All too often, students plunge into the thinking process with inadequate mental preparation which can lead to hasty and unfocused thinking. Students often have a tendency to proceed through an ethical thinking challenge without taking account of the larger picture. This often leads to narrow or one-dimensional thinking. Critical thinking should be an organized process where the student carefully considers certain variables, standards, and criteria prior to making a decision or judgment. One aspect specific to ethical discussions is the identification of appropriate obligations.
Human actions occur in a context of relationships with others.
Such relationships imply obligations or restrictions on our behavior. While a contract is a formal obligation, other obligations such as friendship or citizenship are less formal. Business obligations are an important consideration for our students. We expect employers to participate in equal hiring practices, to treat workers fairly and so forth. Likewise, employees are bound to do the job they were hired to do.