Leadership and Personal Ethics - Essay Example

?Running Head: Personal Ethics Action Plan and Number: Semester: Mission/Goals Personal Mission ment To continuously strive to improve myself through hard work and learn from past experiences and mistakes. Professional Mission Statement To provide a better workplace for dedicated individuals who seek to enhance their skills by being diligent, result oriented and professional at all times. Definitions 1. Ethics Ethics is considered to be a set of standard rules that must be followed appropriately (Yahoo! Education Dictionary, 2009). In my personal opinion, ethics is the exercise of having the right behavior and doing the right thing at the proper time and the proper place. I regard ethics as the right behavior or attitude which must be displayed appropriately at the right time and right place because certain situations calls for various correct responses from the individuals concerned. Since it is important that everybody must known the set of standard rules which are required at any given setting; and should be able to adhere with said rules in order to establish better understanding and communication with people from a personal or professional level. 2. Leadership Leadership entails many salient characteristics that a certain person must possess; being a good leader calls for having the ability to do what one sets out to do, together with the spirit to carry on until the planned task is accomplished (Gutierrez et al, 2004). I regard this as the best meaning of leadership because a leader must be able to produce expected results by having the cooperation and loyalty of his or her followers. In gaining the cooperation and loyalty of others, the good and wise leader must possess the skill to direct and control the efforts of his or her followers. This will lead the entire team to move in one direction that will make collation of all necessary skills to produce positive outcomes. 3. Service Service pertains to being employed and having a certain load of duties or responsibilities to carry out daily with a particular company or organization (Yahoo! education Dictionary, 2009). This is the most suitable meaning of service to me, because generally speaking providing service means being employed or having been hired by a particular corporation or government entity. Hence, being employed involves the provision of service or work which is necessary for both the employee and employer to survive financially. Service contributes mainly to the income of the organization and the salary of the worker or employee. 4. Character The ideal definition of character in my opinion is the unique personal traits of a certain individual, which separates him or her from others. The characteristics of people vary because each and everyone have acquired different principles during their formative years. Environmental factors like school, friends and home affect the character or personality of people. Personality clashes often happen in any setting (like the office or workplace) due to character differences and various perceptions that people have. Pressing Ethical Issues Two of the most critical issues that majority of business organizations including their respective leaders face at present are whistle blowing and employee rights and duties. These two organizational concerns are often times met with skepticism and apprehension by top management and company personnel because they involve values that people adhere to; including the extent and limitations of company rules and regulations. Whistle Blowing Whistle blowing is the disclosure or revelation of any misconduct or law violations that usually occur within a given entity, private or government (Nadarejan, 2010). Whistle blowing in relation to the practice of democracy carries with it two vital features, which are: 1) the exposure of any legal wrong doings and misconducts; 2) necessitates “accountability of public bodies and private entities” (Nadarejan, 2010). It is important to understand that the general public needs to know if a breach of law or misconduct has occurred within a company or an organization. Such revelations are relatively damaging to those involved but whistle blowing upholds public trust since they are being duly informed that violations and wrongdoings have unfortunately transpired. As a result whistle blowing makes the violators accountable for the misdeeds and company rules more transparent to outsiders (Nadarejan, 2010). Incidentally, even though whistle blowing initiates discipline within a given organization, most individuals perceive whistle blowers as “snitches” or betrayers of trust (Ravishhankar, 2003). Depending on the person or persons including the company or companies that would ultimately be affected by the information which whistle blowers may give out; the majority of whistle blowers are viewed by the public as “saviors” who assisted in making the necessary changes within a given organization (Ravishhankar, 2003). While many may see the turning of necessary information to initiate changes basically as for the personal gain (fame or otherwise) of the whistle blower; the actual reality is that it is difficult to attempt a public disclosure that would air the organization’s dirty laundry; since this may ultimately damage an organization’s public reputation beyond repair. Even if whistle blowers are seen as traitors and have to face censure in some levels of the society, whistle blowing is predominantly encouraged. This is because internal authorities must be made conscious of the fact that ethical and legal breaches are happening within the organization; so issues could be resolved without delay on the inside. Second to that is to prevent the maximum damage or risks the company will suffer when and if the whistle blower(s) may not sought resolution internally. And last but not the least is to impart inspiration to employees that the company or organization is serious when it comes to practicing professionalism and advocates firm observance about ethical codes of conduct that incorporates set rules and regulations (Ravishhankar, 2003). Consequently, most employees who intend