PLUS Model Applied to Social Media Ethics in the Workplace
This paper examines the ethical dilemma posed by social media use in organizational settings, applying the seven-step PLUS Ethical Decision-Making Model as a structured framework. It defines the core problem — balancing employee privacy, confidentiality, and productivity against the marketing and communication benefits of social media — then identifies and evaluates three primary policy alternatives: a full ban, unrestricted use, or a professional-personal separation approach. The paper ultimately recommends the third alternative and outlines implementation strategies, including written policies, legal compliance (such as HIPAA adherence), and employee communication. Evaluation methods such as surveys and return-on-investment analysis are also discussed.
- Introduction: Social media as a workplace ethical dilemma
- Defining the Problem and Seeking Guidance: Risks, confidentiality breaches, and policy resources
- Identifying and Evaluating Alternatives: Three policy options weighed for pros and cons
- Making and Implementing the Decision: Recommending professional-personal separation with written policy
- Evaluating the Decision and Conclusion: Surveys and ROI as evaluation measures
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What makes this paper effective
- It applies a concrete, named framework — the PLUS Ethical Decision-Making Model — step by step, giving the analysis clear structure and academic grounding.
- It presents multiple policy alternatives with explicit pros and cons before committing to a recommendation, demonstrating balanced reasoning rather than advocacy from the outset.
- It grounds the discussion in real-world organizational concerns (HIPAA compliance, brand risk, productivity) that connect abstract ethics to practical management decisions.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates structured ethical analysis through systematic application of a multi-step decision-making model. Rather than offering an opinion and supporting it, the author works through problem definition, resource identification, alternative generation, comparative evaluation, and implementation — a technique that mirrors professional ethics audit processes and is appropriate for applied ethics coursework.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows the seven steps of the PLUS model as its organizing logic. Steps 1–2 establish context and resources; Steps 3–4 form the analytical core with three alternatives evaluated on advantages and disadvantages; Steps 5–6 deliver the recommendation and its implementation requirements; Step 7 closes with an evaluation strategy. This mirrors a policy memo structure and keeps argument flow tightly aligned with the chosen framework.
Introduction
Ethical dilemmas arise when a circumstance requires one to choose among alternatives that generate a conflict of values among various organizational stakeholders. One of the major contemporary ethical dilemmas is the use of social media. In today's organizational setting, and given the rapid advancement of technology, social media has become a significant business marketing tool and a fundamental part of employees' professional lives (Massotte, 2017). The evolving nature of social media means it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between personal and professional use within the organization. This paper examines this ethical dilemma using the PLUS Ethical Decision-Making Model as a guide.
Defining the Problem and Seeking Guidance
Step 1: Define the problem. The first step of the model involves defining the problem. The most important stage in any decision-making process is determining why a decision is required and identifying the desired outcomes (Ethics & Compliance Initiative, 2018). Despite the numerous benefits that social media brings to organizations, several risks remain associated with its use, including the misappropriation of organizational resources, conflicts of interest, and the vilification of others. It also creates opportunities for breaches of confidentiality. An additional concern is whether an organization's use of social media to monitor employee conduct and behavior is itself ethical.
Step 2: Seek out relevant assistance, guidance, and support. The second phase involves identifying resources that may be helpful in making the decision. In this case, the relevant resources include professional guidelines, organizational policies, and codes of conduct that delineate the ethical standards organizations and their employees ought to follow.
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