Ethics
CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO DISTRICT
(DISTRICT LEADERS TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING
PROGRAMME)
Learning Objectives
The objectives of the discourse are:
To define ethical leadership
To describe ethics as it contrast with morals
To discuss the process involved in making ethical choices
To examine the need for ethical leadership
To demonstrate the complexity of ethical dilemmas
What is Ethical Leadership?
The word Ethics originated from the Greek word
‘ethos’ which means ‘moral character’
It also relates to the stimuli that influence ideas of
right and wrong
Ethical leadership therefore refers to the body of rules
and standards of conduct, which govern the
behaviour of individual leaders
The Heritage Dictionary offers the following
definition:
Ethics: “A set of principles of right conduct; A theory
or a system of moral values; The rules or standards
governing the conduct of a person or the members
of a profession”
That’s why we could read about national ethics,
social ethics, organizational ethics, professional
ethics
Ethical leadership therefore, is leadership that is
based on beliefs and values that reflect:
The lifestyle influenced by morals, rules, duty and
obligation of and to society
Principles, such as, trust, honesty, rightness, fairness
or equity, when considering the ethical and moral
perspectives of a situation
What are Morals?
Morals deal with right and wrong, good and bad
They are the standards of right and wrong
behaviour and expressions of character that one
has personally embraced
Thus, Morals are influenced by higher persuasions,
rules or habits of behaviour expected of individuals
The Columbia Encyclopedia states: “Moral
principles may be viewed either as the
standard of conduct that individuals have
constructed for themselves or as the body of
obligations and duties that a particular society
requires of its members.”
What is the difference between
Ethics and Morals?
 Ethics and morals both deal with right and wrong behaviour
and character and are often used interchangeably
 However, they bear distinguishing elements
 Ethics refer to rules provided by an external source, e.g. codes
of conduct for a profession or the constitution of a religions
body
 Morals refer to an individual’s own principles and convictions
regarding right and wrong
Ethics
Morals
Ethics involves the systematic pattern
for setting and evaluating morals
Morals are regarded as the motives
(drivers) behind ethics
Ethics are concerned with the society
Morals relate to the individual’s
or organization’s determination of what acceptance of what is ethically right
is right and wrong
and wrong
Ethics change over time and influence
morals
Morals also change over time, even as
they influence Ethics
 John Noonan, Jr. (1984) wrote “Moral concepts found
enshrined in traditions do not stay the same. They undergo
transformation. They are subject to investigation and
criticism. They expand, shrink, or disappear”
 James Wallace (1996) wrote “...what we call morality is a
body of practical knowledge....The character at any
particular time of a body of practical knowledge such as
medicine or music is the result of historical
circumstances....morality is a human creation that changes
through time...
 These references strongly suggest that morality (and ethics)
may change over time
What are your thoughts…do you believe
ethics and morals may change over time?
We may recall changes in the:
Legality of slave-ownership
Abolition of slavery
Possession of personal firearms
Legality of judicial torture – renounced in the
UK in 1640
Long fight for religious liberty
Family planning & birth control
The struggle for civil rights– USA, South Africa
Agitations for women's rights (to vote and own
property); the rights of the child etc.
Measure
What are they?
Ethics
Principles or habits related to right or
wrong behavior/conduct as
determined by a group, organization
or society
Morals
The personal acceptance of
principles and rules of conduct for
living
They define how things are suppose to
operate according to the rules
Where are their roots
located?
Externally - Social system
Internally – Individual’s convictions
Why should leaders be
guided by them?
Because the group, organization or
society accepts them as the right and
acceptable behaviour
Because the individual has
embraced them as his/her lifestyle
convictions or moral-compass (GPS)
What if leaders are not
guided by them?
They would likely face societal or peer
disapproval and sanctions - even to
the point of being ostracized
Behaviour that is contrary to one’s
moral-compass can create internal
dissonance, distress, unease,
remorse, depression etc.
