Ethics in Leadership

Getting Started

Have you ever had a decision or choice turn out poorly? Have any of those poor decisions resulted from failing to anticipate some of the negative impacts on others because of how the decision was made or its outcome?  Failing to take the time to consider underlying issues and possible implications can create unintended consequences. However, consequences, even when unanticipated, can create substantive damage to people, relationships, trust, and organizational performance. It can prevent or destroy the development of a community of trust.

This assignment will help you build some step-by-step tools for making ethical decisions.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Select from among a variety of ways to make ethical decisions.

Background Information

Moral imagination is a way to think about the variety of possible options and impacts of decisions. In other words, it is more than just using one’s head but using one’s heart as well.

Moral Imagination

Tools such as step-by-step decision procedures can help leaders and leadership teams explore options, consider implications, and apply ethical principles while resisting time pressures and other dynamics that might increase the chance of making an unethical choice. While ethical perspectives and criteria can provide some important principles and practices for determining the why, what, and how, to determine right actions, having a set of procedural, decision-making frameworks at your disposal will enhance the practical utility of your leader toolkit.

Many decision-making models exist. They come with various names and approaches such as administrative, rational actor, emotional, intuitive, and even garbage-can model of decision making. Literature on decision-making also considers questions such as who should make a decision in a situation (e.g., an expert in a decision requiring specialized knowledge) and methods such as collaborative, consensus, democratic, or autocratic approaches.

Johnson (2019) highlighted several ethical decision-making models (EDMs), which also can be useful for general decision-making, even if a scenario does not have clear ethical implications. In part, EDMs have decision-makers at least consider the ethical foundations and ramifications of decisions. Here are three EDM models:

Foursquare Protocol

· Element 1 – Gather data and identify relevant facts to be able to give a rich description of the situation.

· Element 2 – Compare how past, similar experiences were handled and what can be learned (both good and bad) from those experiences.

· Element 3 – Distinguish between the current scenario and past scenarios. Which distinctions are insignificant? Which ones are important for the current situation?

· Element 4 – Engage in self-reflection to consider what self-interests might compromise your moral judgment. Consider how those receiving the effect of the decision will be impacted. Assess what your moral instincts may be saying. Test your choices through the self-examination lens and then make the decision.

Five Timeless Questions

· Question 1 – What are the net, net consequences? That is, list all possible options and outcomes in as much detail as possible. Seek dissenting viewpoints that might help illuminate otherwise overlooked concerns.

· Question 2 – What are my core obligations? Moving beyond just consideration of profit, consider each stakeholder (present and future) and how the decision might impact them.

· Question 3 – What will work in the world as it is? Consider the complexity of organizational life. Which options will actually work? What can you control? What can you not control? Where do the power and interests of others come into play?

· Question 4 – Who are we? After consideration of the previous questions, what is the actual context of the decision-making? What are the norms and values of the organization? How will people respond to the decision?

· Question 5 – What can I live with? Apply a variety of perspectives. Make a trial decision and consider how a neutral or third party might respond to the decision. Then, make the choice and communicate it well. 

The Five “I” Format

· Identify the problem

· Investigate the problem

· Innovate options by generating several possible solutions

· Isolate a solution (and evaluate it)

· Implement the solution. 

Johnson (2019) closed his discussion of EDMs with an important principle to guide the ethical decision-making process. “Remember that you are looking not for a perfect solution but for a well-reasoned, carefully considered one” (p. 85).

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Review the Background Information.

3. Read: Faddis (course text).

a. Chapter 2; Strategy 4 – pp. 46 – 58.

b. Chapter 2; Strategy 5 – pp. 59 – 51.

4. Read –  Burkholder et al.(new tab)  article. While this article is contextualized for counselors, there is some good material to consider as a leader. For example, the article references a couple of summary lists of common themes in EDMs. You do not need to probe deeply into the research design section, but the opening review, the discussion, themes, and implications sections supply some thought-provoking ideas that might enhance the discussion in the forum.

5. Write an initial response (300-400 words) to the following prompt(s) or question(s):  

a. The background information and reading provide several different EDM procedures.

b. Briefly describe a recent decision that you or someone in your organization made that had clear, ethical elements (this should be no more than ½ of your total post).

c. Then, discuss how the decisions followed (or did not follow) one of the EDMs that you read about in course materials. How could the decision process have been improved?

d. Post your initial response by the end of day four of the workshop.

6. Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as any follow-up instructor questions directed at you, by the end of day seven of the workshop. Response posts should occur on at least two different days and be approximately 150-200 words.

a. Follow-up posts should discuss the practical value of the different EDMS and key “take-aways” (principles and practices) that you can derive.

b. Also, consider the implications for Christian leaders and ethical leaders.