MGT 475 Ch. 5

Moral potency

A critical factor in developing leaders who have the conation to act on their moral judgments and behave as leaders of character. It has three main components: 1. Moral ownership 2. Moral courage 3. Moral efficacy

Moral ownership

A felt sense of responsibility not only for the ethical nature of one's own behavior but also for one's commitment not to allow unethical things to happen within their broader sphere of influence including others and the organization.

Theory X

A more pessimistic view of others. Managers rely heavily on coercive, external control methods to motivate workers, such as pay, disciplinary techniques, punishment, and threats. Baby Boomers tend to be concerned about equality for all. Gen Xers tend to embrace change and seek work-life balance. To an Xer, job security comes from having the kinds of skills that make you attractive to an organization. Hence, they tend to be more committed to their vocation than to any specific organization.

Dehumanization

Another way of avoiding the moral consequences of one's behavior. Ex. It is easier to treat other badly when they are dehumanized.

Moral efficacy

Belief or confidence in one's capability to mobilize various personal, interpersonal, and other external resources to persist despite moral adversity.

Ethical dilemma

Choosing between two rights. There are four ethical dilemmas: 1. Truth versus loyalty 2. Individual versus community 3. Short-term versus long-term 4. Justice versus mercy Three principles for resolving ethical dilemmas: 1. ends-based thinking 2. rule-based thinking 3. care-base thinking

Rule-based thinking

Consistent with Kantian philosophy. Can be colloquially characterized as "following the highest principle or duty." (If i let you do this, then I'd have to let everyone do it)

Values

Constructs representing generalized behaviors or states of affair that are considered by the individual to be important. Terminal values: refer to desired end states. (An exciting life, a sense of accomplishment, family security, inner harmony, social recognition, friendship) Instrumental values: refers to modes of behavior. Individuals may think it is important always to act in an ambitious, capable, and honest manner, whereas others may think it is important only to be ambitious and capable. (Being courageous, being helpful, honest, imaginative, logical, and responsible)

Care-based thinking

Describes what many think of as the Golden Rule of conduct common in some form to many of the world's religions: "Do what you want other to do to you."

Truth versus loyalty

Honestly answering a question when doing so could compromise a real or implied promise of confidentiality to others.

Euphemistic labeling

Involves using cosmetic words to defuse or disguise the offensiveness of otherwise morally repugnant or distasteful behavior. Ex. terrorists calling themselves freedom fighters

Upward ethical leadership

Leadership behavior enacted by individuals who take action to maintain ethical standards in the face of questionable moral behaviors by higher-ups.

Advantageous comparison

Lets one avoid self-contempt for one's behavior by comparing it to even more heinous behavior by others. Ex. "If you think we are insensitive to our subordinates, you should see what it's like working for Acme."

Dual-process theory

Moral judgements dealing primarily with rights and duties are made by automatic emotional responses while moral judgements made on a more utilitarian basis are made more cognitively.

Ends-based thinking

Often characterized as "do what's best for the greatest number of people." (Utilitarianism)

In-group favoritism

One of the four biases that can have a pervasive and corrosive effect on moral decision making. An exception that is made towards the "likes of us" and fail to make such exception for the identical candidate who is "not the likes of us," therefore creating discrimination.

Implicit prejudice

One of the four biases that can have a pervasive and corrosive effect on moral decision making. Judgements about some group are systematically biased without their awareness.

Overclaiming credit

One of the four biases that can have a pervasive and corrosive effect on moral decision making. The way we tend to overrate the quality of our own work and our contributions to the groups and teams we belong to.

Conflicts of interest

One of the four biases that can have a pervasive and corrosive effect on moral decision making. When we benefit from a recommendation to someone else. We misjudge our own ability to discount the extent to which the conflict actually biases our perception of the situation in our own favor.

Displacement of responsibility

People may violate personal moral standards by attributing responsibility to others. Ex. Nazi concentration camp camp guards attempting to avoid moral responsibility for their behavior by claiming they were merely carrying out orders.

