...The Concept of Ethical Obligations Strayer University PAD 500 Modern Public Administration Dr. Leah Raby 11.25.13 George Tenet served as the Director if the Central Intelligence Agency from 1997 to 2004 under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. His CIA tenure coincided with the 9/11 terrorists attacks the New York City World Trade Center, Pentagon in Washington, D.C and the American invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq all marked by challenges and controversies for the agency and his leadership(White, 2008). Tenet’s case discussed his decision making roles before and during the invasion of Iraq. It also took a close look at Tenet’s priorities in the agency, the public and of his conscious. In this paper, I will first identify four cross-coded ethical dilemmas facing former CIA Director George Tenet and assess their impact on his leadership abilities. Secondly, analyze four ways in which Tenet addressed the prioritization of ethical concerns. Then, I will identify and explain four strategies used in competing ethical obligation in relation to the many intergovernmental organizations that overlapped his office. I will also elaborate on four relevant notions for designing ethical maps for defining and prioritizing ethical obligations. Finally, I will research and cite at least four peer-reviewed academic sources. Ethics is defined as moral principles...
Words: 1756 - Pages: 8
...The Concept of Ethical Obligations Based on the case study, George Tenet and the Last Great Days of the CIA August 1, 2013 Dr. During the presidency of Bill Clinton, 44-year-old George Tenet was sworn in as the eighteenth director of central intelligence on July 11, 1997. Tenet served in this position through two White House administrations. With this new role as director, his focus was to begin a rebuilding process of the agency. The CIA was in disarray when Tenet took over. The agency had suffered inconsistent leadership since the fall of the Soviet Union, and he was the fifth Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) in seven years. Morale sagged badly. Since 1991, the agency had lost more than 3,000 of its best people—more than 20 percent of its workforce—including many of its more experienced case officers (Weiner 2007, 470) “Tenet understood that managing a large and complex government bureaucracy would be difficult enough, but managing one that operates under a shroud of secrecy would challenge even the most talented and energetic leader. To complicate his task, the CIA at the time was really two separate agencies, each with its own operating procedures and organizational personality” (White, 2008). The agency budget was a mess, and there was no central accounting of funds spent. At the same time, the CIA had lost the technological edge that had enabled it to compete and triumph during the Cold War. The agency had not kept abreast of breakthroughs in private industry...
Words: 1519 - Pages: 7
...Ethical Obligations When conducting scientific research, there must be a certain degree of disclosure, without having a serious impact on the authenticity of the test results, which allows people to know their role in the experiment. Facebook was responsible for notifying the group of users that were chosen to partake in the study and they should have been given the option to opt out. Companies cannot hide their intentions of doing research and testing under their terms and conditions. Facebook’s Data User Policy agreement is a full page of legalese that most users ignore and accept just so they can have access to the website. Prior to conducting research, a third party consultant should make sure that testing meets the company’s ethical, legal, and security guidelines. For example, academic research must be approved by an external Institutional Review Board. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) publicly stated that the study did not breach any research guidelines. However, it did admit that some of the practices were not completely in agreement with how test subjects should consent to be part of a scientific study. After the serious backlash received by the online community and its users, Facebook reviewed the company’s research guidelines. The company stated that it will increase the amount of people who will review the research process. Researchers will receive extensive training to make sure that all testing meets the legal, privacy, and...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
...Chaplain Maloney discussed how pressures emanating from our obligations, aspirations, and situations affect a leader’s ability to formulate an ethical decision. Problems stemming from our perception and interactions with people, integrity, and career influence and amplify the pressures we feel. Knowledge of the these two areas, the ethical theories and the problems, and how they affect our personal decision to judge right and wrong are essential to ensure a sound ethical code. Understanding the challenges to our obligations, aspirations, and situations will ultimately enable a sound ethical approach to problem solving. The pitfall of rule-oriented obligations exists when two obligations conflict with each other. This condition...
Words: 425 - Pages: 2
...The concept of ethical obligation GEORGE Tenet and the Last Great Days of the CIA PADM 500: Modern Public Administration August 2, 2013 Identify four (4) cross-coded ethical dilemmas facing former CIA Director George Tenet and assess their impact on his leadership abilities. During George Tenet tenure as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, there were several ethical dilemmas he faced, among which most significantly were the violations of national and international human right policies. George Tenet was also faced with the ethical dilemma of being straightforward to the people he worked with, especially his field officers, and most essentially the nation as at large. He knew all along that the statements about Saddam Hussein and chemical weapons were a fluke, but went along with it and cost American families over four thousand lives. Additionally, his role as meditator in the meeting between former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also an ethical concern. Professionally, this role was more diplomat than chief spymaster, which made many insiders “distinctly uncomfortable” (Posner 1998; Tenet 2007, 74). Others in the administration were pleased with the idea considering it as unethical despite the fact that Tenet tried to explain that nobody else could act better in that position. This threatened his leadership due to the fact that individuals were beginning to lack trust in his leadership...
