.

Stakeholders involved:  The mother, child, me, my family, society at large and the UPSC.

Ethical dilemmas :

• Personal ambitions vs. Moral responsibility to help others • Being punctual to the interview vs Saving life • Personal and family’s dream to be civil servant vs Moral

obligation to relatives

Options Available

Final Course of action

I shall choose the last option because I have a moral responsibility to help the victims, and a personal responsibility to myself, my family and my career. I worked hard to reach the interview stage, so it makes sense to balance both these obligations.

So my immediate response would be to quickly move the victims to my cab. Using Google Maps, I’ll check for nearby hospitals and find the shortest route possible to get there. I will call the hospital and ask them to arrange emergency services by the time we reach.

Along the way, I will also call the relatives’ family and ask them to reach the hospital. I will admit the victim to the hospital and pay any charges, if required. If it gets late for the relatives to reach, I will entrust the cab driver to kindly look after her, pay him his waiting charges and proceed to the interview.

In the meantime, I will also check if I can reach out to anyone who can inform the interview panel about my situation and that I may reach late. If I do get delayed, I will make every attempt to convince the authorities involved as to the reasons why it happened. As soon as the interview is done, I will come back to the hospital and check on the victims’ condition and help them in anyway I can.

As remarked by Gandhiji  “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” . By helping people, we not only make the world a better place but also stay true to our conscience. It leads to harmony, balancing social good with personal ambition.

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42 thoughts on “ How to Answer GS 4 Ethics Paper in UPSC Mains ”

Hey anudeep, thank you so much for the invaluable insights you have provided us in your book. Its a wonderful piece of your hard work. I got so much to learn from it. Thank you so much. God bless you 🙂

Glad to hear that. Thank you!

क्या आपकी पुस्तक हिंदी में या फिर English में

Sir please can you tell me that this is ebook or it is hard copy?Will it be delivered to our home?

Sir meru guidance esthara

Sir how you learn fluent english Please give reply sir

respected sir , i have made the payment of 389 for essay answer writing book and videos but still it is showing to pay the amount . how should i access the book ? plz reply it would be helpful for me . thanking u regards maithili

Anna nv super anna I am full inspired

Sir which pen you used??

Sir start the YouTube channel for village people’s

Meru e book videos freega endhuku cheyatam ledhu, afford cheyaleni aspirants me valuble suggestions ela telusukuntaru ?

Kya main BA karke CSE apply karskta ho Apki 5 tips aur konsi konsi books Leno chahiye…

Good Evening sir, I want to write GS paper in English and take Hindi Literature. It’s possible or not.

Yes,Of course. Explanation: If your optional is a literature paper then you have to write those optional papers in that very language. Except them, all papers, Essay and G.S I, II, III, IV are to be written only in Hindi or English. So, You can choose English as your medium and Hindi Literature as your optionals.

Wonderful Sir Salute to your hard work and perseverance You are a true IAS officer,dedicated to Steve your country’s people.

Sir. 1.May I know which online platform for prelims and mains test series is the good one ? 2 .whether to join integrated prelims and mains or separate prelims and separate mains test series? 3.what is the right time to join ?

Sir I am unable to open the video lectures of your book..as those videos are unsupported in my mobile…sir Its a …….please send me those videos in my gmail account as your each video and lecture is very important to me and all the upsc aspirants..

Really it is very helpful for the beginners.. Thank you so much anudeep sir.

for beginners it will give full clarity on how be a good thinker and on track aspirants it will give value addition. we good to see u providing this enormous information which u are giving for aspirants. THANK YOU BRO..KEEP ON GIVE THIS BOOST TO ASPIRANTS

Sir Thankyou very much for this book .Immensely helpful.Sir is your book enough for upsc preparation if we understand it and like this way.

Will you release new editions in the upcoming years?? Or is this book useful for upsc 2022 please reply sir….

Sir is this only e-book or can I get its hard copy ? If yes can I know how to get it .

Thanks a ton sir! What an exaplanation you have presented before us. I cleared all doubts and ambiguities related to paper 4. thanks again sir .love you sir..

Thank you sir

Tnq so much resp. Sir..! Valuable guidance for us…To clear all doubts regarding paper IV.🙏

Hello Sir, Your ethics notes are very concise and effective and I am grateful to you for providing these notes. One thing i can’t make out is the LMR you’ve written at certain places with an highlighter. Please decode this puzzle so that I can be at peace.😭🙏

‘Last Minute Revision’ 🙂

Thanks a lot sir ji one day i will join in your group

Thank u very much sir 😊 such a wonderful explanation for the beginers like me. Keep going in writing such awesome books like this. Actually sreaching for good network ,I think this is the correct platform for not only me but also all the asparents … Thank u sir from the bottom of the heat 😁

Hello Sir, but sir from where i get all quotes.

Your advice is solid. This is amazingly articulated with detailed suggestions. Thank you so much for this. Hope you’re doing well as an IAS officer, best wishes.

Sir it’s an honour to have read this chapter! Thanks a lot for publishing the book! I’ve placed my order and am eagerly awaiting. Thanks once again, Sir. I believe that you are a blessing to all the aspirants. I hope to clear the exam with flying colors and meet you in person to share my respect and admiration for you! I’m from Hyderabad and it feels so proud to be associated with the land where you come from. Believe me, coming from the bottom of my heart. 🙏😊

A warm good afternoon sir! the way you present your answers really awesome sir. sir my small request you to present upsc prelims and mains best books to aspirants ,to clear upsc.

