Leadership Issues in Ethical Perspective - Assignment Example

?Learning Contract: Section II – Final Report Ethical values are usually developed during the early years of an individual’s life. The time when behavior is first being learned and decisions are most vulnerable because of age and lack of experience. Parents teach children through example and discussion about truth, honesty, work, attitude, and responsibility. As children grow and develop, they accept the values and use the lessons to make decisions about situations that correlate with age and experience. The more experiences the individual encounters, the more embedded the values become. Mistakes may be made along the way, but continued growth allows for the evolution of those early values to become part of the individual’s arsenal to address all situations. Different cultures around the world instill various adaptations of those values to the youth as they mature. Some societies place a higher emphasis on certain values than other cultures do (Barnes, 2007). The process of learning wrong from right remains the same through the application of rewards and consequences being associated to the choice. Advancements in travel have allowed people from different cultures around the world to converge and share ideas and values. Many businesses have entered the global market and experienced a plethora of value variations that international competition brings to the organizations. The contrast of prioritized values differs with each culture’s traditions. Exposure to another culture’s values may influence an individual’s beliefs and values and create the need for change or evolution of current opinions and ideals (Barnes, 2007). Learning in Action The idea of learning in action allow for the opportunity to take a look at personal values and decide how those values might fit into different scenarios. The first thing was to find out how personal values were perceived and the quality of each value. This was accomplished by taking a Pre-Self-Evaluation survey to determine strengths and weaknesses. A Post-Self-Evaluation allowed for comparisons between the perception at the beginning of the project and then again at the end. It was noted that some of the value areas had changed. Interviews were the next step in learning about ethical values and social responsibility. The themes that emerged once the analysis was complete allowed for different variations of attitudes and opinions to surface. A priority list of personal values was created with the pre and post evaluations. This list allowed for the comparison between the beginning of the project and the end results. The collection of articles dealing with ethical behavior in business allowed for even more analysis and comparisons to be accomplished. Pre and Post Self-Evaluation Survey When the learning in action assignment was given, the recorded answers for a Pre-Self-Evaluation Survey were carefully considered. Recording the answers for the magnitude of understanding and application of each ethical value would be important later on as the comparisons with a Post-Self-Evaluation could be implemented. The comparison of the two evaluations showed considerable differences as knowledge and practice was incorporated into the project. Some values remained the same and those were ones that could be continually worked on to show improvement in the future. Interviews When setting up the interviews, asking permission to record a person’s answers seem socially responsible. All participants agreed that as long as the answers remained anonymous, each person approved the inclusion of their answers in the final report. Three questions were asked, so during the analysis of the responses, all the answers for question one were combined and the same patter was maintained for questions two and three (see Appendix 5). Twenty individuals were asked to participate in the interview process. Five of them were close friends, five were classmates, five were professors, and five were co-workers. The themes, which emerged from question one were to watch others, follow one’s instinct, follow the company’s code, and instilled values from parents. The themes from question two were individuals either had an order, had no order, or the order changed regularly. The themes that emerged from question three were avoidance, did not care what other people thought, or aligned with the company’s values. Ethical Value Priority List The compilation of the first ethical value priority list took into consideration the knowledge currently held, and values from childhood. The way other people were expected to view me was the item I put first. The importance of each value was considered before placing it on the list. The order changed several times until I was satisfied with my outcome. When the second list was created, placing them in a specific order from most important was easier as I was looking for self-satisfaction over other people’s views of me. The second list did not change around several times like the first list did. It was almost like I knew where to place the values and once placed they were good. I did notice that the same values were on both lists, just in a different order on the second list. The fact that the values did not change, just the order made me feel like I was stable in my own values from the beginning. Collection of Ethical Articles The collection of ethical articles that were brought together during this project offered alternative views to serious ethical values that are taken for granted in some