Step 3: Construct Ethical Arguments

Determine which of the ethical principles/standards apply to this case (moral development; egoism; virtue; deontology; teleology; justice)
Identify the accounting principles (i.e., ethics codes of conduct and GAAP) that can be invoked to support a conclusion as to what ought to be done ethically in this case or similar cases?
Determine whether the different ethical standards/accounting principles yield converging or diverging judgments about what ought to be done?

Step 4: Evaluate the Arguments for each Option

Weigh the ethical reasons and arguments for each option in terms of their relative importance.
Determine whether there are any unwarranted factual assumptions that need to be examined in each argument.
Determine whether there are any unresolved conceptual issues in each argument.