Is it ever justifiable to tell a little “white lie,” withhold information, tell half-truths, or otherwise be deceptive (see codes of ethics, Reitz article, etc. for more) if doing so will lead to you achieving your goal (or that of the parties if you’re the facilitator or mediator)?

To prepare for this Discussion:

Read the questions in the Discussion post and keep them in mind as you review the following articles: “Ethics in Negotiation: Oil and Water or Good Lubrication?,” “Ethics in Negotiation: Does Getting to Yes Require Candor?,” “Ethics in Conflict Resolution: The Ties that Bind,” and “A Conflict Resolution Approach to Teaching Ethical Decision Making: Bridging Conflicting Values.”
Also with the questions in the Discussion post in mind, review the online articles “Codes of Conduct of Interveners,” the “Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators,” and the “APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.”
Create or bring to mind an existing conflict that would tempt someone to engage in minor or major deceptive behaviors or practices and has an ethical or moral issue as part of the conflict.
Think about how you would respond to the Discussion questions with respect to this conflict.
Revisit the Learning Resources and think about how you can relate this information to your conflict and your response.
By Day 4

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 your response to the following questions. Be sure to cite the articles and ethical codes in the Learning Resources to support your position.

Is it ever justifiable to tell a little “white lie,” withhold information, tell half-truths, or otherwise be deceptive (see codes of ethics, Reitz article, etc. for more) if doing so will lead to you achieving your goal (or that of the parties if you’re the facilitator or mediator)? If so, when and why? If not, why not? Does it make a difference if the issue or goal is ethical or moral in nature?

Is it ever justifiable to be the third party in a conflict resolution when you have a prior relationship of some sort with one of the parties and/or are not the most qualified to handle the kind of conflict involved? If so, when and why? If not, why not?

Begin by creating or describing an actual conflict that has a moral or ethical issue at the heart of or at least partially present in it. When you respond to the questions above, refer to your “situation” and include indications of how you might handle the ethical dilemmas represented in your conflict resolution example.

Again, it is important that you back up your opinions with citations from the Learning Resources.

Note: Please vary the level of the conflicts you select (interpersonal, intergroup, community, societal) assignment to assignment and week to week, so that all are represented equally.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Last Completed Projects