instances. Observing how other people handle ethics from a distance allows for the ability of a person to decide if the choice that was made is acceptable for them, or if other actions would have been taken to provide an alternative outcome. Not all articles were shown in a negative light, but the majority of them were referenced because others thought a mistake had been made in the decision process of the company and that is why they ended up in the media in the first place. In some cases, it was a perfect example of what not to do. A mind map of learning was created to explain through pictures how each step of the process affected the other steps. Figure 1: Mind Map of Ethics and Social Responsibility Analysis and Evaluation Interpret the outcome of your learning in action. (page 13 of the instructions) Literature Review The international business community has seen a fair share of unethical practices with the exposure of companies like Enron, Worldcom, and Solyndra. Companies around the world have always had ethical codes that were written into the company’s structure. Dissemination of the code may have been lackadaisical, or individual beliefs may have played into the decision process without strict regard to the company’s ethical code. Either way, the fact that companies are continually dealing with malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance within the organization, creates speculation that the wrong people are in high-ranking positions (Helin & Sandstrom 2007). Progress Energy, Inc. and Duke Energy Corp. are currently in negotiations to merge the two companies. Two legislators from North Carolina have initiated a bill that will stifle the merger unless a debt accrued by the state in the 1980s is absolved (Downey, 2012). Representation from both Duke and Progress are appalled at the unethical action that could hinder the progression of this business venture, just so the state does not have to pay a debt owed to Progress. Over 17,000 scholars and practitioners from over 100 countries around the world claim membership in the Academy of Management. This professional association is affiliated with other professional organizations across the globe. The creation and acceptance of a Code of Ethical Conduct (CEC), which was printed and distributed to the membership has been replaced by a new Code of Ethics (CE) document (Stubik & Stening, 2009). Comparisons between the two codes to discover changes to the ethical parameters have suggested that strengths and weaknesses existed because of personal priorities of values. The code is used as an educational tool and an aspirational guide to many professionals in the corporate world. Sexual harassment in the workplace has become more noted with the inclusion of a female workforce. The once all-male employment opportunity has broadened to include co-ed work environments. Employees who feel their employment status is determined by performance in various positions, may feel obligated to accept sexual advances in order to remain employed. Court cases involving similar charges pack the judicial circuit, like the one involving American Apparel’s CEO. A counter suit stated consensual as the rebuttal, but concern that actions involving a power play in the workplace could create unbalance in the concept of consensual (O’Brien, 2011). After the Federal government processed $535 million in a loan to Solyndra, a California-based solar panel company, bankruptcy proceedings shocked the nation. Questions were asked regarding how a company, subsidized by the government could experience financial collapse. The answers to those questions were never answered entirely, but speculation offers five excuses, this scandal is not big deal, energy-loan guarantees are a flop, government should leave R&D to the private sector, the solar industry is doomed, and China is to blame (Plumer, 2011). Football for some is considered just a sport, but for others, football is a lucrative business. The fact that the National Football League has placed ethical charges on certain coaches and player substantiates the business aspect. The sponsoring and performing of physical violence toward other teams’ players, during live games, for monetary gain (McCarthy, 2012), was exposed through postings on social media sites. With no restrictions or monitoring occurring on social media sites, information that is posted can be viewed by a plethora of individuals who have access to the Internet (Hyatt, 2011). European leaders of seven nations have considered the option of allowing the banks to step in and equalize the support of the euro. While countries that are bankrupt are in favor of the bail-out, countries that are self-supporting are fighting against this options. Some say allowing the governments or banking businesses this much power over the distribution of currency across Europe is unethical. The countries that are currently stable have the most to lose if this venture were to be allowed. Literature Review Reflections Several strategies come to mind that incorporate learning and practicing ethical behavior. The idea that peers and co-workers may provide feedback during casual conversations is one strategy that may benefit from a trial session or interview. Observing other leaders who use good ethical practices in business is another way to learn ethical values and social responsibility. Answering a questionnaire that allows for self-reflection and personal evaluation of ethical choices can become an ongoing practice to provide validity to the questions being answered. Reading