Words: 1313 - Pages: 6
...Did the Stimulus Work? Mehrdad Namazi Angela Agboli Ph.D Pad520 Apr 9, 2012 The Stimulus Analysis In this research I am trying to explain why the stimulus packages did not stimulate the economy that much, where the money is gone and also evaluate some alternatives. Congress has enacted two huge stimulus programs since the recent recession started in 2008. The first one was under President Bush for $152 billion and the second one was under President Obama totaled $863 billion. After more than three years since the recession emerged, still the unemployment is through the roof and the economic growth is sluggish. Why? In order to shed a light on this problem, first we have to know where the billions have gone and how they have been used. There are three kinds of Keynesian stimulus packages (1) the government gives money to people directly, in hopes that they would buy more stuffs and services. (2) The government directly buys goods and services (3) the government sends the check to state and local governments to spend it. In either one, the philosophy is that the increase in buying would result more activity and eventually will boost the economy. The 2008 stimulus was the first kind and the 2009 was almost a mix of all three. In 2008 the U.S Treasury started sending checks to households in the summer. It was supposed to put more money into the hands of people to buy additional goods and services and thereby stimulate production...
Words: 1987 - Pages: 8
...Kendrick Meekins - 12/9/12 Assignment 7.2 A northern facility within our company experienced a union campaign in 2010. The employees were angry about the company relocating it distribution capabilities to another location. The move was to improve cost competitiveness but associates viewed the decision as a threat to their job security since approximately 40% of the workforce would lose their jobs. The union campaign challenged the interest of all parties. Some employees viewed the campaign as an opportunity to achieve job security while other employees felt that a union would not change the reality that their facility was not cost competitive for the company. The company’s leadership made a tough decision to improve our company’s delivery performance and long term outlook but felt their plans were challenged by a campaign. The customers saw the campaign as a threat to our company’s delivery commitments and a potentially disrupted supply chain through the duration of the campaign. Ultimately, the workforce did not vote for the union but the door was open for dialogue and change. The HR department had the responsibility to uphold one of our company’s core values. Our company’s value of “independence” influenced the creation of a union avoidance strategy that, at its core, fosters an environment where associates can freely represent themselves in any matter and expect the company to work directly with associates to resolve their issue. An HR Professional should ethically...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...base their thinking on one of three rationales. They may simply say that they have no reason to be ethical. They see why they should make a profit, and most agree they should do so legally. But why should they be concerned about ethics, as long as they are making money and staying out of jail? Other managers recognize that they should be ethical but identify their ethical duty with making a legal profit for the firm. They see no need to be ethical in any further sense, and therefore no need for any background beyond business and law. A third group of managers grant that ethical duty goes further than what is required by law. But they still insist that there is no point in studying ethics. Character is formed in childhood, not while reading a college text or sitting in class. These arguments are confused and mistaken on several levels. To see why, it is best to start with the question raised by the first one: why should business people be ethical? Why Should One Be Ethical? There is already something odd about this question. It is like asking, “Why are bachelors unmarried?” They are unmarried by definition. If they were married, they would not be bachelors. It is the same with ethics. To say that one should do something is another way of saying it is ethical. If it is not ethical, then one should not do it. Perhaps when business people ask why they should be ethical, they have a different question in mind: what is the motivation for being good? Is their something...
Words: 2843 - Pages: 12
...ETH/376 Accounting Ethics and Professional Regulations Week One Assignment – AICPA Code of Professional Conduct AICPA Code of Professional Conduct The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct represents the principles that “are based on the values of the profession and the traits of character that enable CPA’s to meet their obligations to the public” (Mintz & Morris, 2011). The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct has six essential principles to guide them in the performance of their profession. The six essential principles are: Responsibilities, the Public Interest, Integrity, Objectivity and Independence, Due Care, and Scope and Nature of Services. All these principles need to be follow by the members of the AICPA. These principles link the professional conduct to moral judgment and recognize the responsibility that CPA’s have to his or her clients as well as the public. AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Principles The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct have six essential principles. The first principle is call “Responsibilities”, which protects the public of irresponsible and immoral behavior. The second principle is “The Public Interest”, which protects the best interest of stakeholders that includes the clients, credit grantors, government, investors, etc. The third principle is “Integrity” because this principle identify the public trust and CPA’s need to be candid and honest while maintaining client confidentiality. The fourth principle is “Objectivity and...
Words: 729 - Pages: 3
...ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY Corporate Governance and Ethical Responsibility Marshan Brown Leg-Bus 500 Law, Ethics, and Corporate Governance Professor Daniel Smith May 13, 2012 ETHICAL RESPOSIBILITY Determine at least three different internal and external stakeholders that Dr. Do Right might have to deal with on a daily basis at the hospital. Discuss the duty of loyalty owed to each internal and external stakeholder. Dr. Do Right has a duty of loyalty to employees, society, and board of directors. Each duty of loyalty has its’ own significant meaning. Dr. Do Right signed a contractual agreement with Universal Human Health Hospital and took an oath to run the daily operations of the hospital, implement procedures and decisions made by the board of directors, and give updates and reports to the board members and shareholders about the financial status and daily operations of the organization. First of all, Dr. Do Right must communicate procedures, policies, and business goals to his management team. He must educate them on business changes, developmental opportunities, and all other vital information to help them to administer and communicate the organizations’ policies, expectations, and needs to lower level employees. Dr. Do Right must also display leadership qualities that are positive, respectful, and effective...
