dilemma

(noun)

A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.

Related Terms

  • case method
  • case study

Examples of dilemma in the following topics:

  • The Prisoner's Dilemma and Oligopoly

    • The prisoner's dilemma shows why two individuals might not cooperate, even if it is collectively in their best interest to do so.
    • Similarly to the prisoner's dilemma scenario, cooperation is difficult to maintain in an oligopoly because cooperation is not in the best interest of the individual players.
    • One traditional example of game theory and the prisoner's dilemma in practice involves soft drinks.
    • Prisoner dilemma scenarios are difficult strategic choices, as any deviation from established competitive practice may result in less profits and/or market share.
    • Analyze the prisoner's dilemma using the concepts of strategic dominance, Pareto optimality, and Nash equilibria
  • Ethical Conflicts

    • A person who must choose between competing moral imperatives faces an ethical dilemma.
    • Several ideas from political philosophy can guide managers in resolving an ethical dilemma:
    • Justice: Another way to consider an ethical dilemma is by considering the principle that all people should be treated equally.
    • Common good: Finally, resolving an ethical dilemma might mean considering whether one choice is more in keeping with the long-term welfare of all affected parties.
    • Discuss the innate contradictions that often arise in an ethical dilemma, where two or more different moral imperatives conflict
  • Scenario breakdown of the Mezirow phases of transformation

    • The learner must first face a disorienting dilemma.
    • A disorienting dilemma is triggered by a life crisis or major life transition, although it may also result from an accumulation of transformations in meaning schemes over a period of time (Mezirow, 1995, p. 50).
    • Mezirow (1997) points out that transformative learning theory always begins with a disorienting dilemma.
  • Principle-Agent Problem

    • The principle-agent problem (agency dilemma) exists when conflicts of interest arise between a principal and an agent in a business setting.
    • In economics, the principal-agent problem (also known as an agency dilemma) exists when conflicts of interest arise between a principal and an agent in a business setting .
  • Applying the Decision Tree

    • Consider an ethical dilemma involving a colleague.
    • The top box of the decision tree would state "Colleague Dilemma."
    • Decision trees therefore support the evaluation process and can help clarify often-complex ethical dilemmas.
  • Game Theory Applications to Oligopoly

    • The prisoner's dilemma is a specific type of game in game theory that illustrates why cooperation may be difficult to maintain for oligopolists even when it is mutually beneficial.
    • In a prisoner's dilemma game, the dominant strategy for each player is to betray the other, even though cooperation would have led to a better collective outcome.
  • Definition

    • After being faced with a disorienting dilemma in phase 1, the learner steps through the remaining phases reflecting on his/her own experiences.
  • Growth through innovation

    • In his book, The Innovator's Dilemma, Christensen (1997) differentiates between "sustaining technologies" and "disruptive technologies".
  • Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

    • He used the idea of moral dilemmas—stories that present conflicting ideas about two moral values—to teach 10 to 16 year-old boys about morality and values.
    • The best known moral dilemma created by Kohlberg is the "Heinz" dilemma, which discusses the idea of obeying the law versus saving a life.
    • Kohlberg emphasized that it is the way an individual reasons about a dilemma that determines positive moral development.
    • After presenting people with various moral dilemmas, Kohlberg reviewed people’s responses and placed them in different stages of moral reasoning.
    • This often occurs in moral dilemmas involving drinking and driving or business situations where participants have been shown to reason at a lower developmental stage, typically using more self-interest driven reasoning (i.e., stage two) than authority and social order obedience driven reasoning (i.e., stage four).
  • Moral Development in Childhood

    • Stage 1: Punishment and Obedience - In this stage, children find it hard to distinguish between two separate moral points of view, especially in a moral dilemma.
    • At the postconventional or principled level, children can think of morals and values in an abstract way and begin to realize some moral dilemmas do not have a clear-cut, right or wrong answer.
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