articles and observing current ethical business situations around the globe offers insight into how other people handle ethical issues that may arise. Keeping a collection of articles or media clips may answer personal questions of how to handle a specific situation not previously encountered in one’s own business ventures. The following paragraphs are brief synopses of current ethical issues around the globe. Methodology The basic plan for achieving a learning goal regarding ethics and social responsibility in the business environment requires knowledge and a complete understanding of the topic. By reading books and articles that address ethical issues and that explain social responsibility, one can comprehend the parameters of ethical decisions and social responsibility. The values and beliefs that govern a decision as either right or wrong behavior is the definition of ethics according to Kelly (2009). Citizens from different ethnicities view ethics from an alternative perspective. The comprehension of ethical behavior allows a person to form personal values and beliefs that stipulate acceptable actions in business decisions. A leader can be an inspirational figure within the organization by making good ethical decisions (Dubrin, 2010). References Barnes, C. (2007). Why compliance programs fail: Economics, ethics, and the role of leadership. HEC Forum, 19(2), 109-123. doi: 10.1007/s10730-007-9034-5 Downey, A. J. (2012). Bill would block Duke-Progress merger to resolve debt issue. The Business Journal. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/news/2012/06/05/bill-would-block-duke-progress-merger.html Dubrin, A.J. (2010). Leadership. Research Findings, Practice, and Skills.6th edition. Mason, OH, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. Ewing, J. & Kanter, J. (2012). European Union proposes central banking regulator. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/business/global/06iht-banks06.html Helin, S. & Sandstrom, J. (2007). An inquiry into the study of corporate codes of ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 75, 253-271. doi: 10.1007/s10551-006-9251-x Hyatt, J. (2011). The ethics of social media – part II: Playing by new rules. Business Ethics. Retrieved from http://business-ethics.com/2010/11/19/the-ethics-of-social-media-part-ii-playing-by-new-rules/ Kelly, P. (2009). International business and management. London, UK: International Thomson Business Press McCarthy, R. (2012). Brew: “Bounty-Gate” scandal only damages football’s reputation. The University Daily Kansan. Retrieved from http://www.kansan.com/news/2012/mar/08/brew-bounty-system/ O’Brien, G. (2011). American Apparel and the ethics of a sexually charged workplace. Business Ethics. Retrieved from http://business-ethics.com/2011/03/15/0852-american-apparel-and-the-ethics-of-a-sexually-charged-workplace/ Plumer, B. (2011). Five myths about the Solyndra collapse. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/five-myths-about-the-solyndra-collapse/2011/09/14/gIQAfkyvRK_blog.html Skubik, D. W. & Stening, B. W. (2009). What’s in a credo? A critique of the Academy of Management’s code of ethical conduct and code of ethics. Journal of Business, 85, 515-525. doi: 10.1007/s10551-118-9786-0 Appendices Appendix 1: Weekly Journal Entries Weekly Reflective Journal Week 1: This past week I have spent time reading about ethical values and social responsibility to learn more about what constitutes ethical values, how to prioritize them, how to gain the necessary values to be a successful business manager and leader, and how to develop the values into strong and beneficial decisions for an organization. Week 2: This past week I have spent time conducting a self-evaluation of what my own values are and how I can incorporate them into business management and leadership positions. I created a pre-self-evaluation of ethical values to grade my own perception of my values. I plan to take a post test in a few weeks to see what changes have been made with regards to my values. I also listed the top five ethical values that I feel are important to me in order of their importance. I plan on re-evaluating that list at a later date to observe any changes that may occur. Week 3: This past week I interviewed friends and classmates to ask questions of them about how they felt I was doing at choosing my own ethical values and how I might approach the situation if my values did not match-up with other people’s ethical values in an organization. Week 4: This past week I interviewed professors and peers to ask questions of them about how they felt I was doing at choosing my own ethical values and how I might approach the situation if my values did not match-up with other people’s ethical values in an organization. Week 5: This past week I observed other people in organizational settings to list ethical actions I value or do not value in other people. I was able to watch workers in a restaurant. workers at school, and workers at a local business interact with each other and the results of the actions that were taken. Some of the results and actions were astounding. I would not have thought people would act this way in a professional setting. Week 6: This past week I tried to incorporate ethical values in my daily routine that I did not currently possess. I chose the values according to my list I created while observing other people in the workplace. Trying to learn new values seemed difficult at the beginning of the week, but got easier as I continued to practice them continually. The hardest