Disregard

People minimize the harm caused by their behavior.

Distortion of consequences

People minimize the harm caused by their behavior.

Attribution of blame

People sometimes try to justify immoral behavior by claiming it was caused by someone else's actions.

Principle-centered leadership

Postulates a fundamental interdependence between personal, the interpersonal, the managerial, and the organizational levels of leadership. Personal: The first imperative is to be a trustworthy person, and that depends on both one's character and competence. Interpersonal: Relationship that lack trust are characterized by self-protective efforts to control and verify each other's behavior. Managerial: Only in the context of trusting relationships will a manager risk empowering other to make full use of their talents and energies. Leading a high-performing group, however depends on skills such as team building, delegation, communication, negotiation, and self-management. Organizational: An organization will be most creative and productive when its structure, systems, strategy, and vision are aligned and mutually supportive.

Ethics

Principle of right conduct or a system of moral values. True leadership: Most people would agree that at a minimum it is characterized by a high degree of trust between leader and followers. (Vision: who pull people together on the basis of shared beliefs and a common sense of organizational purpose or belonging; empathy: show they understand the world as we see and experience it; consistency: changes are understood as a process of evolution in light of relevant new evidences; and integrity: who demonstrates their commitment to higher principles through their actions)

Moral Reasoning

Refers to the process leaders use to make decisions about ethical and unethical behaviors.

Theory Y

Reflects a view that most people are intrinsically motivated by their work. Rather than needing to be coaxed or coerced to work productively, such people value a sense of achievement, personal growth, pride in contributing to their organization, and respect for a job well done.

Moral justification

Reinterpreting otherwise immoral behavior in terms of a higher purpose. Ex. Justifying a perceived wrong to actually be right

Diffusion of responsibility

Reprehensible behavior becomes easier to engage in and live with if others are behaving the same way.

Moral person

Seen as a principled decision maker who cares about people and the broader society. They are characterized as being honest, fair, and open.

Justice versus mercy

Such as deciding whether to excuse a person's misbehavior because of extenuating circumstances or a conviction that he or she has "learned a lesson."

Short-term versus long-term

Such as how a parent chooses to balance spending time with children now as compared with investments in a career that may provide greater benefits for the family in the long run.

Moral courage

The fortitude to face risk and overcome fears associated with taking ethical action.

Servant leadership

The leader's role is to serve others.

Authentic leadership

The principle found in the familiar adage "to thine own self be true." Authentic leaders exhibit a consistency between their values, their beliefs, and their actions. Taking actions that serve high moral principles concerning relationships, social responsibilities, and performance standards. Enhancing self-awareness can help people in organizations find more meaning and connection at work. Promoting transparency and openness in relationships-even between leader and followers-build trust and commitment Fostering more inclusive structures and practices in organizations can help build more positive ethical climates. They are willing to be viewed as vulnerable by their followers, a vital component of building a trusting leader-follower relationship and being transparent-to say what they mean they say.

Moral manager

They make ethics as an explicit part of their leadership agenda by communicating an ethics and values message, by visibly and intentionally role modeling ethical behavior.

Ethical climate

Those in which ethical standards and norms have been consistently, clearly, and pervasively communicated through the organization and embraced and enforced by organizational leaders in both word and example. An organization's structure and systems can be designed to encourage higher ethical performance and discourage unethical performance. Performance evaluation systems that provide opportunities for anonymous feedback increase the likelihood that "dark side" behaviors would be reported, and thus discourage their enactment. Reward systems can promote honesty, fair treatment of customers, courtesy, and other desirable behaviors.

Unethical climate

Those in which questionable or outright unethical behavior exists with little action taken to correct such behavior, or worse where such misbehavior is even condoned.

Individual versus community

Whether you should protect the confidentiality of someone's medical condition when the condition itself may pose threat to the larger community.