Words: 1184 - Pages: 5
...trust of the public is best served; integrity, honesty and confidentiality are of outmost importance, as well as objectivity and impartiality. The fifth principle deals with the level of quality service and competence that the public receives and deserves. The sixth principles ensures that CPA’s have good internal control put into place, and to make sure that CPA’s are unbiased and free of conflict when performing an audit for a client. These principles are put into place to protect the public and I would say also to protect the CPA’s, because as they follow them they will ensure that their practice is honest, responsible, and ethical, leaving no room for unethical behavior. AICPA Code of Professional Conduct Purposes The most important purposes of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct are: honor the public’s trust, to enforce the ethical obligations of the CPA’s, and to provide guidance in the performance of...
Words: 430 - Pages: 2
...As professionals in the human service field it is important for us to know that now if a client expresses they have a plan to kill someone, it is our obligation to break confidentiality and inform the potential victim and or the police of the thoughts of your client. This may be a tough thing for some of us to do because of the ethical responsibilities we have with our clients but now this is a part of our legal responsibilities to protect the welfare of the society by having the duty to protect individuals who are bing threatened with bodily harm by a client naming it “duty to warn and duty to protect” (in the previous ruling it was only known as “duty to warn”. This is also known as a “Tarasoff warning” in place, meaning where a mental health professional is required to warn of a credible danger to a reasonably identifiable victim. Duty to protect includes clients that may be suicidal. Human services code of ethics entitles us as professionals to let the client know before our sessions began that we have a limits to our confidentiality. It also provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the social work profession accountable due to the fact that the professionals in the case could have possibly prevented the sad incident from happening. Sometimes an issue may arise when social workers’ ethical obligations conflict with agency...
Words: 456 - Pages: 2
...Do people have an obligation to help others in society? In the essay, “Thirty-eight who saw murder didn’t call the police”, Martin Gansberg reconstructs a crime. He gives the reader a detailed sequence of events that led to a young woman’s death. Gansberg describes how no one telephones the police during the assault and how the attacker returned twice to kill the young lady. For more than half an hour, thirty-eight people witness this tragic event and did nothing. Assistant Chief Inspector Frederick M. Lussen, was baffled, not by the murder, but because “good people” failed to respond and call the police. This raises the question; do people have an obligation to help others in society? I feel that you should do unto others as you would do unto yourself, even if it may cause harm to yourself. The reward for the deed you have done will go a long way. The one you have helped will appreciate it more than you can ever imagine. He or she could feel like they cannot thank you enough. They may even make many attempts to thank you and even ask if there is something they can do for you. Some people have a moral obligation to help others. These individuals may have taken a pledge or an oath to help others. People of the armed services have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Police officers are held to a higher standard of moral obligations and ethical values then what is expected from the average person....
Words: 468 - Pages: 2
...principles guarantee that the trust of the public is greatest served; integrity, honesty and confidentiality are of highest importance, as well as objectivity and impartiality. The fifth principle deals with the level of quality service and competence that the public receives and deserves. The sixth principle ensures that CPA’s have good internal controls put into place, and makes sure that CPA’s are unbiased and free of conflict when performing an audit for a client. These principles are put into place to protect the public and also to protect CPA’s, because as they follow them they will ensure that their practice is honest, responsible, and ethical, allowing no leeway for unethical behavior. The most important purposes of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct are to honor the public’s trust, to enforce the ethical obligations of the CPA’s and to provide guidance in the performance of the professional responsibilities. Although it appears seemingly simple, honoring the public’s trust...
Words: 417 - Pages: 2
...STRENGTHS OF DENTOLOGY: Deontology is based on duties and rights and respects individuals as ends in themselves. It places value on the intentions of the individual (rather than the outcomes of any action) and focuses on rules, obligations and duties. Deontology requires absolute adherence to these obligations and acting from duty is viewed as acting ethically. The deontological thinkers tend to think about care delivered through a long term continuous relationship. To them breaking care up into smaller fragments is a denial of what caring is really about. They maintain equity and considers every individual equally and worthy of protection. Motivation is valued over consequences, which are beyond our control. An immoral motive cannot be justifies by unforeseen good consequences but a good motive is worthy of value. It provides guidelines for making moral decisions , without the need for lengthy calculation of possible outcomes. It recognises the value of moral absolutes that do not change with time or culture. Deontology sports a fair trial of right or wrong as it depends on a universally accepted morality approach. It also makes the philosopher study both sides of a situation without compromising the outcomes. WEAKNESS OF DENTOLOGY: Deontology: One of the key criticisms in healthcare is that applying a strictly deontological approach to healthcare can lead to conflicts of interest between equally entitled individuals which can be difficult or even seemingly impossible...
Words: 611 - Pages: 3
