Discussion - Provide a response

Please provide at least 150-word response to each student response below to continue conversation and provide new information. Be sure to research/cite/reference sources in each discussion.

1st Post: The readings for this week reminded me that it is not just getting to the results that matter, but more so the how and if it was done ethically. Organizations hold much power as many who may share the same values and beliefs look up to them. When ethics are embedded into the organizational culture, it can allow for priorities to be pursued. Display of ethics that are embedded could be seen in the values, strategic planning, and missions, but also how it is used by senior leadership or anyone within the organization (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012). The culture/atmosphere within the environment can contribute to decisions made and the processes it took to get there. However, it can be challenging to get the results. It can be thought of as a highway road. There may be roadblocks, traffic jams, detours, etc. Those setbacks can allow organizations to prepare for how they want to proceed. Corners should also not be cut within the process.  

              For example, Vanourek & Vanourek (2012) discussed the University of Denver’s (DU) hockey team, where one of their players was benched due to breaking the rules. Some individuals did not agree with this, but the reality was that ethics played a part in the decision as it was a focus for the institution (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012). Simply put, DU had shared values that focused on ethics (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012). DU is an example of how a modern organization took all the necessary steps to achieve its results while managing ethical imperativeness. It looked at the values the organization holds and how important ethics are. It did not matter that the student broke a rule; it did not matter if others were upset with the decisions made; the foundations set for ethics at that institution and then following them is part of what led to the decision. Acknowledging that there were other issues at the institution prior, all constituents (coaches, students, leadership) held to the central idea of ethics at the institution (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012).  

            Suppose any risks are ignored for pursuing results and being cognizant of the ethical imperativeness. In that case, a disconnect can occur, trust can be lost, and the organization may need to be taken more seriously (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012). The impacts can be physical, mental, and emotionally damaging as hazards are there. As I have been told, it is easy to gain trust, it is even harder to regain it once it is lost. Imagine if DU allowed the student to play still, even though ethics are a core part of the institution. While the fans may not be happy, the other players, coaches, and leadership who uphold the same values may look at the institution differently because they must follow through with what they have been taught. Remaining cognizant of ethics while pursuing results is part of the foundation to an organization’s path to success.  

2nd Post: The ethical imperative is not to be compromised. There are significant indirect and direct consequences for unethical actions including litigation, fines, increased compliance costs, damage to the brand, potential loss of customers, and possible loss of morale for employees. There are synergies for all three of the key principles: 1) Excellent; 2) Ethical; and 3) Enduring. There may be times when a “tilt” is needed to prioritize short-term considerations to weather a down period by tilting from enduring temporarily. Some organizations will seek to improve the bottom-line during downturns in revenue by doing mass layoffs and promoting early retirements. This will look attractive to shareholders, but it damages the brand, demoralizes the employees, impacts productivity, and causes significant losses of institutional knowledge. This approach generally ends up costing the company more in the long run than the short-term savings realized from the layoffs (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012).

Excellent results can be realized by the right mix of the three key principles. Constructive organizational cultures have a strong relationship with good financial performance. Some organizations have fostered a culture of innovation with a high-risk tolerance for failure. This encourages employees to pursue passion projects, and “fail fast, fail forward”. Many innovative products come about through failing, learning from it, and moving forward. Strong constructive cultures provide the foundation for building an organization that can excel in all three key principles of the triple crown approach (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012).

Organizations that invest in their employees, recognize achievements, and sustain the desired culture can realize significant competitive advantage over organizations with a mediocre culture.

3rd Post:  Sustainability is imperative because it can contribute to the effectiveness of an organization. As Vanourek & Vanourek (2012) mentioned, sustainability and the elements within them look different by the organization. Sustainability allows organizations to last longer and create new opportunities (Courtnell, 2022). It also supports the notion of ethics, excellence, and enduring (three E’s) because, just like the previous discussion post; sustainability is also a process. When done in a way that displays the key elements, whether following processes or using resources responsibly, sustainable practices can occur through the three E’s (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012). Additionally, sustainability can allow for needs to be met for external and internal stakeholders within the organization.  

               Although sustainability depends on the organization itself and its practices, is it safe to say the positives outweigh the negatives regarding sustainability? It is not fair to decide that right away because when you look at the negatives and ignore the sustainability objectives, there is more harm than good done.  

              When decisions are made that are not of benefit to sustainable practices, negative impacts can occur. For example, as someone who is at an institution where retention is a big focus, retention of students, faculty, and staff can get lower than what it is now. Once retention is impacted, other areas at the institution are impacted, such as services, resources, activities, financials, and in some cases, employment. For other organizations, it can be reputation, benefits, motivation, loyalty, costs, etc. (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012). Ignoring sustainability within businesses can be seen as irresponsible to some, and it can be harmful as their impacts could be unlimited (Courtnell, 2022). If businesses want to stay competitive, sustainability is necessary within the processes and practices. 

4th Post: mental organizations, it is good to see sustainability as a critical element in operations now. Eliminating toxic waste dumps, clear cut logging, strip mining, and a host of hazardous material handling issues will greatly benefit the environment (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012).

With the pervasive reach of social media, and the value that the multi-generational users place on green technology and sustainable operations, it is imperative that businesses are seen as supporting both. There are benefits to the organization: 1) Customer loyalty; 2) Pricing premiums; 3) Cost reduction; 4) Potentially higher sales; 5) Brand boost; and 6) Attracting top talent (Vanourek & Vanourek, 2012).

Electric vehicles are purported to be a great green alternative to internal combustion engines. It is true that the vehicle has almost no emissions, but there is a large carbon footprint in the mining, transport of raw and refined materials, and in the power generation sector. Auto manufacturers can claim that manufacturing electric vehicles is sustainable, but the environmental damage caused refutes those claims. To sustainably support non-internal combustion engines requires considerable upgrades to the power grid, alternative materials to power the vehicles that does not require massive mining operations, a solid recycling plan that does not create hazardous byproducts, and do not have a significant fire danger. There are proposals for hydrogen powered vehicles, yet they have drawbacks too. Hydrogen is very flammable. Many countries have high speed rail service which helps to greatly decrease traffic congestion and fossil fuel use. America has attempted to build high speed rail but due to massive cost overruns, the country is far behind. High speed rail between all the major metropolitan centers would reduce the need for cars on the interstate. This could be a sustainable option.