#📓 #📚 #🟠 # Organizatonal Ethics: A Practical Approach ![[calendar-plus.svg]] <small>Nov 23, 2021</small> | ![[calendar-clock.svg]] <small>Jan 03, 2023</small> 🏷️ [[ethics]] **Author:** Craig E. Johnson **Citation:** Johnson, C. E. (2019). *Organizational ethics: A practical approach* (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. --- # Summary # Notes ### Ethical Influence #### p. 121 - We have to exercise influence to fulfill our roles, but we can choose *how* we modify the behavior of others. #### Ethical influence is founded on [[power]] and requires answering important questions. 1. Are some forms of power more ethical than others? 2. Is it possible to have too much power? 3. Should I play politics? 4. What factors contribute to empowerment? 5. How do I overcome barriers to empowerment? #### p. 122 - There are five sources of [[power#^74e7bc]] and none are inherently immoral. Important to draw from a variety of power sources. Use of own power base can increase others. Morality of a particular power sources depends on the goals it is serving. Are we exercising power for the right reason? #### p. 125 - Some types of power are more likely to be abused. Hard power (coercive, reward, and legitimate) is more dangerous than soft power (expert, referent) and coercive power poses the greatest risk. #### p. 125 - Concentration of power can lead to unethical behavior, especially positional power. > Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely (Lord Acton). Reasons why concentrated power is susceptible to misuse: - powerful individuals can project insecurities onto others - powerful people are more susceptible to judgement biases - powerful people don't tend to pay attention to how others think and feel - powerful people believe they deserve their power because others aren't as capable - powerful people attach those they perceive as threats - powerful people often ignore the needs of others - powerful people are tempted to use coercion to maintain control #### p. 126 - Too little power can also be a problem, as those individuals feel like they have no control, focus all their energy on maintaining what little power they do have instead of on collective goals, and take out their frustrations on others and the organization. Powerlessness also leads to increases in errors as cognitive function is impaired. Ways to address a low-power position: - highlight your interdependence - make yourself indispensible - be persistent - stay actively engaged - speak up and state your values and reflect them through your actions #### p. 127 - Most people dislike [[organizational politics]] and are less satisfied with their jobs and less committed to their organizations when they perceive the culture to be highly political. Not always unethical and sometimes necessary to achieve worthwhile objectives. #### p. 127 - Political behavior can generate positive outcomes with the right mindset. [[Office politics as an opportunity to foster collaboration]] Use power to serve others instead of control them by focusing on shared vision and shared values. Four skills to achieving goals through positive organizational politics: 1. [[social astuteness]] 2. [[interpersonal influence]] 3. [[networking ability]] 4. [[apparent sincerity]] *According to my self-assessment with the Political Skill Inventory:* - *networking ability = 29 (range 6-42)* - *interpersonal influence = 26 (range 4-28)* - *social astuteness = 25 (range 5-35)* - *apparent sincerity = 20 (range 3-21)* - *total score = 100 (range 18-126)* #### p. 130 - You gain more power by empowering others. Empowerment supports individual autonomy, fairness, and concern for others and fosters personal growth of followers leading to [[psychological empowerment]]. Leaders can increase perceptions of empowerment by creating the right environment with reward systems, job duties, structures and work flows, rules and physical layout. Start by eliminating any factors that create a sense of powerlessness. Delegate decision-making authority to followers and give workers more autonomy. Provide enough resources, especially information, to fully support employees. #### p. 132 - Empowerment can be scary for managers and followers and is difficult to put into practice, but it's worth it in the long run. Fear of failure (on both sides) can be a barrier to empowerment. Three stages to empowerment: 1. Starting and orienting the process of change by providing practical answers to personal concerns. - Why is change needed? What's wrong with how we do it now? How will change impact us and what do we stand to gain or lose? 2. Making changes and dealing with discouragement by expanding boundaries and giving teams more responsibility for work flow. - Reward collaboration instead of individual efforts 3. Adopting and refining empowerment to fit the organization by sharing data about how to make improvements. #### p. 133 - Should use ethical reasoning when choosing how to exert influence. Six common organizational influence strategies: 1. [[framing]] 2. [[proactive tactics]] 3. [[impression management]] 4. [[deception]] 5. [[emotional labor]] 6. [[communication