one was actually listening to other people when they talk. Week 7: This past week I itemized my answers to my interview questions and evaluated myself on how well I feel I had accomplished my goal to improve my ethical values in not only a list form, but also in practice. I feel that I still need to work on a few values, as they are not as strong as others. Week 8: This week I took a post-self-evaluation survey and really stopped to consider how to answer each question. When I went back and compared my second evaluation to my first one, I realized that I had grown in several areas and stayed the same in others. I also listed my top five ethical values in order of priority and found that a couple of them had switched places, even though all five were still included in my list. I had wondered in the beginning if my list would be entirely different at the end than when I first wrote them out. Although I have progressed, I can still see opportunity for improvement. Action learning, when applied to a specific goal allows an individual the opportunity to personally notice progress as it happens. This is something I have not witnessed before. Appendix 2: Interview Questions Interview Questions The following interview questions will be asked to friends, classmates, professors, and peers to help determine what my ethical values are or should be in the business world. Once the interviews started, I realized that I needed to re-word the questions to fit the person responding in the interview. The response include the changed questions. How do I choose the ethical ideals I want to follow? How do I prioritize those values for me? What do I do if my Code of Ethics list does not line-up with other people in the organization? Appendix 3: Pre/Post-Self-Evaluation Questionnaire Pre-Self-Evaluation Survey Questions How would you rate yourself on the following ethical values where 1=excellent and 5= needs work? Place an X in the box that best describes you perceived quality of this value. Ethical Values 1 Excellent 2 Good 3 Neutral 4 Fair 5 Needs Work Responsible Loyal Honest Friendly Organized Truthful Trustworthy Helpful Kind Use good vocabulary Willing to try new ideas Detail oriented Approachable Willing to take chances Appearance conscious Soft spoken Fun to be or work with Communication skills (writing) Communication skills (verbal) Listening to others Appendix 4: Ethical Values Priority Lists Ethical Values Priority List 1 Please list the top five values in order of importance to you as an individual. There are no right answers to this question. If you need help choosing, refer to the list of ethical values above. Value 1 ___________________________________ Value 2 ___________________________________ Value 3 ___________________________________ Value 4 ___________________________________ Value 5 ___________________________________ Ethical Values Priority List 2 Please list the top five values in order of importance to you as an individual. There are no right answers to this question. If you need help choosing, refer to the list of ethical values above. The list may have changed over the past few weeks as learning and experience may have influenced the current decision. Value 1 ___________________________________ Value 2 ___________________________________ Value 3 ___________________________________ Value 4 ___________________________________ Value 5 ___________________________________ Appendix 5: Interview Responses listed by Question. Interview Response and Analysis The interview responses were combined by question to make analysis easier and to identify themes that emerged from the interviews. The questions were changed to fit the person responding to the interview. How would you choose the ethical ideals you want to follow? “I would watch other people within the organization and see how they handle certain situations.” “I would write a list of values I feel are important to me. Things I have grown up to believe or have been taught by my parents.” “I just try to do the right thing. Usually if I get a bad feeling, then I need to re-think my opinion. It’s kind of a gut feeling that I go by.” “I try to consider the other people involved in a situation and decide what would be the best values that would benefit the majority of the people. Sometimes I don’t even think about what is best for me.” “I usually rattle off the motto that my parents would always say. Be honest in all you do, that way you never have to worry about your actions.” “I think loyalty, honesty, and kindness are the key ethics I live by.” “I have never give much thought to what my own ethical values and beliefs are. I have always just tried to follow the rules.” “If the company you work for has a set of ethical values that they live by, then adopt and follow them, that’s what I do. That way you can’t go wrong.” “Ethics are a personal decision that govern how you act and what decisions you will make. Deciding early about what your values are will help you when the decisions are hard.” “I usually do what everyone else is doing. That way, no one can ever pin anything on me because I am following the crowd.” “I try not to make any waves, so I just act like the rest of the employees. That’s why I am comfortable in my current job. I don’t have to make the big decisions.” “I think about how I would like to be treated and then make my decisions about values on the outcome of that.” “I have a list of values that I adhere to and they guide my every decision in my private and professional life.” “I like to think that my values are the