Thank you so much sir for giving well knowledge about answer writing in UPSC mains iam froam Warangal I hope that iam become a civil servant with your blessings sir..

I have to appear in CSE in 2024…so when should I start preparing Ethics..?

Sir please start YouTube channel sir for village people sir

If above case studies come true in life, should I persue the same as given in elaboration. And if I got delayed, I would be entertained for the interview…if “yes” its ok and if not… I can go with court help..

Now it’s clear that how to score good in ethics. Thank you so much for this. 😊

Hello sir , Good evening

Sir i want to write my gs and essay papers in regional language. and going to choose literature of that language too. But the thing is authentic material is not available in this language …so i have decided to read in eng. And translate in my notes in my language….is it advisable ?? Or should i improve my english writing skills ? Or can i reach that level of eng. Writing in a year ?

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Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study Research Paper

The case of Canterbury v. Spence revolved around the plaintiff, a 19-year-old clerk typist working with the FBI. He was experiencing back pain and sought medical intervention from the defendant, a Washington Neurosurgeon, Dr. William T. Spence. The defendant performed a myelogram to determine the cause of the illness. Dr. Spence then performed a laminectomy on the plaintiff. The surgery was successful, but unfortunately, the claimant reportedly fell off the bed, causing him to suffer significant paralysis.

Due to his condition, the plaintiff sued the doctor for negligence, claiming he didn’t get his informed consent before performing the surgery. The doctor didn’t warn him that the procedure carried a 1% paralysis risk (“464 F2d 772 Canterbury v. Spence,” n.d.). The court held that the healthcare provider is legally required to provide any information a patient would wish to know concerning a particular medical intervention before performing surgery or procedure. Additionally, the doctor must obtain a patient’s informed consent before performing surgery or procedure.

Elements of Informed Consent

Patients must be able to make their own medical and health decisions. Before a patient agrees to treatment, the doctor must explain the risks, benefits, and alternatives (Shah et al., 2022). The patient must agree to the therapy after understanding the risks and advantages. Documenting informed consent should comprise five components: the procedure’s nature, risks and advantages, feasible alternatives, risks and benefits, and patient understanding.

For informed consent to be legitimate, certain conditions must be met. First, the consenting party must be capable of making independent judgments. Secondly, the subject must grasp the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment. Thirdly, the patient must be given ample time to weigh the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment. People shouldn’t be rushed or coerced into making a decision; they should be given time to ask questions and consider their options (Shah et al., 2022). The patient must agree they understand the risks and advantages of the recommended treatment.

Reasonable Person Standard

One of the acceptable legal approaches to adequate informed consent is the reasonable person standard, a legal standard used to determine whether a person can be held liable for negligence or a tort. It focuses on the information a typical patient needs to comprehend the decision (Shah et al., 2022). The criterion is founded on the idea that a reasonable person would take the same care to prevent injury to himself or another person.

Importance of Informed Consent in Medical Care

In medical care, informed consent is essential because it enables patients to choose treatments they want or do not want based on all available facts. Additionally, it allows the patient to collaborate with their healthcare professional in making decisions (Cohen, 2020). Furthermore, it shields healthcare professionals from liability by demonstrating that the patient was aware of the risks and advantages of a particular treatment and voluntarily consented to it.

Relationship between Informed Consent and Ethics and Relevant Ethical Principles

Informed consent is a vital ethical and legal concept in modern healthcare. The informed consent process is critical to ethical healthcare because it ensures that patients can make healthcare decisions. Informed consent is subject to several ethical considerations. To begin, informed consent is based on autonomy, emphasizing that individuals can make their own life choices. Additionally, informed consent is founded on beneficence, which holds that healthcare professionals should act in the best interests of their patients. Finally, informed consent is founded on the nonmaleficence principle, which states that medical personnel should not cause harm to patients (Varkey, 2020). Consent with awareness ensures that proposed healthcare measures will not harm patients.

Hospital’s Responsibility in Insuring Informed Consent

A hospital is accountable for a few essential factors to provide informed consent. First, the hospital must disclose all information needed for a reasonable person to decide whether to have surgery or treatment. Additionally, the hospital must ensure that the patient understands this information. The healthcare personnel must therefore take the time to explain the content to the patient and answer any questions they may have. In conclusion, the hospital must ensure that the patient’s consent is freely and voluntarily given.

464 F2d 772 Canterbury v. Spence . (n.d.). Legal Resources | OpenJurist. Web.

Cohen, I. G. (2020). Informed consent and medical artificial intelligence: What to tell the patient? SSRN Electronic Journal . Web.

Shah, P., Thornton, I., Turrin, D., & Hipskind, J. E. (2022). Informed consent – StatPearls – NCBI bookshelf . National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web.

Varkey, B. (2020). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice . Medical Principles and Practice , 30 (1), 17-28. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2024, May 19). Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study. https://ivypanda.com/essays/canterbury-v-spence-the-case-study/

"Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study." IvyPanda , 19 May 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/canterbury-v-spence-the-case-study/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study'. 19 May.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study." May 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/canterbury-v-spence-the-case-study/.

1. IvyPanda . "Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study." May 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/canterbury-v-spence-the-case-study/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Canterbury v. Spence: The Case Study." May 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/canterbury-v-spence-the-case-study/.

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