101329: The Social Worker as Shopper: Applying a Model for Ethical Decision Making to a Dilemma in Resource Management

About the Course:

The first place winner in JSWVE’s 2006-2007 Term Paper Contest, this paper applies the steps of an ethical decision making model for social work to a management situation involving resource allocation in a nonprofit organization. The ethical dilemma is presented by way of a hypothetical case study, in which a social worker’s responsibility to clients is in conflict with the worker’s responsibility to society.

Journal/Publisher:

Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics/White Hat Communications

Publication Date:

Fall 2007, Vol. 4, No. 2

Author

Amber McGuigan, MSW

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals and agency administrators who seek knowledge about balancing responsibilities to clients with responsibilities to society. It is appropriate for all levels of participants’ knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. Define the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in nonprofit agencies.

2. Describe the meaning, purpose, and effectiveness of socially responsible consumer behavior (SRCB).

3. Identify ethical dilemmas associated with the decision to implement CSR in a nonprofit agency.

4. List three options for the social work manager in the example discussed in the article.