to blow the whistle often do not push through with their plan since they do not want to bear the grudge of their co-employees and are apprehensive about any retribution they may receive from the company or the individuals they “snitched” on (Ravishhankar, 2003). For individuals who would like to make an attempt at whistle blowing, it is essential to analyze how to take the necessary steps to blow the whistle. The primary step must be to talk with family and close friends about the said decision and get their opinion about the matter. The thing is that whatever the whistle blower does affects his or her family and friends, so it is better to get their unbiased opinion about the matter before actually taking further steps. It is likewise of paramount importance whether to go for public disclosure or just be an “anonymous source” (workplacefairness, 2006). The basis for these particular decisions will depend on the “quantity and quality of evidence”, the amount of risk and the harsh public judgment the whistle blower is willing to put up with (workplacefairness, 2006). For the past decade, whistle blowing has been encouraged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by paying insiders for proof of any misconducts or legal breaches. However, this did not deter the wrongdoings of corporate executives who went to any extent to gain financial wealth leaving stockholders with meager returns on investments despite the creation and implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Kaplan, 2010). The advantage of offering payment for any legal wrongdoings is that companies will be motivated to offer such payments in order to get the “tip” firsthand and solve the problem internally – provided the whistle blower intends to report the fraud to internal authorities first before taking the evidence for public expose (Kaplan, 2010). Employee Rights and Duties Workers and employers alike have their respective rights within the organization. Upon hiring an employee, it is important to specify the particular duties and responsibilities he or she is required to perform while being employed by the company. This entails providing details about the company regulations the he or she must be aware of, especially the ones that bear a significant attachment to the terms of employment and service. Some employee duties are: “duty to obey lawful and reasonable orders”, “duty of mutual cooperation”, “duty to exercise reasonable care and skill”, “duty to indemnify the employer”, “duty of confidentiality”, and “duty to render personal service” (Articles, n.d.). The duty to obey lawful and reasonable orders are very self-explanatory because any astute employee is generally aware of what is legal and what is not; and if the order or directive given is within his or her scope of duties and responsibilities. On the other hand, the duty of mutual cooperation necessitates the employer and the employee to work as a team in order to accomplish company goals and objectives. Employees are required to collaborate with the employer so long as the tasks being required are within the legal bounds of the law. The duty to exercise reasonable care and skill pertains to the employee’s ability to perform his or her duties without gross negligence, which may damage corporate property. This is in tandem with the duty to indemnify employer, which basically means that any damage sustained by the company due to the gross negligence of the employee must be payable to the employer. The duty of confidentiality mandates that employees must not divulge any information about the company to any third party or rival organization. Whereas the duty to render personal service is more or less within the bounds of following orders that are reasonable and within the legal boundaries of an individual’s employment (Articles, n.d.). The preceding duties of an employee are just some responsibilities an employee is expected to undertake. It is likewise important that prior to the signing of any contract, the potential employee is encourage to ask questions and clarify his or her terms of employment (Articles, n.d.). Most individuals work best and accomplish more when they are given definite tasks to work on at a specified period of time. The work must be suitable to his or her skill and knowledge as well as physical fitness. This indicates that management must always endeavor to hire employees who are well suited to the vacant positions within the company. Based on job specification requirements, the skills, training, and experience of each applicant must be considered meticulously (Gutierrez et al, 2004). Case Study Analysis Problem (Step #1): Steven worked as a staff accountant within the accounts payable section of the company for years making him feel quite astute about how the organization is managed from the inside out. His first meeting with the new head of the accounts payable section, Kristen, led him to state that promotions and overtime work within the company are usually given to preferred employees and are not based on work quality. The exchange led Kristen to believe that misconduct is being practiced within the company and demanded that Steven provide her names of those who are practicing such misdeeds. Steven needs to make a proper reply because his job security is at stake. Input (Step #2): The fact that may have led to the problem at hand is that Steven has assumed he knows how the company is managed since he has worked there for a long time ever since graduating from college. Unfortunately he has no basis for making the statement to Kristen, except for the fact that he has been able to endure a long employment with the company he is currently working at. And while he may have observed that favoritism has occurred now and then; and that most of the staff is not a team player – he does not have any official evidence to prove his claim. In every work environment getting along with others is the key to survival and being comfortable within the confines of the office (Marano, 2003); this entails being flexible and learning to make concessions when situations require it (Marano, 2003). Solution (Step #3): The best possible