7 STEPS OF DECISION MAKING

Case 1
GATHER THE FACTS:

What we know:
1. Jack has a project which is to provide new solar panels for an East African
community.
2. Jack’s managing the current company’s charity projects and determining how to
distribute the funding of the mission project’s in East African.
3. Jack is not sure whether the company should be funding the project mission.
4. Jack knows that installing lighting inside the house is more practical than installing
solar panels
5. Incident of stealing an equipment for money which is similar to the current project
6. East African people do not have any electricity to provide better lighting inside the
home.
7. Jack is responsible for the project and to provide the community with a more simple
and efficient solution to their problem.
What we need to know:
1. Is the local sponsor only sponsoring solar panels and not lighting?
2. The margin of cost between the solar panels project and installing lighting in every
house.
3. Does the community know how to operate the solar panels?
4. Would the lighting system outweigh the desire of the community than the green
sustainability?
5. Are there any precautionary measures to safeguard the assets?
6. What are the other functions and uses of solar panels that installing lighting in
every house cannot achieve?

WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS:

PRIMARY STAKEHOLDER SECONDARY STAKEHOLDER

1. Jack 1. Local sponsors

2. The people of East African 2. Contractual workers
3. The Company 3. The environment

STAKEHOLDER STAKES

Jack 1. Reputation
2. Accountability and responsibility
3. Company’s budget
4. Efficient solution to the in-need
community
The Company 1. Reputation
2. Financial Stability
3. Business partnership
4. Cost factor

The people of East African 1. Lighting system

2. Energy system
3. Safety
4. Needs
5. Maintenance

Local sponsors 1. The highlight of their product

2. Publicity of solar panels
3. Good partnership

Contractual workers 1. Changes in pay rate

2. Possible lay off

The environment 1. Energy sustainability

2. Greenness

ARTICULATE THE DILEMMA:

“Transparency and disclosure vs. business growth vs. honest criticism vs.
business partnership vs. public interest vs. company’s interest vs. efficiency vs.
publicity vs. sustainability vs. practicality”

THE MATRIX

ALTERNATIVES VALUES / PRINCIPLES

Jack’s company should provide the 1. Company's interest

technology to the community. 2. Business growth
3. Business partnership
4. Publicity

Jack’s company should not provide the 1. Honest Criticism / Truth-telling

technology to the community. 2. Transparency and disclosure
3. Public interest
4. Efficiency
5. Practicality

Jack shall disclose the information from 1. Transparency and disclosure

the study; however, they may start first at 2. Business partnership
a small scale to monitor its effectiveness 3. Public and company’s interest
and to estimate the budget needed. 4. Publicity
Further, Jack and his company should 5. Sustainability
educate the community about the 6. Practicality
application and importance of solar
panels. They do not need to implement
the project as one go, a small test can be
done to see if this can be sustained,
otherwise they must proceed to installing
lighting.

ALTERNATIVES CONSEQUENCES

Jack’s company should provide the Jack

technology to the community.
(+) Recognition for the fostering of good
partnership to the sponsors.
(-) He may lose his license due to
negligence because he continued the
projects despite knowing the possible bad
effects.

People of East African

(+) The people of East Africa will have solar
panels as source of energy such as
electricity.
(-) High maintenance cost
Long-term project

The company
(+) Good partnership
Recognition for charity projects
(-) Cost constraint
Loss of equipment

Local sponsor
(+) Publicity of their products
Recognition of charity work
(-) Waste of solar panels due to incapability
to maintain

Contractual workers
(+) They can have the opportunity to take
extended partnership with the company.

Jack’s company should not provide the Jack
technology to the community
(-) Their labor force will be put to waste if
such projects cannot be maintained after all.
The environment
(+) A long-term solution and availability of
electricity without hampering the access to
other resources.
(-) It may turn the area into high-risk.
Climate change and smog will be the
number one cause in large urban areas.
(+) Assert his accountability and
responsibility to disclose significant data.
To assert his criticism and to uphold his
sworn oath as a project engineer to improve
the application of technology and
understand its consequences.
(-) The company may look at him as the sole
reason of losing the partnership.
People of East African
(+) They may be saved from the possible
negative effects of the solar panels project.
They may receive their real needs.
(-) They may have no lighting system
instead if the sponsor withdraws, and the
company cannot fund the other project.
The company
(+) Save the fund.
They may come up with more efficient
projects.
(-) Loss the partnership.
Local sponsor
(+) It will not incur additional expense to put
up the solar panel
(-) Loss of profit opportunity
Contractual workers
(+) They can no longer be exposed to the
adverse effects of solar panel erection.
(-) Lower pay rate
Changes in nature of work may result in lay-
off.

