The Elements and Impact of Ethical Decision Making We must first examine the thought process and define the meaning of morality. Every day we continually make decisions without taking ethics or moral values ​​into account. We can define morality as a system of shared rules, or values ​​that dictate specific behaviors during people's interactions. Morality or moral value is about doing the right thing and raises questions about how we should act in a certain situation. According to John Wilcox and Susan Ebbs, in The Leadership Compass, "Moral behavior is primarily about how we treat others individually and in groups... - the key then is that morality brings us into contact with others and asks us to consider the quality of that contact" (Shanks, 1997). This article will discuss the elements of an ethically defensible decision and the impact of ethics on decision making. Basic Elements and Rules As in problem solving, we must first identify the problem, so, in morally sound decision making, we must first identify or recognize a moral issue. We do this by asking questions that determine whether an action is right or wrong by a given society's standards. What is acceptable in one society may not be morally acceptable in another; however, the ethical relevance of the behavior does not change. Questions like: Will this behavior cause harm to anyone? Could it be... half the paper... today? Have I done more good than harm? Was I honest and fair? There are others, but I think you get my point. The impact of ethics in decision making is that it challenges us to become better individuals at all levels by making us aware of our actions and behavior. We are really talking about expectations and we should not expect more than we are willing to give back to society. References Shanks, Thomas S.J., (1997). Markula Center for Applied Ethics. Daily ethics. Retrieved January 30, 2004, from: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v8n1/everdayethics.html.Velasquez, M., Andre, C., Shanks, Thomas S.J., & Meyer, M.J., ( no date). Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Thinking ethically: A framework for moral decision making. Retrieved January 24, 2004, from: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/thinking.html