BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN VALUES
Moral Challenge Action Plan Worksheet
The Moral Challenge Action Plan is a method for managing a moral challenge. It provides you
with a template of questions that guide you through the steps of identifying, evaluating, and
resolving a moral challenge. You will also practice applying the Moral Challenge Action Plan
informally in team discussions and practice exercises.
Title of the Case: How will you identify this case?
Source: What is the source of your information about this case?
Case
Overview
“Big picture” interpretation of the case in one or two sentences. How would you
characterize the moral challenge of this case? Why is this case morally important?
Key Facts Your factual discovery of key events, actors, and evidence: What relevant events, people,
and evidence are key to understanding the situation or problem? What contextual/
technical knowledge needs to be considered? What are your sources for the facts case
and how reliable are they?
Ethical
Analysis
Your interpretation of the values conflict or moral challenge.
• What is the main moral issue in this case? What is at stake? What is the moral
urgency? (Uncertainty, risk, danger)
• Who is the key moral actor in this case? Whose actions and decisions determine the
moral resolution of this case?
• What is your intuitive moral judgment of the issue? What foundational moral values
are involved? (CARE, LIBERTY, FAIRNESS, LOYALTY, AUTHORITY, SANCTITY)
• How do values and moral judgments conflict? Is it a right/right or right/wrong
conflict? What type of right/right?
• Is the moral issue with an action, the means of action, or the intent of an action?
• What normative moral claims and standpoints of VIRTUE (character, common good),
DUTY (principle, moral claims), and CONSEQUENCES (outcomes, harm, cost, benefit)
should you consider in evaluating the moral challenge?
• How would you apply the values and code of your wisdom tradition to understand
and explain the moral issue?
• How does the moral challenge align/conflict with the core values of your Wisdom
Tradition and that of stakeholders?
Stakeholder
Analysis
Your interpretation of stakeholder interests in light of precedents, context, and evidence:
• Who are the stakeholders (Individuals, groups, or entities) whose values, moral claims,
and duties constitute the moral challenge of the case? What values, Wisdom Traditions,
and moral arguments support their claims? How valid and sound are those claims?
• What competing or contested values, claims, or duties complicate this case? Which
stakeholders have more urgent and compelling claims? Why?
• What similar cases or situations are useful as analogues for evaluating this case?
Option
Analysis
Your interpretation of options. What are the feasible options for the key moral actor to
consider in resolving the moral problem? On what grounds are they morally justified?
Decision Your action recommendation. Which option is the most ethical, and on what grounds?
How does the action express/reflect your core values?
Summary
Argument
Your argument in brief: Can you explain the best decision option or action plan
persuasively in <25 words?