Measure
Responsibility & Flexibility
Ethics
Ethics are dependent on others for
definition
They tend to be consistent within certain
context, but may vary in multiple contexts
The ‘Gray’ area
A person may strictly follow Ethical
Principles, yet fail to have a solid Moral
compass
Likewise, one could violate Ethical
Principles within a given ‘system of rules’ in
order to maintain Moral Integrity
Acceptability
Ethics are governed by professional and
legal guidelines within a particular time,
place, organization and society
Morals
Usually consistent, but can change
if an individual’s belief-pattern
changes
A Moral Person is bound by a
higher covenant, and may choose
to follow a ‘code of ethics’ as it
applies to a given system
Morality transcends cultural norms
An individual's personal morals may clash with the
ethics he is expected to practice in the group or
organization
– e.g. A criminal defense attorney may view
murder as immoral but the ethics of his profession
demand that he defend a murderer to the best of
his ability
 - e.g. A doctor is required to do all in his power to
care for and save the life of a wounded criminal
who may have just murdered a loved one earlier
How do we make Ethical choices as
leaders?
A Prize Winning Image
On March 01, 1993 a photographer, Kevin Carter,
took the picture of a vulture watching a starving child.
It was a heart-breaking scene of a starving child
collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a Food
Centre during a time of famine in Sudan. In the
background a vulture stalks the hungry, starving and
weak child
Are there Ethical Issues in the taking of this
Picture?
Kevin Carter was part of a group of fearless
photojournalist known as the “Bang Bang Club”
who travelled throughout South Africa capturing
the atrocities committed during apartheid.
Haunted by the horrific images from Sudan, Carter
committed suicide in 1994 soon after receiving an
award
Ethical theories are generally presented in literature
as being in two (2) common categories:
Teleological (aka Consequential)or Results Ethics
Deontological (aka Non-consequential)or Duty
Ethics
Some authorities include a 3rd category, generally
referred to as Virtue Ethics, but it also bears other
names
Comparison: Teleological Vs. Deontological Ethics
Teleological Ethics or Consequentialism identifies the
result of a decision as the most important
consideration in choosing an action
That is, the rightness or wrongness of an action is
determined by the most likely consequences of that
action, or the end justifies the means
Deontological Ethics or Non-Consequentialism
identifies duty as the primary factor in determining
the rightness of an action
That is, an action is right independent of the
outcome or resulting consequences, or ‘the end
does not justify the means’
 Virtue ethics focuses on the development of good
character traits, such as kindness, benevolence,
generosity etc.
 These character traits would be expected to enable the
individual to make ethical decisions throughout life
 In other words, Good character traits, rather than
actions or outcome, are central to this category
 Critics complain that Virtue ethics present a vague
concept
Situations to Consider
“The officer tricked her into admitting her guilt”—
would you say the end justified the means here
What about lying…is it ever permissible? Is it correct
to lie in order to save dozens of persons from sure
death?
Is it morally correct to kill one person in order to save
five persons?
Ethical leadership 101
The leader must first examine the platform from
which he initiates his moral reasoning and set ethical
principles that commonly influence his decision
making
Divine Command Theory purports that behaviour
which complies with God’s commands constitutes
right behavior
Also note that your ethical and moral positions could
cost you something…lost of friends, hostile labels,
marginalization etc.
Ethics of Responsibility
The assessment of an ethical situation includes three
essential factors:
1. Knowledge of what is responsible and irresponsible
action in a given situation
2. Moral freedom to choose between the
alternatives
3. Moral responsibility for the choices made
A Framework for Thinking Ethically
Ethic is not:
The same as feelings
Religion and dogmas
Subscription to the Law
Following culturally accepted norms
Science
Ethical Dilemmas
An ethical dilemma is a situation which requires a
decision about appropriate behavior
When morals are imposed, there may be friction
between the imposed morals and an individual’s
perception of right and wrong
This discrepancy may create ‘ethical dilemmas’ for
an individual
Getting the Facts
 What are the relevant facts of the case? What facts are
unknown?
 What individuals and groups have an important stake in the
outcome?
 Do some have a greater stake because they have a special
need or because others have special obligations to them?
 What are the options for acting? Have all the relevant
persons and groups been consulted
Conclusion &…
Thank You