Identify the key determinants of ethical behaviour in individuals. Explain how these determinants interact in real-life situations.
Kartavya Desk Staff
Q6. Identify the key determinants of ethical behaviour in individuals. Explain how these determinants interact in real-life situations. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question Repeated ethical lapses in public institutions and professional spaces highlight that ethical conduct is not automatic but shaped by multiple influences, making it important to understand both the determinants of ethical behaviour and their real-life interaction. Key demand of the question The question asks for identification of the key factors that determine ethical behaviour in individuals and an explanation of how these factors operate together, often in tension or reinforcement, during real-life ethical decision-making. Structure of the answer Introduction Briefly locate ethics as a product of internal moral reasoning and external social-institutional contexts, underscoring its relevance for governance and public service. Body Determinants of ethical behaviour: Suggest internal determinants such as moral values and conscience alongside external influences like socialisation, legal-institutional frameworks, leadership and incentive structures. Interaction in real-life situations: Indicate how these determinants intersect during ethical dilemmas, with personal values negotiating institutional pressures, social norms and accountability mechanisms. Conclusion Underline that ethical behaviour emerges from the combined functioning of individual integrity and supportive institutions, pointing towards the need for holistic ethical capacity building.
Why the question Repeated ethical lapses in public institutions and professional spaces highlight that ethical conduct is not automatic but shaped by multiple influences, making it important to understand both the determinants of ethical behaviour and their real-life interaction.
Key demand of the question The question asks for identification of the key factors that determine ethical behaviour in individuals and an explanation of how these factors operate together, often in tension or reinforcement, during real-life ethical decision-making.
Structure of the answer
Introduction Briefly locate ethics as a product of internal moral reasoning and external social-institutional contexts, underscoring its relevance for governance and public service.
• Determinants of ethical behaviour: Suggest internal determinants such as moral values and conscience alongside external influences like socialisation, legal-institutional frameworks, leadership and incentive structures.
• Interaction in real-life situations: Indicate how these determinants intersect during ethical dilemmas, with personal values negotiating institutional pressures, social norms and accountability mechanisms.
Conclusion Underline that ethical behaviour emerges from the combined functioning of individual integrity and supportive institutions, pointing towards the need for holistic ethical capacity building.