MODULE 1 Lesson 4 – The Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas important tasks.

If there are gaps,

organizations end up with no one doing responsibility. If there are overlaps, things become unclear and
may lead to more confusion and even conflict and worse wasted effort and perhaps even resources
because of the intended overlap.

ABSTRACTION

a. Individual Dilemma

This refers to personal dilemmas, it is an individual’s damn-if-you-do-and damn-if-you-don’t.

b. Organizational Dilemma

An organizational dilemma is a puzzle posed by the dual necessities of a social organization and
members’ self-interest. It may exist between personal interests and organizational welfare or between
group interests and organizational well-being. (Wagner, J. 2019)

Organizational dilemmas may likewise occur in business, medical and public sector.

Organizational dilemma arises due to different opposing concerns betweenvarious groupings in an

organization.

c. Structural Dilemma

A structural dilemma is a conflict of perspective of sectors, groups and institutions that may be affected
by the decision. The following are examples of structural dilemma:

1. Differentiation Versus Integration in Structural Dilemma

Different divisions have their own different culture and so coordination between divisions or bringing
them together for becomes more difficult. As an example, any attempt to introduce reform in society or
government creates structural dilemma. For instance, promoting or introducing universal health care
system, which is tantamount to socialized health care, gives rise to a structural dilemma, that is, a
conflict perspective of sectors, groups and institutions that may be affected by the decision.

2. Gap Versus Overlap

There may be a gap and overlaps in roles and responsibilities. If key responsibilities are not clearly
assigned, there may be gaps or overlaps in important tasks. If there are gaps, organizations end up with
no one doing responsibility. If there are overlaps, things become unclear and may lead to more
confusion and even conflict and worse wasted effort and perhaps even resources because of the
intended overlap.

3. Lack of Clarity Versus Lack of Creativity

When responsibilities are over defined, people conform to prescribe roles and protocols in
“bureaucratic” ways. They rigidly follow job descriptions regardless of how much the service or product
suffers and so end up uncreative.

4. Flexibility Versus Strict Adherence to Rules

You accommodate by bending rules to help someone or you stick strictly to rules no matter what and so
unable to help someone who is thrown into a helpless situation. Or you may become being too
accommodating that all rules are no more.

Your jobs are defined so clearly that you will stick to them even if circumstances are such that by sticking
to your job description the service or product that your organization provides suffers.

5. Excessive Autonomy Versus Excessive Interdependence

This refers to being too isolated versus too much coordination. When individual groups are too
autonomous, people often feel isolated and disconnected.

6. Centralized Versus Decentralized Decision Making In decentralized decision making, organizations can
respond to change more rapidly and effectively because the decision makers are the people closest to
the situation. However, top managers may lose some control. This isthe dilemma of tight over
centralization or diffusing authority which is loose.

7. Structural Dilemma in a World Organization like the United Nations Succinctly put, a structural
dilemma in a world organization like the UN is the problem of balance between world order and
national sovereignty restated as the balance between measure of international authority essential to
the establishment of an organized common peace and freedom of action of the separate members of
the world community or the balance between interdependence and independence. (Jenks, 1971) .