Ethical Responsibilities
Ethical leadership is a term that has become very commonplace today. It is a concept that many have come to see as important as leaders do have a very big role to play when it comes to driving teams in the right direction. Choices and decisions made by leaders/managers impact the team heavily. Leaders must have high ethical standards to be able to manage and work effectively. Ethical leadership is the core of a great organization; a leader bears the greatest responsibility in the overall direction of an organization and that applies to ethics as well. An ethical leader must first and foremost be ethical; the five principles of an ethical leader should inform all levels of an organization to create an ethical culture for all parties. Maintaining ethical standards can make or break an organization and that depends greatly on the leadership that is practiced. Working at Sigmund Cohn, I have seen how ethics take priority over anything. Production will be stopped until certain questions are answered.
Some of the responsibilities of the managers include contacting the customers and explain them specific issues that postpone their orders. Often times, order require certificate of analysis which provides impurities of the material. Some items require specific amount of impurity based on the element and material. What do we do when specification does not meet the requirement? Customer is contacted momentarily, and additional tests are being conducted in house as well as with third party. Nothing leaves our doors until we know for certain we have followed all ethical guidelines and regulations.
Ethical Vulnerabilities
Ethical principles are informed by the values, morals and belief systems that a le...
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... and goals and how these build into the greater goal for all. An ethical leader attends to personal and overall interests and builds the two to create overall success of all. Everyone in the organization should feel like a purposeful contributor towards success.
In conclusion, in the creation of an ethical workplace, I would begin by adopting the principles of an ethical leader and practicing them so as to inculcate the ethical principles to all involved. Creating a work place where the values of respect, service, justice, honesty and community are emphasized would be my goal for all. A leader works and at the same time creates other leaders in the process, and I would endeavor to raise and maintain an ethical culture for employees who work for the good of their own personal wellbeing, each other’s welfare and in turn, the overall good of the organization .
Transformational leaders should help make a proactive change toward ensuring high ethics within the area they lead. It is up to organizational leaders to create ethical workplace cultures.
Looking at the first word in ethical leadership we see, as stated in the Webster-Merriam dictionary, ethical is defined as “following accepted rules of behavior: morally right and good”. When we think of someone who is ethical we, first, think of someone who ‘follows the rules’. By following the rules I mean someone who in the eyes of the majority is morally sound. Having strong morals is what I believe the key is to an ethical person. On the other side of the definition of ethical is defining it as having inside oneself the desire to do what’s right over what is wrong. When we speak about someone who is ethical this desire is one that is not dependent on external forces i.e. no one can sway an ethical person’s mindset.
German Philosopher, Immanuel Kant once said, “In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so” (1800). The word ethics refers to “character” and “conduct” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). It is deeply “concerned with the virtuousness of individuals and their motives” and “the kinds of values and morals an individual or a society finds desirable or appropriate” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). Thus, “in regards to leadership, ethics is concerned with what leaders do and who leaders are” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). Ethics in leadership allows leaders to make decisions regarding what is virtuous or not in a situation. All throughout the history of American government, difficult decisions have been made and the fight for ethics has always been “implicitly or explicitly involved” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330).
Currently, leadership is generally understood as a person with insight and wisdom of guidance, which expected to be efficient in management responsibilities like planning organizing, and monitoring performance (Kandola, 2004, p. 144). In addition, making ethical decision is important to individuals who value and take seriously institutional...
With so many constant changes today with different generations, legal and political circumstances and ever-changing and improving technology sources, organizations have new and recurring issues arising every single day. The reasons for these issues vary widely and develop because of so many different situations. The outcome of the situation depends on many factors including the issue at hand, the management style and the ethics of the organization to simply name a few. These outcomes can certainly make or break an organization if not handled appropriately. The issue I have found to be the most significant is leadership. Within leadership, there is the opportunity for many issues in itself.
Ethical educator brings values, ethics into a professional practice of purposefully being thoughtful focusing on teaching, and learning (Bonhoeffer,1995). The platform of ethical theories focuses on the moral and justification of human behavior in leadership within an organization structure (Bonhoeffer,1995). In an exploration of on the foundation of ethics, there is a conception that American society is a melting pot of cultures and individuals. Ethical leaders are stakeholders in many organizations, striving to achieve the purpose, vision, and value of his realm without compromising self-interest (Bonhoeffer,1995). Ethical leaders embody the purpose, and values of the organization and the constituents, within an understanding of ethical ideals (Bonhoeffer,1995).
Organizations are constantly tested with various moral and ethical problems and dilemmas. Organizational leaders are the key to establishing an ethical climate in the workplace. By understanding and improving their own moral reasoning, and the biases that affect moral judgment, they enable themselves to make better decisions. This has a catalytic effect that positively increases organizational climate, ultimately improving all organizational behavior.
So, to be successful, I have to be aware of the different cultures and implement measures to minimize ethical issues before problems occur. Proactive leaders develop plans to assist and guide employees how to make moral decisions even when pressured to do otherwise. I think about the welfare of everyone at all level before making an ethical decision within my organization. Ethical leaders have the responsibility to balance the stakeholder's interest as well to ensure the business capitalize on its role as a responsible corporate citizen (Ferrell et al. , p. 143, 2013).
Finally, how ethics produce powerful leaders will stress how great leadership is unthinkable without ethics. Throughout this paper the reader will create a comprehension of what is required to become an ethical and powerful leader. The focus on personal ethics of a leader is not intended to undermine alternate, various variables that influence leadership, however to stress how personal ethics of a leader enactment as the backbone of great leadership. Intentionally tending to individual ethics will secure successful leadership, which will achieve ethical organisations and in the long run instil the social responsibility lost in today's society.
Fulmer, R.M. “The Challenge of Ethical Leadership.” Organizational Dynamics, 33/3 (2004), 307-317. Web. 14 November 2013 http://www.kantakji.com/fiqh/files/companies/w155.pdf
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