Jack shall disclose the information from
the study; however, they may start first at
a small scale to monitor its effectiveness
and to estimate the budget needed.
Further, Jack and his company should
educate the community about the
application and importance of solar
panels. They do not need to implement
the project as one go, a small test can be
done to see if this can be sustained,
otherwise they must proceed to installing
lighting.
The environment
(+) The area may be saved from being
hazardous. Might have a chance of moving
towards a sustainable electricity matrix with
minimal impact on nature and people.
(-) Might end up using fossil resources.
Jack
(+) Jack can still foster the partnership and
at the same reinforce his accountability
about lighting if the small test is proven not
really maintainable.
(-) More cost as lighting system cost plus
the small-test of the solar panels.
People of East African
(+) East African will be informed about the
entire project as well as the significance of
solar panels.
East Africans would have access to solar
panels as a source of energy, such as
electricity for lighting system.
(-) High maintenance cost
Short-term project only
The company
(+) They will gain good feedback to the
people of East African.
(-) Cost constraint
Loss of equipment
Local sponsor
(+) Good partnership
Recognition for charity projects
(-) Waste of solar panels due to incapability
to maintain
Contractual workers
(+) They will be able to enter a longer
relationship with the organization and
participate in further potential projects.
(-) There will be forced labor for them to
attain the set of dates on accomplishing the
mission project.
 The environment
(+) Long-term solution and energy supply
without obstructing access to other services
and resources.
(+) Use the sun to generate clean, pure
energy and greatly help in the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions and our
collective reliance on fossil fuels.
(-) It has the potential to transform the
region into a high-risk zone. In wide urban
areas, climate change and smog may be
the leading causes.

DECISION:

Providing the advantages and disadvantages for these two options will give a
better vision for deciding which is better to proceed with. Having the first setup which is
installing solar panels for the East African community gives reasonable benefits.
Although, it is risky installing these solar panels since there was a prior incident reported
wherein some people in this community had stolen the same equipment and sold them
for their own money. However, such incidents can be avoided with good internal control
and safeguarding the asset that can be taught to the community.
Funding for the solar panels for the entire community will give them more benefits,
not only will they get lights for their homes, but they can also use this energy to create
something that will help them with their needs. For example, farmers can create a
waterway to provide water for their crop. With that being said, they can plant and harvest
during the dry season and make more money. Looking at our alternatives, Jack must,
indeed, educate the community about this project and must warn them that it is equipped
with advanced technology that secures the solar panels wherein no one or no person who
is not authorized to go in—cannot get inside. Installing solar panels is expensive so they
need to do it gradually and gather some data, so they will not waste lots of money.
Proceeding with this setup will not only light their homes but will also give them lots of
opportunities in life. This is a utilitarian procedure which can create a smile on their faces.
But one way to approach is to first start the solar panels project on a small scale
to study how the cost factor, safeguarding the assets and its maintenance will affect the
standing of the said project. They must educate the community about the application of
the technology as it will yield greater pleasure, more than the desire of the lighting system,
but others such as irrigation, heating system, crop, etc. However, if such a small test was
proven really not attainable nor cannot be maintained, should Jack proceed with the
lighting system, as it would yield the desire and pleasure of the community in the long-
term.
In a Utilitarian perspective, installing lighting systems inside their houses will be
more practical and less expensive. With that simplicity, the community can achieve their
desire to have a better lighting. Furthermore, it will create less risk and provide the
community with their needs. Since the community only needs a better lighting system, it
will be less expensive and less hassle to proceed with this procedure. Simply the second
option aims to provide what they just need and what they just desire—to provide a better
lighting system to their community. This will also give Jack a less hassle project and will
let Jack continue with his other projects. Moreover, this is only a short-term project and
maintaining the solar panels would be a huge problem and will lessen the lifespan of the
solar panels.
Providing the public with anything but the most effective solution that yields the
most practical and long-term desire is an ethical violation. Installing a solution that furthers
the interest of a company as opposed to the more appropriate solution is a conflict of
interest and Jack should bring this up with his boss. If it is known that the area in which
the equipment is a high-risk area, and with the interests and desire of the people more
important than that of a corporation, Jack has the responsibility to bring the issue to the
table and proceed with the lighting system that yields the desire of the community.