Lecture22 Ethics

8/12/2019 Lecture22 Ethics

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Ethics and Leadership


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Outline

What is ethics?

Three approaches to resolving ethical

conflicts

Making ethical decisions


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Ethics: What Does It Really Mean?

Definitions

Ethicsinvolves a discipline that examines

good or bad practices within the context of a

moral duty

Moral conductis behavior that is right or

wrong


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Two Key Branches of Ethics

Descriptive ethicsinvolves describing,

characterizing and studying morality

What is

Normative ethicsinvolves supplying and

justifying moral systems

What should be


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3 Models of Leadership Ethics

1. Immoral LeadershipA style devoid of ethical

principles and active opposition to what is ethical.

2. Moral LeadershipConforms to high standards of

ethical behavior.

3. Amoral Leadership Intentional - does not consider ethical factors

Unintentional - casual or careless about ethical

considerations in business


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Resolving Ethical Conflicts

Three Approaches

Conventional

Principles

Ethical tests


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Conventional Approach to Ethics

Conventional approach to ethics involves a

comparison of a decision or practice to

prevailing societal normsPitfall: ethical relativism

Decision or Practice Prevailing Norms


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Leadership and Ethics

Culture Relativism

Many people in contemporary society are

inclined toward relativism - roughly, the

view that there is no objective truth inmorality, right and wrong are only matters

of opinion that vary from culture to

culture, and possibly, from person toperson.


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Leadership and EthicsCulture Relativism

Descriptive relativismclaims that members of

different cultures have different moral beliefs.

Normative relativismclaims that the truth of

moral beliefs depends upon particular cultures,

such that the belief that cannibalism is right

can be true for culture A but false for culture

B.


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Leadership and EthicsCulture Relativism

Normative relativism has some rather undesirable

implications:

it prohibits us from ever morally condemning anothercultures values and practices;

it suggests that we need look no further that our own

culture for moral guidance;

it renders the notions of moral progress and moral reform

incoherent.


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Sources of Ethical Norms

Fellow Workers

Family

Friends

The Law

Regions of

Country

Profession

Employer

Society at Large

Fellow Workers

Religious

Beliefs

The Individual

Conscience


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Making Ethical Judgments

Behavior or act

that has been

committed

Prevailing norms

of acceptability

Value judgments

and perceptions ofthe observer

compared with


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Principles Approach to Ethics

Utilitarianism

Rights

Justice

Caring

Virtue ethics

Servant leadership

Golden Rule

Principles Approach

Anchors decision making

on an ethical principle such as:


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Principle of Utilitarianismfocuses on an

act that produces the greatest ratio of good toevil for everyone

Consequentialist theory


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Principle of Rightsfocuses on examining

and possibly protecting individual moralor

legal rights


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Principle of justiceinvolves considering

what alternative promotes fair treatment of

people Types of justice

Distributive

Compensatory

Procedural


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Principle of caringfocuses on a person as a

relational (cooperative) and not as an

individualFeminist theory

Virtue ethicsfocuses on individuals

becoming imbued with virtuesAristotle and Plato


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Servant Leadership and Ethics

Listening Empathy

Healing

Persuasion Awareness

Foresight Conceptualization

Commitment to the

growth of people

Stewardship

Building community

Characteristics of Servant Leaders


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Golden Rule

Golden rulefocuses on the premise that you

should of unto others as you would havethem do unto you


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Ethics Test Approach

Ethics Test Approach

Test of common sense

Test of ones best self

Test of making something public

Test of ventilation

Gag test


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Ethical Decision-MakingIdentify decision you

are about to make

Articulateall dimensions

of proposed decision

Conventional Approach

Standards/Norms

-Personal-Organizational

-Societal

-International

Principles Approach

Ethical Principles

-Justice-Rights

-Utilitarianism

-Golden Rule

Ethical Tests Approach

Ethical Tests

-Common sense-Ones best self

-Public disclosure

-Gag test . . .

Course of action passes

ethics screen

Engage in course of

action

Course of action fails

ethics screen

Do not engagein course

of action

Identify new course of

action


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Ethical Decision Models Utilitarian Model

An ethical decision is one that produces the greatest

good for the greatest number of people.

Moral Rights Model

An ethical decision is one that best maintains and

protects the fundamental rights and privileges of the

people affected by it.Justice Model

An ethical decision is one that distributes benefits and

harms among individuals in a fair, equitable, orim artial wa .


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Ethical Models

UtilitarianJustice

Moral Rights

IDEALOutcome


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Steps to Ethical Decision Making

Think through dilemma;

identify all components as objectively as possible.

Consider options

Decide which option is most ethical

How can the option be implemented

What are the consequences

of your decision

Documents

Lecture22 Ethics