Leadership and Ethics - Assignment Example

1. Propose two (2) ethical concerns that management may need to address related to the issue you selected in Assignment 1. Provide a rationale for your response. The first ethical issue in health care in the United States is the marketing of the prescribed drugs. Like in any other industry, the healthcare sector has valid concerns about the motives the seller of a product may have to alter information carried about their product (Ulrich et al. 2010). This concern is intensified in healthcare by the fact that the patient, who is the final consumer, is typically rather detached from the choice of therapeutic approach to employ. When the doctors act in the best interest of the patient, then the ethical concern of marketing becomes less severe. When patients have the freedom and ability to compare and choose a doctor based on how the physician represents the interests of the patient, the concern that the doctor can be unjustifiably swayed by pharmaceutical company’s marketing efforts is diminished (Ulrich et al. 2010). Marketing activities acts as a means of information provision to people, hence helping them make economic choices. Acquisition and processing of information are costly. Trademarks and brands should hence exist since they bear information about features of a good or a service to consumers, at a comparatively small cost. Advertisers serve to remind people of the services and products offered since people have numerous things to attend to (Ulrich et al. 2010). Reminders, therefore, help individuals decide on what to do with the limited time and resources. Therefore, allowing health care companies to give information to physicians and patients can be a significant factor in realizing an improved quality of health care. The second ethical issue in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States is pricing. Ethical issues in pricing revolve around two things. These include offering access to existing medicines for patients who cannot pay and maintaining the motivation to continue developing drugs that take care of unmet needs (Ulrich et al. 2010). These problems add up to taking care of the needs and demands of the present patients rather than those of future patients. However, an entirely ethical approach to the issue of pricing should consider both future and current needs. 2. Analyze the overall manner in which organizational structure impacts corporate ethics. Select one (1) public agency or one (1) non-profit organization in which the ethical concerns related to the issue you selected may not be considered unethical. Provide a rationale for your response. The structure of an organization significantly impacts on the organizational ethics. Large groups that face complex issues can destabilize ethical judgments by disintegrating information across many departments and people (Zheng, Yang & McLean, 2010). Also, in some organizations, work may be assigned in ways that hinder decision makers from seeing the bigger and the full picture. Additionally, some organizations may have inadequate channels for communicating concerns. The structure and norms of an organization also affect a person’s conduct and ethical reasoning (Zheng, Yang & McLean, 2010). For instance, skewed systems of reward may lead to a concern and preoccupation with growth, short term profits, and aids at the cost of long-term values. Mismanaged compensation structures and bonus systems form part of the explanation for the unethical behavior in organizations. In charitable organizations, workers who feel extreme pressure to create revenue and reduce administrative costs may engage in unethical conducts (Zheng, Yang & McLean, 2010). Also, the perception of employees about unfairness in the systems of rewards, and the lack of commitment among the leaders may increase the prospect of unethical behavior. Establishments help in realizing their priorities in many ways. Among these ways is the implementation of ethical standards. These are accomplished through the hiring criteria, compensation, respect and fairness with which the employees or clients are treated (Zheng, Yang & McLean, 2010). Individuals care intensely about organizational justice and do better when they are sure that they are being treated with dignity and their ethical conduct rewarded. Churches, which are nonprofit organizations, do not consider the ethical concerns mentioned above unethical. For example, ethical problems in marketing originate from conflicts and disagreements. In a marketing transaction, each party comes up with a set of expectations about how the business relations will exist and also how transactions are to be conducted (Bryson, 2011). Since churches are not aimed at making profits, they do not deem this unethical. Also, about marketing audience, elective marketing is usually used to reduce or discourage demand from undesirable market sectors. The church, however, is generally open to anybody who wishes to worship. It does not select particular worshipers on any basis. 