same as everyone else’s values where I work. I just do what everyone else does.” “I guess I live by the values and beliefs that I was taught as a child. My family was pretty strict about what was right and what was wrong. We were never allowed to get out of line.” “I try to find out in the beginning what the company’s ethics are and then follow them.” “I try to remember that other people probably want to be treated the way I would want to be treated and focus my values on that.” “I try to blend in with the crowd, so if that means changing my values to fit in, then I do it.” “I follow the golden rule for my values.” “My parents were very opinionated and taught each of us kids what was right and wrong in their eyes. I guess I still abide by that when thinking about my own values.” How would you prioritize the ethical values for yourself? “I want people to think of me as an honest person, so I put that value first. The rest just follow in whatever order they happen to appear.” “I have never put my values in any order. I guess I have never given it much thought before today.” “The order of my values changes depending on the situation. If one value is required over another that is the one that gets priority.” “My ethical values are not categorized in any order. They are what is right for the situation.” “I guess my list would be kindness first, then trustworthy, then loyal, and then maybe obedient.” “My values rearrange themselves depending on the mood I am in at the time. Like today, I am very cheerful, and tomorrow I may be loyal, and so on.” “I do not have my values in any specific order. They are all there in like a basket in my head when I need them.” “My first value is dependable. I want people to be able to depend on me. The rest just exist in a pile of right things to do.” “My ethical values are in alphabetical order: Friendly, honest, loyal, positive, strong, and trusting.” “My first value is being a good listener. My second is being honest. My third is being dependable. These are the things I am known best for by everyone.” “I have never thought about putting my values and beliefs in any order.” “My values change depending on the situation that I may be faced with at the time.” “I like to pretend that my values are in like a basket and when I need one I can just reach in and grab the one I want.” “That is a difficult question. I have never been asked if I have an order of values. I guess the answer is I have no particular order for my values.” “They are not in any specific order, but I do believe that being honest and trustworthy are pretty important.” “I have a list of values, but they are not in any order. The one that suites the situation at the time is probably the top of the list for that day.” “I believe that being honest is the most important value. That would be at the top of my list and everything else would be underneath. If you can’t be trusted then what good are you to anyone.” “I do not have an order for my values. I believe they are all equally important.” “The first value that I would rank number one is being punctual. I hate it when someone is late and that makes my day disastrous from the get go.” “My values are not listed in any order, but if I had to list the top three I would say, communication, kindness, and honesty.” What would you do if your Code of Ethics list does not line-up with other people’s values in the same organization? “If I knew that my values were not the same, I would try to avoid situations where I might feel inferior.” “I try not to worry about what other people think of me.” “I try to align my values with company values, so I don’t stand out in any situation.” “I just try to act like I would in any other situation. At least they won’t be surprised.” “I would not want to make the decision if my values were so far out there from everyone else’s views. Then I would just look stupid.” “Doing the right thing is always the most important decision in any situation, no matter what anyone else thinks.” “I would prefer to let others handle the problem, as they might be more experienced than I am. That way, no one would know.” “Everyone should be allowed to voice their own opinions without being looked down upon by others in the organization.” “I would just do what I do.” “If I felt the situation was being handled unfairly, I would voice my opinion. Everyone deserves a fair shake.” “I don’t know. I have never given it any thought. Probably nothing.” “If anyone said that I was doing something wrong because they thought is should be done differently, then they can do it themselves.” “I have always believed that right is right no matter if no one is doing it and wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. I would rather be right.” “People at my work are very supportive, so if anyone thought I was way out there, they might make a quiet comment and allow me to correct the situation myself without making a big deal out of the whole thing.” “I would just go about my business and not worry what other people thought of my values. They are mine and no one can change them.” “I would act how I always act. No one can fault me for that.” “My boss is a very kind-hearted person and if my values were really off, then my boss might say something to me in private.” “I don’t know what I would do, the situation has never come up where I needed to worry about my own values being aligned with anyone else’s.” “I just abide by the company guidelines. It’s a good way to stay out of trouble.” “I would try to do the right thing in the situation at hand." Read More