Ethical Perspectives
October 18, 2011
Moral Objectivism
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Moral principles have objective validity,
independent of cultural acceptance
Moral principles or rules will serve as good
reasons and the best guidance for making
practical decisions
Actions should be guided by standards that
are established to determine if the actions
would be one which all people would follow
and which would produce the greatest good
Moral Objectivism
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There are close connections between moral
objectivism and authoritarian approaches to
leadership in organizations
Leaders simply need good knowledge of the
rules and closely follows them
Utilitarianism
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Argue that ethical choices/decisions should
be made on their consequences rather then
individual duty
Best decisions are those that generate most
benefits as compared to disadvantages
Benefits the largest number of people
End result is attempting to do the greatest
good for the greatest number of people
Virtue Ethics
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Argue that ethical choices/decisions should
be made on their consequences rather then
individual duty
Best decisions are those that generate most
benefits as compared to disadvantages
Benefits the largest number of people
End result is attempting to do the greatest
good for the greatest number of people
Challenge of Information
Management
 Leaders
typically have more
access to information than their
followers.
 Leaders have access to financial
data, personnel files, network with
other leaders of other units, or
participate in upper-level decisions.
Deception: Right or Wrong
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Deciding whether or not to tell the truth
Are there certain situations or conditions
when deception is appropriate or necessary?
Ethics also involved in deciding when to
share information, with whom to share the
information, how to get the information, and
even how to share the information?
Leaders Casting Shadows
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Telling lies for selfish ends
Using information solely for personal benefit
Denying having knowledge that is in their
possession
Gathering data in a way that violates privacy
rights
Withholding information that followers
legitimately need
Leaders Casting Shadows
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Sharing information with the wrong people
Putting followers in moral binds by insisting
that they withhold information that others
have a right to know
Challenge of Responsibility
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Leaders held accountable for the actions of
others
Leaders can set an ethical tone for the entire
organization
Responsible leaders acknowledge and try to
correct or address ethical problems
They take responsibility for the
consequences of their orders and actions
Challenge of Consistency
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Acting inconsistently can raise ethical
dilemmas
What are some examples of acting
inconsistently that can lead to ethical
dilemmas?
Leaders may cast shadows when they
appear to act arbitrary and inconsistently
Moral Sensitivity: Identifying the
Existence of Ethical Problems
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Increase sensitivity
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Engage in active listening to learn about possible
ethical consequences of your decisions/choices
Challenge your thinking to insure you are not
overlooking important moral considerations
Use ethical terms such as values or fairness
when describing problems and solutions that
involve ethical dilemmas
Moral Judgment
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Deciding what course of action is the right
one to follow
Ethical reasoning rests on principles such as
justice, cooperation, and respect for others
Moral Motivation
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Refers to following through on your choices
or decisions
Leaders ideally create an ethically rewarding
environment and they manage their own
emotions
Evaluating on processes as well as on
results
Moral Character
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Refers to persistence in implementing ethical
actions
Leaders ideally believe they can make a
difference
Leaders understand the culture and master
the context so they can respond effectively
when needed
Leaders build communication competence so
they can put into their decisions into actions
Authentic Leaders
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Heightened levels of self-awareness
including knowing and trusting their feelings
and thoughts and being aware and
committed to their values.
Balanced processing includes having
positive self-esteem and recognizing
weaknesses and taking steps to improve
them
Authentic Leaders
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Authentic behavior—leaders give priority to
their values rather than conforming to the
group.
They resist group and organizational
pressures to act in a way that is inconsistent
with their principles
Leaders are sensitive to the demands of the
situation
Altruism
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Making concerns for others the ultimate
ethical standard
We ought to help others regardless of
whether we get any benefit from doing so.
Questions
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Do you think altruism is part of human
nature?
Should leaders act as “servants” to their
followers?
Self-Reflection: Page 364
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See number 2 application exercise: Think of
an ethical dilemma you have faced and
analyze your response based on Rest’s fourcomponent model.
What are the most important top three virtues
of leaders? Defend your choices.