3. Use the Inventory of Public Management Skills Management, located on pages 11 to 12 of the textbook, to construct a self-evaluation. Assess your level of development in each of the skills. Discuss two (2) to three (3) activities that would affect your ability as a leader to address the ethical concerns discussed in Question 1. Given my experience and education, it is natural for me to view things in terms of efficiency and competence. I, therefore, boast of core skills in public administration. For instance, my knowledge of theory and practices of state structures gives me an understanding of modern perspectives of management. My competence in communication skills and data gathering also places me in a better position to understand the root of the problems and hence come up with informed decisions on how to solve them. Additionally, my vast ability to organize, understand, and also analyze new sources of information is useful in public management. These skills are pertinent in critical evaluation of problems, creative thinking, and making of well-reasoned and sound decisions while observing both sides of an argument. The knowledge I have acquired has also improved my teamwork management. This can be seen in my ability to interact with, and lead a variety of people who have different approaches, professional, and personal backgrounds. My view is that a debate on ethics should be grounded on an understanding that people will be likely to act in ways they deem to be in their individual best interest. Therefore, to address the ethical issues of marketing of prescribed drugs and pricing, the management has to put in place appropriate structures and protections. These measures will bar individuals from acting in their interests but rather, to ensure that they leave others better off, as well. For instances, individuals should be lifted out of poverty so as to foster societal prosperity. The ability of a leader to address these issues can also be affected by overlapping the betterment of mankind and the search for economic efficiency (Corey et al. 2014). This is because healthcare can be an important component of improved life quality that enhances economic growth and development. In other words, the marketing of prescribed drugs and pricing held by both biopharmaceutical companies and governments have to involve helping individuals realize their goals with regards to the quality of life (Corey et al. 2014). With the growth of the economy, individuals will certainly desire better healthcare quality both for those they care about and themselves. Government regulations can hence retard or foster that progress. 4. Based on the response in Question 3, discuss two(2) to three (3) strategies you will implement to become an effective public administrator In order to be an effective public leader, particularly in the healthcare sector, each accredited hospital should have an ethics mechanism, which helps staff actually to deal with ethical dilemmas (Crane & Matten, 2010). This mechanism should be an ethics committee. The members of this ethics committee should be available at all the times to assist patients, employees, and families. Also, the board members can be called upon to help resolve an apparent conflict between the parties (Crane & Matten, 2010). Similarly, these consultants must be well grounded in the policies of the hospitals and should possess additional ethics training. Moreover, clinicians and administrators can enhance ethical practices in their organizations through open discussion and ongoing education (Crane & Matten, 2010). Blending a proper ethics policy and support mechanisms with a principle that permits people to discuss some areas of their practice may prepare physicians to tackle many of the ethical issues in stride. Understanding ethical practice involves knowing the complexity of the care environment of the patients. This requires employees and administrators to adapt to varying conditions as a regular part of work. Even the best ethics programs can fail if administrators fail to take into consideration the bias that can lead us to unethical behavior, whether others or ours. In order to head off unethical behavior in an organization, ethics should not be forced through sanctioning and surveillance systems (Crane & Matten, 2010). Instead, administrators should ensure that employees and managers are aware of all the partiality that can result in unethical behavior. Consequently, the staff should be encouraged to find answers to the question as to the ethical implications that might result from their decisions (Crane & Matten, 2010). Above all, administrators should be aware that as leaders of their blind spots, they should not permit or encourage the unethical behaviors they are trying to eliminate. References Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (Vol. 1). John Wiley & Sons. Corey, G., Corey, M., Corey, C., &Callanan, P. (2014). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions with 2014 ACA Codes. Cengage Learning. Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2010). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Ulrich, C. M., Taylor, C., Soeken, K., O’Donnell, P., Farrar, A., Danis, M., & Grady, C. (2010). Everyday ethics: ethical issues and stress in nursing practice. Journal of advanced nursing, 66(11), 2510-2519. Zheng, W., Yang, B., & McLean, G. N. (2010). Linking organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 763-771. Read More