of expectations]] ### Ethical Conflict Management #### p. 156 - Organizational [[conflict]] is increasing as pressure to change grows and the workforce becomes more diverse and spread out. There are several [[common sources of organizational conflict]] that can be divided into two categories: incompatible goals and scarce resources. #### p. 156 - Conflict avoidance is counterproductive since conflict is so prevalent, especially in organizations. Avoiding conflict prevents us from being prepared and competent to manage it effectively when it inevitably arises. [[Conflicts can lead to personal and relational growth]]. #### p.158 - There are [[6 steps to becoming an ethical conflict manager]] 1. Recognize the difference between [[functional conflict|functional]] and [[dysfunctional conflict]]. 2. Manage your emotions 3. Identify your personal [[conflict style]] 4. Develop [[conflict guidelines]] 5. Employ [[collaborative conflict management tactics]] 6. Be prepared to apologize #### p. 165 - One way of resolving organizational conflicts is through [[integrative negotiation]]. Ethical issues in negotiation involve: - choice of tactics - distribution of benefits - impact of settlement on those not at the bargaining table #### p. 166 - Tactical dilemmas of negotiation mostly involve [[deception]]. - Bargaining meets one of the standards of the principle of veracity where lying is permissible when everyone knows that deception is the norm. Questions to ask when determining if we should use deceit as a bargaining tactic: - Will you be comfortable with yourself the next day? - Would you want to be treated this way if the roles were reversed? - Would you be comfortable advising someone else to use this method? - What if everyone used this tactic? Would it create a desirable society? - Are there alternatives to avoid lying and deception? - How can you create value instead of claiming what you think is rightfully yours? - Does using this tactic further poison the ethical environment for this type of negotiation or in this industry? Steps to encourage honesty in negotiations: 1. Build goodwill and moral commitment by establishing rapport before the bargaining starts. 2. Create opportunities for displaying trust by breaking the process into stages, giving both parties chance to prove themselves willing to trust. 3. Demonstrate trustworthiness by keeping even small promises, being transparent with information and issues that might arise, and back up your claims. 4. Put the negotiation in context of a longer-term relationship so parties aren't tempted to take advantage of one another. 5. Bring in a mutually respected intermediary. #### p. 168 - Distribution of benefits raise questions of fairness. Determining what is fair can be difficult, but start by making sure all sides benefit. #### p. 168 - Minimize negative impacts by keeping interests of current and future outside stakeholders in mind. Weigh the benefits to the parties in negotiation against the harms that will be caused to outsiders. #### p. 169 - Use [[principled negotiation model]] to take a win-win approach while protecting self from being taken advantage of. Four step process outlined by Roger Fisher and William Ury. ### Building an Ethical Organization #### p. 258 - Often organizations focus on complying with minimum legal standards but their activities are [[ethical decoupling|decoupled]] from core values or moral standards. It's not enough for an organization to have ethical values or standards if they are not applied to their day-to-day operations and decisions. #### p. 258 - Organizations/leaders need to make ethics matter by using a [[transformational ethics]] approach and: 1. Ensuring that members recognize the moral aspects of their day-to-day life in the organization, and 2. Encouraging improvement in collective ethical performance #### p. 260 - Formal and informal components of [[ethical culture]] impact ethical behavior and can be used to create an [[ethical environment]]. Even when formal components like ethics codes exist, they are not always familiar to employees or consistently enforced, making them ineffectual in improving ethical behavior. #### p. 278 - Cultures are interrelated systems, so to change an ethical culture all components must be addressed simultaneously. Formal and informal cultural components must be aligned and support one another for ethical consistency. Ethical values should be factored into every organizational activity and members should be encouraged and equipped to make ethical choices following values and principles. There are five primary [[ethical drivers]] that promote or drive systematic ethical change. [[Self-interest poses the greatest threat to ethical performance]]. ## My Questions & Thoughts --- # Other References TBR:: 🔖 Runde, C. E., & Flanagan, T. A. (2007). *Becoming a conflict competent leader*. Jossey-Bass. (GR) TBR:: 🔖 Runde, C. E., & Flanagan, T. A. (2008, Winter). Conflict competent leadership. *Leader to Leader*, pp. 46-51. (Z) TBR:: 🔖 Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). *Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in.* Bantam Books. (GR)