essay

MGMT861 Assessment 2: Ethical decision making and Leadership in a pandemic 1

Managing Organisations and People 468901

Assessment 2: Case study: Ethical Decision Making in a time of crisis: Jacinda Ardern” (40%)

Due date: Friday 19 June 5 pm through Turnitin

Approximate word length: 1500 word minimum (without references)

You are required to write an essay on ethical decision making in the time of Covid-19, with particular

reference to the management and leadership of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Background:

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has received wide-spread coverage in world media over

the past two and a half years since she came to power in October 2017. Ardern was described as

possessing “solace and steel” after her response to the Christchurch mosque killings in March 2019.

The current Covid-19 world pandemic has brought renewed focus on Ardern’s leadership as she has

led New Zealand into a time of lockdown well before the country’s metrics on the virus were at a

contained level. Successfully leading through a crisis demands a certain skillset that Ardern has been

argued to possess.

You are required to write an essay on ethical decision making, effective management and leadership

during the Covid-19 global crisis, with particular reference to the leadership of New Zealand Prime

Minister Jacinda Ardern as well as reference to other world political or business leaders.

Your essay should include THREE sections, to address these THREE issues in relation to the Covid-19

crisis:

• The kinds of decisions, including ethical decisions, that governments, businesses or

organisations leaders need to make in a pandemic crisis, and the internal and external forces

and stakeholders that will influence these decisions (Section 1).

• Jacinda Ardern’s leadership and decision-making during the crisis and how it fits, or does not fit,

with theoretical management or leadership models (Section 2).

• The importance of effective communication to stakeholder groups during a crisis including

specific reference to Jacinda Ardern’s style and its effectiveness (Section 3).

MGMT861 Assessment 2: Ethical decision making and Leadership in a pandemic 2

In your essay you need to:

• illustrate your answers with specific examples;

• use a range of academic supporting evidence in your essay as well as media articles;

• Reference all sources correctly in APA 6th format.

Resources: (Some recent media articles are provided for you below - you will find others)

Section 1.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-will-coronavirus-end/608719/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forrester/2020/03/19/decision-making-during-the-covid-19-crisis-

requires-a-bias-toward-people-not-profit/#26f92ae14ddc

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/2020/03/18/coronavirus-pandemic-emergency-

ethics

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ethical-business-decisions-in-the-covid-51535/

Section 2

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/04/jacinda-ardern-new-zealand-leadership-

coronavirus/610237/

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-the-corona-covid-19-outbreak-becomes-a-powerful-catalyst-

for-transformative-leadership/

https://www.hrgurus.com.au/covid-19-pandemic-a-time-for-servant-leadership

Section 3

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/120590435/in-the-survivor-jungle-ardern-is-

winning-the-communications-contest

https://theconversation.com/three-reasons-why-jacinda-arderns-coronavirus-response-has-been-a-

masterclass-in-crisis-leadership-135541

Please note that if any of the above articles are used as references in your essay they should be

referenced in full APA6th style.

MGMT861 Assessment 2: Ethical decision making and Leadership in a pandemic 3

Learning outcomes

1. Examine the functions of effective management in a changing world.

2. Critically evaluate internal and external forces and stakeholders that influence the

management of organisations.

3. Analyse the causes and consequences of management issues in organisations and

recommend workable solutions that meet the needs of diverse groups of stakeholders.