Ethical Dilemmas in the Military Paper #2
Essay 2, DUE in this module, should be 1500 to 2000 words in length (not including title page and reference page). The paper must contain in-text citations and references in APA style. Papers submitted without in-text citations and a reference page will not be accepted.
Below is the Outline that was written for the essay from this site (with the references) to be based off of:
Topic proposal/research question and an outline for essay 2: Ethical dilemmas in the military
OLANDUS E. SMITH
EXCELSIOR COLLEGE
LA498M LIBERAL ARTS CAPSTONE: MILITARY FOCUS
CARL BRADSHAW
November 8, 2015
Ethical dilemma: The best ways of awarding promotions in the military force
Research question: “What are the best parameters to use to ensure there is fairness in military promotions?”
Outline
Introduction
The introduction part will define ethical dilemma in the military context. The section will further describe why promotion is a sensitive issue in the army and how it affects the daily military operations.
Promotion based on Experience
The section will explain in details the importance of promoting military officers based on experience. The section will explain how using experience as a parameter for promotion would motivate the senior army officers to dedicate more efforts in serving the country. The section will examine experience in two perspectives. First, regarding the period officers have spent in service and second, regarding the serious military operations the officers have undertaken and their achievements from such assignments (Seiler, Fischer & Voegtli, 2011). Furthermore, the section will explain how promotions based on experience would encourage many officers in the military service to serve for long years.
Promotion based on performance
The section will describe the significance of using performance as a promotion parameter. The section will also explain how performance-based elevation would help in enhancing efficiency in the military operations. Some of the indicators for performance the section will discuss include; the number of successful military operations and knowledge contribution made through ideas in crucial times of combating the enemy (Kimhi, 2014). Furthermore, the section will explain how performance-based promotions would eliminate laziness in the armed forces and hence help in enhancing security along the border boundaries.
Promotion based on discipline
The section will describe the role of rational behavior in the military and the importance of using it in awarding promotions within the army. The section will also explain how officers' rank elevation based on the discipline of military officers will help in eliminating unethical behaviors within the military forces such as drug abuse. Some of the discipline characteristics the section will touch on include; punctuality, obedience to instructions, respect for both junior and senior staff and loyalty to the military force (Jennings & Hannah, 2011). Furthermore, the section will explain how promotions based on discipline will improve productivity within the military force of a country.
Promotion based on unique talents
The section will explain why appreciating exceptional skills in the army is paramount and how that should influence rank elevations in the military force. The section will describe how rewarding unique skills would help in enhancing creativity and innovation within the army. Some of the unique talents the section will discuss include; sharp detection skills, psychological skills, and technological skills relevant to sophisticated weapons used in war (De Vore, 2011). Furthermore, this part will justify the need for talent based promotions by identifying some of the military operations that require troop leaders to possess unique talents
Conclusion
The essay will end by urging the leaders in the defense department to be cautious and practice good ethics while awarding promotions in the army since it has an impact on the overall performance of military force. Thus, this section will urge the adoption of performance, experience, discipline and unique talent as the parameters for elevating military officers to new ranks.
References
Seiler, S., Fischer, A., & Voegtli, S. (2011). Developing ethical decision-making competence; a quasi-experimental intervention study in the Swiss armed forces. Ethics & Behavior, 21(6), 452-470.
Kimhi, S. (2014). Ethical dilemma in the war against terror: Political attitudes and regular versus reserve military service. Ethics & Behavior, 24(1), 1-15.
De Vore, M. (2011). The army collaboration dilemma: Between principal-agent dynamics and collective action problems. Security Studies, 20(4), 624-662.
Jennings, P., & Hannah, S. (2011). The moralities of obligation and aspiration: Towards the concept of exemplary military ethics and leadership. Military Psychology, 23(5), 550-571.
Ethical dilemmas in the military
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Abstract
A view of the ethical challenges in the military is a key factor in ensuring stability and improved performance of the personnel. Generally, addressing the underlying factors affecting soldiers can help bring out the best in them, and avoid security threats such as degeneration into a go slow, poor mentality and lack of productivity. In looking at the welfare of the soldiers, there should be utmost observation and consideration of ethics. More often than not, the authority in charge of the military experience dilemmas when it comes to balancing between the ethics, and the expectations of the badge.
Introduction
Ethical dilemmas constitute situations where there is a general challenge in choosing between two or more options, all of which are considered morally and professionally acceptable. Such dilemmas are commonplace in various instances where there is an overlying need for continuous improvement or upgrade as a form of personal and overall motivation. With such knowledge therefore, it is very clear that any of the choices involved, will have a very serious impact on the people involved.
The military is a particularly sensitive docket for any country, and one that needs t be handled with the highest level of professionalism and competence. It is what defines a nation’s sovereignty and ensures that its boundary is well protected from any external aggression. The military offers the best example of just how serious, ethical dilemmas arise. Soldiers, just like any other working human being, are subject to motivation and recognition. Actually, the best way to appreciate a soldier is through recognition.
Soldiers can confess that their individual dilemmas arise from their inability to tell a colleague, that they are morally incompetent, or that there is something they did in a wrong way. Specifically due to the fact that each soldier’s life depends on the other. One wrong or careless comment and the trust are gone. The biggest dilemma in the military arises from promotion. This paper is going to discuss in detail, a number of ways of awarding military promotions, and the ethical dilemma that surrounds it. It also discusses the best parameters to use to ensure there is fairness in military promotions.
Discussion
It’s always a tough decision to make, on how to promote soldiers from one rank to another, since it brings into context a number of considerations. First, the impact of the promotion on the individual needs to be analyzed. Supposedly, there might be some prior display of some character that might, or might not, have prompted the authorities into placing the individual into contention for promotion.
Secondly, the impact of the promotion on the rest of the soldiers. There are some of them who might have considered themselves more competent than the person in question. For example, a soldier might have served in the military for a longer time, and engaged in more battles than the one being up for promotion. There is a high likelihood that such soldiers might feel or see it as very unfair and unjust. This can be a psychological blow for them, as they might feel unappreciated.
Finally, is the criterion used to select an individual for promotion. This is where lies the bone of contention, as it is expected that the criterion is a flat rule, applying equally to all. In coming up with these criteria, it is important to look at the basic ways used to go about this. The options used for military promotion include promotion based on experience, discipline, performance, or unique talents.
* Promotion based on Experience.
This is usually taken as the most important, and the automatic first criterion used to award military promotions. Experience plays a key role in any professional field. It s commonplace for most organizations, to place much of what they need from job applicants, on human resource. In the military, this is even more important, since it highlights just how much the soldier has gone through and learnt, during his years in military service. It helps to ensure that such individuals are recognized and appreciated (Seiler et al, 2011).
Military experience involves two perspectives; first is the experience in terms of the number of years of service, and secondly, in terms of the number of missions that an individual has partaken. It is not always automatic that these two go together(Seiler et al,2011).For example, a soldier might have been in the military for just five years, but taken part in ten major missions, while there is that one who has been there for eight years an...