UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Law
⋄
ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING
IN THE PROFESSIONS
PRF2601 — Professional Ethics
Assignment 1 — Semester 1 2026
⋄
Module Code: PRF2601
Module Name: Professional Ethics
Student Name: [Student Name]
Student Number: [Student Number]
Assignment No.: Assignment 1
Due Date: March 2026
Semester: Semester 1 – 2026
Unique Number: [Unique Number]
,UNISA | PRF2601 Ethical Decision-Making in the Professions
Introduction
Every professional, at some point, faces a moment where the right thing to do is not imme-
diately obvious. Two competing duties pull in opposite directions. A client’s best interest
clashes with a legal obligation. Personal loyalty tugs against institutional accountability.
These are not rare emergencies; they are the ordinary texture of professional life, and how
they are handled separates professionals who merely follow rules from those who practise
genuine ethical judgment.
The quality of ethical decisions depends heavily on the process used to reach them. Deci-
sions made under pressure, without systematic reflection, and without reference to estab-
lished ethical principles tend to be inconsistent, defensible only in hindsight, and vulnerable
to the distortions introduced by self-interest, cognitive bias, and social pressure (Domenech
Rodriguez, Erickson Cornish and Thomas, 2022). By contrast, a structured approach to ethi-
cal decision-making, one that moves deliberately through the recognition of an ethical issue,
the application of moral reasoning, the weighing of competing duties, and the execution of a
courageous course of action, produces outcomes that can withstand scrutiny and that build
the kind of professional trust that institutions and communities depend on.
This assignment discusses ethical decision-making in detail. It examines what ethical decision-
making means, why process matters, the major theoretical frameworks that guide it, the key
models used across professional contexts, and the practical steps involved. Throughout, con-
crete scenarios from the correctional services, the legal profession, and health care are used
to illustrate how these ideas operate in practice within the South African context.
Page 1 of 17
, UNISA | PRF2601 Ethical Decision-Making in the Professions
1. What Ethical Decision-Making Means
Ethical decision-making is the process through which a professional identifies, evaluates,
and resolves a moral dilemma by applying ethical principles, professional codes of conduct,
and reasoned judgment (Cottone and Claus, 2000). It is a process, not a single act. The dis-
tinction matters because it shifts attention away from the outcome of a decision, which may
sometimes be influenced by factors outside the practitioner’s control, toward the quality of
the reasoning and conduct that produced it.
A decision is ethical not because it happens to produce a good result, but because it was
reached through a process that took the relevant moral considerations seriously, considered
the interests of all affected parties, applied the appropriate principles honestly, and was car-
ried out with the courage to act on the conclusion reached (Rest, 1986, as cited in Thoma
and Bebeau, 2013). This process-centred view of ethics is important in professional contexts
because it is the only standard that remains consistent across the enormous variety of situa-
tions professionals encounter.
Key Distinction
Ethical decision-making vs. rule-following: Following a code of conduct is a neces-
sary condition of ethical professional behaviour, but it is not sufficient. Codes cannot
anticipate every situation, and many genuine ethical dilemmas arise precisely where
two legitimate rules conflict. Ethical decision-making is the exercise of principled judg-
ment in those spaces that rules alone cannot fill (South African Professional Conduct
Guidelines in Psychology, 2007; Domenech Rodriguez et al., 2022).
Page 2 of 17
College of Law
⋄
ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING
IN THE PROFESSIONS
PRF2601 — Professional Ethics
Assignment 1 — Semester 1 2026
⋄
Module Code: PRF2601
Module Name: Professional Ethics
Student Name: [Student Name]
Student Number: [Student Number]
Assignment No.: Assignment 1
Due Date: March 2026
Semester: Semester 1 – 2026
Unique Number: [Unique Number]
,UNISA | PRF2601 Ethical Decision-Making in the Professions
Introduction
Every professional, at some point, faces a moment where the right thing to do is not imme-
diately obvious. Two competing duties pull in opposite directions. A client’s best interest
clashes with a legal obligation. Personal loyalty tugs against institutional accountability.
These are not rare emergencies; they are the ordinary texture of professional life, and how
they are handled separates professionals who merely follow rules from those who practise
genuine ethical judgment.
The quality of ethical decisions depends heavily on the process used to reach them. Deci-
sions made under pressure, without systematic reflection, and without reference to estab-
lished ethical principles tend to be inconsistent, defensible only in hindsight, and vulnerable
to the distortions introduced by self-interest, cognitive bias, and social pressure (Domenech
Rodriguez, Erickson Cornish and Thomas, 2022). By contrast, a structured approach to ethi-
cal decision-making, one that moves deliberately through the recognition of an ethical issue,
the application of moral reasoning, the weighing of competing duties, and the execution of a
courageous course of action, produces outcomes that can withstand scrutiny and that build
the kind of professional trust that institutions and communities depend on.
This assignment discusses ethical decision-making in detail. It examines what ethical decision-
making means, why process matters, the major theoretical frameworks that guide it, the key
models used across professional contexts, and the practical steps involved. Throughout, con-
crete scenarios from the correctional services, the legal profession, and health care are used
to illustrate how these ideas operate in practice within the South African context.
Page 1 of 17
, UNISA | PRF2601 Ethical Decision-Making in the Professions
1. What Ethical Decision-Making Means
Ethical decision-making is the process through which a professional identifies, evaluates,
and resolves a moral dilemma by applying ethical principles, professional codes of conduct,
and reasoned judgment (Cottone and Claus, 2000). It is a process, not a single act. The dis-
tinction matters because it shifts attention away from the outcome of a decision, which may
sometimes be influenced by factors outside the practitioner’s control, toward the quality of
the reasoning and conduct that produced it.
A decision is ethical not because it happens to produce a good result, but because it was
reached through a process that took the relevant moral considerations seriously, considered
the interests of all affected parties, applied the appropriate principles honestly, and was car-
ried out with the courage to act on the conclusion reached (Rest, 1986, as cited in Thoma
and Bebeau, 2013). This process-centred view of ethics is important in professional contexts
because it is the only standard that remains consistent across the enormous variety of situa-
tions professionals encounter.
Key Distinction
Ethical decision-making vs. rule-following: Following a code of conduct is a neces-
sary condition of ethical professional behaviour, but it is not sufficient. Codes cannot
anticipate every situation, and many genuine ethical dilemmas arise precisely where
two legitimate rules conflict. Ethical decision-making is the exercise of principled judg-
ment in those spaces that rules alone cannot fill (South African Professional Conduct
Guidelines in Psychology, 2007; Domenech Rodriguez et al., 2022).
Page 2 of 17
