The Development of Modes of Thinking and Choices - Case Study Example

KOHLBERG’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE MORAL DEVELOPMENT NAME INSTITUTION Introduction Kohlberg’s theory of cognitive moral development is taken seriously in business concerning ethical decision making. Lawrence Kohlberg used the storytelling technique to tell stories concerning moral dilemmas and in each case offered a choice to be made such as between authority rights and an individual being treated unfairly. The theory states that ethical behavior, moral reasoning has several developmental stages which respond to moral dilemmas better than its predecessor. Moral development according to Lawrence is concerned with justice and continues all through an individual’s life. These stages are classified into three levels, conventional morality, pre-conventional morality, and post-conventional morality. Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory was interested in the way people justified their actions when placed in the same moral dilemmas and analyzed the kind of moral reasoning applied rather than the conclusion. Critiques of the theory argue that the theory emphasizes on justice and excludes the other moral values, for example, caring. Kohlberg’s theory is about the way individuals justify different behaviors, but his stages are not used as a method of ranking people’s responses. There is a relation between a person’s behavior and how they score on the Kohlberg’s scale. The moral behavior is responsible, predictable and consistent from people at higher levels. The pre-conventional morality level states that people do not have a personal morality code, and their moral code is shaped by adult standards and consequences of breaking the rules. This level of moral reasoning is typical in most children though a few adults exhibit this thinking level (Piaget 1932). Thinking at this level judges an action’s morality by its consequences. The pre-conventional level is made up of the first and second moral development stages which are concerned with an individual in an egocentric manner. Stage one involves punishment orientation and obedience. A child or an individual behaves well so as to avoid punishment and in case a person gets punished, and then they have done something wrong. In an organization, people focus on the consequences of their actions and an action is judged as morally wrong if a perpetrator is given a punishment. The harsher the punishment is, the worse the act is perceived to be. This perception gives rise to a conclusion that innocent people are guilty according to their suffering. People, therefore, apply obedience so as to avoid punishment. Stage two of the pre-conventional level involves exchange and individualism. It is self-interest is driven. The right behavior is defined by what an individual assumes to be their best interest and understood in a way that doe does not consider someone’s relationship or reputation to different groups of people. During this stage, children realize that different people view issues differently. Reasoning in stage two shows little interest in other’s needs up to a point where it the owner’s self-interest. Decisions are therefore made by ‘what is in it for me?’ The second level is the conventional morality level. At this level, people begin to internalize the standards of adult role models. Authority is internalized and not questioned while reasoning is based on the group norms to which the person belongs. Stage three consists of healthy interpersonal relationships where an individual behaves well so as to be considered as a right person by other people. Judgment is related to approval by other people. Good intentions are as determined by a social consensus. People are receptive to the disapproval or approval from others which reflects the views a society. Reasoning at this stage judges the morality of an action through analyzing the consequences about an individual’s relationships which include gratitude and respect. The intentions of an actor play a significant role in reasoning at this stage. Step four involves social order, authority and it is obedience driven. Laws should be obeyed because they maintain a functional society. In this stage, an individual is aware of the major rules in society, and judgments involve abiding by rules so as to avoid guilt and uphold the law. Decision-making at this stage is beyond the individual’s need for approval in the previous stage. In case someone violates the law; there are duty and an obligation to uphold the rules and legislation. When an individual violates the law, it is considered morally wrong. Therefore, in this stage, morality is dictated by an external force. The post-conventional level or the principled level is identified when individuals realize that they are separate entities from society and an individual’s perspective which precedes the society’s view. People may resist the rules that are inconsistent with their principles. These moralists live by their ethical principles which include human rights such as liberty, justice, and life. Individuals who show post-conventional morality see rules as necessary and subject to change. According to Kohlberg, many people make moral decisions based on those surrounding them, and only few think across the ethical principles on their own. Stage five of Kohlberg’s moral development is the social contract and individual rights. In this juncture, people are aware that even though laws may exist for the good of the larger community, sometimes they work against some individual’s interest. The world is seen as having different rights, opinions and values. These perspectives are unique to each or community. Laws are social contracts and not rigid declarations. People who do not promote the society’s welfare should change and this is possible through inevitable compromise and majority decision. A democratic government is based on the stage five decisions making and reasoning. Universal principles make up stage six of moral development. Individuals at this at this stage develop their moral guidelines that may or may not abide by the law. These principles apply to everybody and include equality, justice, and human rights. People are therefore prepared to defend these principles even to an extent of going against the society and paying the consequences of incarceration or disapproval. Decisions are reached categorically and not hypothetically. Therefore, people imagine what they would do if they were in another person’s shoe. Kohlberg stated that people could progress through the above stages each stage at a time. It is not possible for people to jump steps and they could come to a conclusion