Consequences of Ethical
Failures
OS230 Organizational Ethics
Week 4
Sample Case
• Scenario:
• State trooper, a state employee of the
Connecticut State Police (CSP), wants to
open an office cleaning company.
Kidneys For Sale
A Leader’s Key Value
• During the critical days of WWII, Winston Churchill
aroused an entire nation when he said:
– “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory. Victory
at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and
hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival”
• What is the aim of a leader?
– One Word: Integrity.
– Integrity at all costs, integrity in spite of all opposition,
integrity however long and hard the road; for without
integrity there can be no true victory.
The Disconnect Between Values
Awareness and Leader Behavior
When leaders ignore selfawareness—including personal
value awareness—they become
more likely to self-deceive, selfbetray, and act contrary to ethical
standards.
Kennedy and Clinton
US Navy
CNO’s tough new rules for
Screening Commanders
• Command Qualification Program
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Formalized with Classroom Education
Written Test
Review by peers and subordinates (360)
XOs must be certified by predecessors
• Average 12 COs fired per year.
– Last year 22 COs were fired, the second-highest number in a decade
behind 26 firings in 2003.
– This year the Navy is on pace to match last year’s total firings.
• “Charge of Command” memo issued last year by then CNO Admiral
Gary Roughead.
– The memo outlined requirement to live up to the highest expectations of
conduct. The instruction was read and signed by all COs and admirals.
• Previously not consistent through all commands
• Ironically in place for year in submarines
Sub commander relieved of duty after woman alleges he faked
death to end affair
•
Aug 12, 2012
Navy Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II, who has been accused of having an affair with a 23-yearold Chesapeake, Va., woman and faking his death as a means of ending it, has been
relieved of his duties as the commanding officer of the USS Pittsburgh, just one week after
he was put in command.
The woman met Ward, 43, on a dating website in October. She said Ward, who is married
with children, told her her he was separated and that he worked in "special ops." She said
he got her pregnant then, in an effort to end the relationship, faked his death in an email
communication in July.
•
The Navy relieved Ward on Friday "due to lack of confidence in Ward's ability to command
based upon allegations of personal misconduct “Our Navy has a very clear and
unambiguous standard regarding the character of our commanding officers, spelled out in
the Charge of Command. I reviewed this Charge with Cmdr. Ward before he assumed
command. He understood the Navy's high standards for command leadership and he failed
to uphold them," Parks said.
•
The woman provided copies of text messages and emails from Ward.
"I want you, but I don't know how to make this all perfect," one of the texts says. Another
says, "I love you and I always will."
•
On July 6, she received an email from his address purporting to be from a man named Bob
who worked with Ward.
"He asked me to contact you if this ever happened," the email says. "I am extremely sorry
to tell you that he is gone. We tried everything we could to save him. I cannot say more. I
am sorry it has to be this way."
The email goes on to say, "He loved you very much," and that Bob had something Ward
had wanted to give to her.
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The woman said that on July 9, she drove with her family members to Ward's house in
Burke, Va., to pay her respects and learned from the new owner that Ward was alive and
had moved to Connecticut to take command of a submarine.
•
She said she became ill, was hospitalized, and learned she was pregnant. She said she
has since lost the baby.
Discussion
• Charge of Command
• What is this document?
• Why is it important?
East Haven Police Department
• Cost to Taxpayers
– Lawsuits and Attorney fees
• Consent Decree
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Dramatic changes to police training and equipment
Change the way to do business
Extraordinary paperwork and reporting requirements
High cost of implementation
5 to 30 years
Permanent taint to department
• How would another LE interact with a dept under
consent decree?
Salesman’s Dilemma
• Class Discussion
Rion’s The Responsible Manager
• Corporate Ethos - Values
• Top Management Commitment – The avoidance of
reprisals, 1st awareness
• Policy Guidance - What does it mean? Specifics
• Staff Support - More than a code but also follow up, who
do you call?
• Training, Training, Training – AND hire the right people.
• If you’re the Boss - Recognize the Obstacles
– wink, wink; learn to question; encourage the questions; make
ethics a checklist item; don’t make decisions alone
• If you’re not the Boss - Generate Consensus
– One of the best ways to protect yourself and make the right
decision.
– Gray areas vs Bright Lines
– Don’t make decisions alone
Next Week (5)
• Week 5, Find an article related to ethics in an
organization's leadership or culture.
• Prepare notes referencing the significance of the
article, how the leader seem to abandon his/her
stated personal values or the organization’s
values and acted unethically for discussion in
class.
• DB – get into the habit of putting your discussion
into a framework