Teleological Approach

There are a number of ways I could go about making my decision. Based upon the ethical theories we discussed in class, I could take a deontological, teleological, or care-based approach to decide the best way to resolve the issue I am facing as a public relations professional. If I were to take a deontological approach to resolve this dilemma, I would give priority to the right over the good (Kymlicka, 1988). I believe this would involve including the information about the landfill regardless of what my boss says and wants. Although it is also my duty to be loyal to my employer, this theory gives us confidence that we can always be right if we just follow the rules, meaning staying loyal and honest at all times (Hovland & Wolburg, 2010). Deontology …show more content…
If I were to take a teleological approach, it would involve listening to my employer and withholding the information from the public. In this situation the ends would justify the means. The people would not necessarily “benefit” from the exposure of the information, but if the information were withheld, Shenandoah Valley Homes and all of its employers, including my boss, would benefit because more people would decide to live there. This could also potentially benefit local business. In some cases I believe ignorance is bliss and the people who decide to live there could benefit from not knowing their house was built on a landfill. In this situation I would value advocating for the company I represent over anything else. Being that none of the contaminants are life threatening, I believe this decision would bring about the greatest good for the greatest number of people, while not bringing that much harm. This theory also focuses on consequences, and I believe releasing this information would turn people away, which would really hurt our company, but the only consequence of withholding information would be dealing with a potential ethical dilemma in the future if someone were to ever find out about the