An ethical dilemma in volunteer professional relationships

Abstract

Ethical issues in social welfare agencies tend to focus on conflicts between social workers and clients and other personnel. This article discusses a social worker's ethical dilemma when a volunteer seeks to circumvent agency rules. Values, principles, and theories of justice are used to analyze the case, and a process of ethical decision making delineates the steps leading toward the decision.

Keywords:

• Justice
• distributive justice
• ethics
• values
• principles
• theory