of a moral development one stage above their own. Lawrence therefore, shows the importance of presenting people with moral dilemmas and uses them for discussion and people may see the reasonableness of higher morality stages and encourage development towards that direction. Kohlberg saw these steps as a way of promoting moral development through formal education. His approach is based on the fact that people develop due to cognitive conflicts in their current stage. However, there are several problems with Lawrence Kohlberg’s methods. The dilemmas are artificial and lack ecological validity. Some dilemmas and situations are not familiar to many people. The samples used are biased because he used male samples and therefore the stages are androcentric and reflect the male morality definition. Women’s morality is usually based on compassion and care while men’s morality is built on principles of justice and law. The gender bias issue is a reminder of an important gender debate in psychology which has a significant influence on the society. Some of the dilemmas used by Kohlberg are hypothetical. In the real situations, the course of action taken by an individual has real consequences, and they could be unpleasant to them. Kohlberg’s theory is dependent on an individual’s response to false dilemmas which questions the validity of results obtained after the research. People respond differently to live situations than to artificial difficulties presented to them in a comfortable environment. Kohlberg also used poor research design and the way he did the research may not have been the most efficient way to test if all children follow a similar sequence of the stage progression (Rest 1979). Kohlberg’s research was cross-sectional which means that he questioned children of different ages so as to see their level of moral development. He could have used longitudinal analysis as a better way to carry out the research. There are several problems associated with Kohlberg’s theory. Does the moral behavior match moral judgment? Kohlberg did not claim that there would be a correspondence between acting and thinking but suggests that the two are related. People should take account of their habits from time to time, benefits and costs of behaving in a certain way, self-interest and competing motives e.g. peer pressure (Bee 1994). Are there stages of moral development? Making a decision involving right and wrong is dependent on a situation and not the rules. The evidence for these distinct stages is weak, and some people argue that the theory is a biased belief of American values and other cultures. Kohlberg views justice as the most important moral principle, but other philosophers argue that caring is equally important (Kohlberg 1958). Another problem arises when Kohlberg states that the moral reasoning of boys is advanced than that of girls. Kohlberg’s theory is sex-biased, and it neglects the female compassion voice, non-violence, and love that are related to girls’ socialization. Therefore, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory does not account for the fact that girls approach moral issues from ethics of care and not principles of justice which as a result challenges some assumptions of Kohlberg’s theory (Gilligan 1977). Kohlberg’s theory of cognitive moral development may not deserve to be commonly respected because it is based on assumptions that human beings are capable of reason, forthcoming and pose the desire to understand the people and the society around them. The stages of the model are related to qualitative moral reasoning which is adopted by individuals and do not translate to blame or praise of a person’s character or action. The theory measures ethical decision making and not moral conclusions. Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of morality development can be used to assist business managers and owners understand the ways through which their stakeholders and employees interact with the organization and leadership at various stages of development. In business, the pre-conventional level shows the reactions of staff when they join an organization at first. There is usually an apprehension concerning pleasing the boss and the desire to perform diligently without upset (Kohlberg 1984). Also, Businesses apply the normal stage of morality development after employees get more comfortable working within an organization with their supervisors and co-workers. Employees want to be productive but their focus shifts to the product of a company and not their selfish motives. The post-conventional stage in a business setting is seen in staffs that have a long-term history with an organization. Such employees have risen to leadership positions and are careful to secure rights and responsibilities around their subordinates. Kohlberg’s moral development stages are one of the ways to think of the individual growth, and they do not match all business situations. Some employees enter an organization at higher stages than their fellow employees and in relation; other staff does not progress past some stages. A business owner can meet employees at their location to enact the company’s procedures and policies which ensure efficient and effective workplaces that do not need to think in moral development terms. Conclusion Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of cognitive moral development is mainly focused on adolescent morality which shed some light on the way people in the workplace or businesses think about ethics and morality as they make decisions and build their organizations. The relevance of these theory’s six stages of cognitive moral development in business is helpful in developing incentive systems, human resource policies and they are insightful when understanding the younger employees’ different behaviors and decision-making. Morality is, therefore, function different norms that are used to explain the outcome of the various actions which are based on the appreciation of people’s rights. REFERENCES Gilligan, C. (1977). In a different voice: Women's conceptions of self and of morality. Harvard Educational Review. Kohlberg, L. (1958). The Development of Modes of Thinking and Choices in Years 10 to 16. Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Chicago. Kohlberg, L. (1984). The Psychology of Moral Development: The Nature and Validity of Moral Stages (Essays on Moral Development, Volume 2). Harper & Row Piaget, J. (1932). The moral judgment of the child. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Rest, J. R. (1979). Development in judging moral issues. University of Minnesota Press. Bee, H. L. (1994). Lifespan development. HarperCollins College Publishers. Read More