solutions to Steven’s dilemma are: 1) to tell Kristen that he does not have official proof of his claim and have just made the comment just to ensure that everybody is treated fairly including him; 2) to tell Kristen that he will be gathering evidences and update her soon; 3) to start giving names and state situations without proper evidence. The strength of solution number one is that Steven is able to own up to any mistakes or misconception about what he said; the weakness is that Kristen will not believe him; the opportunity is that Steven will be able to rectify any misunderstanding between himself and Kristen; and the threat is Kristen might doubt Steven and will not trust him any longer. The rationale for this possible solution of the problem is that Steven still maintains decency by being honest. Although there is a possibility that Kristen will always doubt him from now on, at least he did not make the problem worst by making up a story that has no factual basis. For solution number two the strength is that Steven may become Kristen’s confidante; the weakness is that his co-employees at the rank and file will not trust him; the opportunity here is Steven will be at Kristen’s good graces; the threat is he might not be able to come up with what Kristen expects of him. The underlying principle here is that Steven becomes Kristen’s inside informer but risks the hostility of the other employees and the possibility of not being able to come up with what Kristen would like him to do (Marketing Teacher, n.d.). The strength for solution number three is Steven will be able to gain Kristen’s trust; the weakness for this solution is that he has no factual basis for his claims; the opportunity is Steven will be able to find out if his suspicions are correct; the threat for number three solution is if the other employees find out what he did and he is wrong the possibility of legal or personal retribution can be expected (Dess et al, 2010). The rationale here is to be on the good foot with the boss to ensure security of tenure and to maintain it at the expense of others. Choice (Step #4): I choose the number one suggested solution where Steven must tell Kristen that he does not have official proof of his claim and have just made the comment just to ensure that everybody is treated fairly including him. While digging for evidences may be a good option, proving them to be true is more risky than bearing the ire of the boss. Operation (Step #5): The operational goal for the solution selected is to: develop a new evaluation criteria form to enhance fairness in the work place (National Council for Voluntary Organizations, n.d.). In order to make the stated operational goal feasible the following steps must be embarked on: 1. Focus on obtaining more seminars and certificates to improve and update skills and job knowledge; 2. Attend management-staff meetings to have the opportunity to voice out concerns and ask questions in relation to work within the company; 3. Make verbal proposals during management-staff meetings since any comments or suggestions made will be taken down in the minutes of meeting; 4. Make regular follow-up on proposals made to be able to determine the next possible course of action (Benedict, 2010). Course Summary The success of any kind of organization depends mainly on the leader or leaders who hold the reins of management. Leadership integrates ethics, service and character, making a certain individual competent enough to handle the rigors of the position. Wise leadership is knowing the proper things to say and do at the right place and time inspiring respect from others because critical situations are handled aptly. To be a good leader likewise calls for dedication to service, where loyalty and hard work is necessary to achieve the goals of the organization. Character wise, a good leader must have integrity, can command cooperation and must show enthusiasm for work so others are motivated as well to do their job to the best of their abilities. References Articles. n.d. Duties of Employees / Rights of Employers. Retrieved from http://uptodatearticles.com/2011/02/duties-of-employees-rights-of-employers/ Benedict, K. (2010). Operational Goals, EDI and SAP Information Interchange. Retrieved from http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/kevin-benedict/operational-goals-edi-and-sap-information-interchange-37881 Dess, G., Lumpkin, J.T., Eisner, A. (2010). Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages. Fourth Edition. The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. New York. ISBN-13: 978-0-07-131218-9. Gutierrez, H., Pura, J. and Garcia, R. (2004). Business Organization and Management (Outline). Sixth Edition. R.M. Garcia Publishing House. ISBN 971-1024-007-1. Kaplan, J. (2010). Personal Finance: Whistle-Blowing Is The Best Way To Fight Corporate Fraud. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2010/12/14/whistle-blower-personal-finance-dodd-frank-act.html Nadarejan, T. (2010). Whistle Blowing: It's Justification in the Practice of Democracy. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/whistle-blowing-its-justification-in-the-practice-of-democracy-3726868.html National Council for Voluntary Organizations. (n.d.). Mission – Strategic Goals and Operational Objectives. Retrieved from http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/advice-support/funding-finance/mission-strategic Marano, H.E. (2010). Help Wanted: A Team Player. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200309/help-wanted-team-player Marketing Teacher. (n.d.). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-swot.html Ravishankar, L. (2003). Encouraging Internal Whistleblowing in Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/whistleblowing.html Workplacefairness. (2006). Job Survival Blowing the Whistle. Retrieved from http://www.workplacefairness.org/blowing-the-whistle Yahoo! Education Dictionary. (2009). Ethics. Retrieved from http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/ethic Yahoo! Education Dictionary. (2009). Service. Retrieved from http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/?s=service Read More