...Ethical Issues Within Organizations Introduction I have been afforded the opportunity to serve in two distinctly different organizations. In my full-time vocation, I serve as pastor of Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church. In my part-time career, I am a military officer serving as a chaplain for the 145th Air National Guard. In this paper, I will discuss and examine the United States military and the standards of ethic and integrity within the organization. Specifically, I will the Air National Guard as a backdrop to determine conclusions, access organizational climate and provide feedback as it relates to ethics and integrity. Later in the paper I will name five steps leaders can consider to prevent, control or minimize destructive behaviors. Further, I will create clear distinctions between organizational compliance and organizational integrity and list elements that must be included to improve the integrity of the organization. Finally, I will share my opinion of my personal ethical stance; cultural relativist or universal ethicist. Upon defending my position, I hope to clarify my ethical stance and support this stance in my leadership as a military chaplain and officer. The United State Air Force In 1997, I was commissioned to serve in the Air Force National Guard in the rank of 1st Lieutenant. I joined the Air Guard because I wanted to serve in ministry beyond the local parish. Additionally, I embraced the core values of the Air Force and wanted the integration of those...
Words: 2458 - Pages: 10
...APPROACH TO ETHICS Business Ethics Scott C. White 22 September 2015 Trident University International The definition of Ethics according to dictionary.com is “(n) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture; (p.v.) the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.; (v) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.” And according to DoDD 5500.7(2007) “Ethics are standards by which one should act based on values.” According to Rod Powers (2015), Values are core beliefs such as duty, honor, and integrity that motivate attitudes and actions. Not all values are ethical values (integrity is; happiness is not). By these definitions ethics are determined by the group or individual and their personal standards. Which makes developing a set of ethical guidelines more difficult when it relates to businesses. Religious beliefs, education and even racial upbringing can influence what an individual sees as right and wrong. As such creating a set of ethical standards is hard unless it is based on a common point of interest or theme. The military uses their values system as part of their ethics programs. Citing Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal courage as the army’s values...
Words: 1253 - Pages: 6
...that vision, influencing others to embrace them in their own behavior, and making hard decisions about human and other resources. A leader is a person who exhibits the key attributes of leadership - ideas, vision, values, influencing others, and making tough decisions (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010). Management is the act or skill of controlling and making decisions about a business, department, sports team, etc. (Merriam-Webster, 2014). Many people confuse leadership with management and although they are usual inner twined they are not the same. Management is only the act of decision making, however leadership is a way of life. It requires one to understand, embrace, evaluate and work to improve upon though out one’s entire lifetime. It is a multifaceted, complex and constantly evolving vision that requires one to be competent in many different areas. As stated by Hellriegel and Slocum (2010) a competency is an interrelated cluster of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by an individual, team, or organization for effective performance. Most competencies are learned behaviors that can positively or negatively affect a single person or an entire company. There are seven competencies that are found to be the most crucial for a person or company to be endowed with in order to obtain leadership success. The seven competencies are: Ethics, Self, Diversity, Across Cultures, Communication, Teams, and Change. In the following text, I will show how Carter Ham has demonstrated...
Words: 2474 - Pages: 10
...and Their Impact on the Military Logistician by Major Eric A. McCoy Is military service a profession or an occupation? Is there really a difference? The author argues that there is and that Soldiers definitely are members of a profession. Following the Vietnam War, the Army suffered from an evident depression, particularly within the officer corps and noncommissioned officer corps, that led to a revamping of our professional institutions and doctrine. Observing this process, the late sociologist Charles Moskos theorized that the decline resulted from the Army seeming to develop the characteristics of a civilian occupation rather than the profession it had always considered itself to be. The basic distinction between these two concep-tions of the military lies in their relationship to, and legitimization by, American society. Moskos noted that society legitimizes an institution “in terms of norms and values, a purpose transcending individual self-interest in favor of a presumed higher good. Members of a professional institution are often seen as following a calling captured in words like duty, honor, country.” Conversely, an occupational model receives its legitimacy in terms of the marketplace, where supply and demand are paramount and self-interest takes priority over communal interests.1 A generation later, we find similarities as we assess the impacts of a decade of persistent conflict on the all-volunteer Army. Our Army's senior leaders believe that, in adapting...
Words: 3057 - Pages: 13
...Personal Ethics Development Personal ethics are beliefs and values that guide every individual in his or her daily lives. It represents a boundary for actions by individuals. From early childhood an individual starts to develop his or her personal ethical system and establishes ground rules to follow for the rest of his or her life. As an individual develops and matures in life so does his or her personal ethics. Developmental Aspects Personal ethics starts to develop at a very early age. My mother and father raised four children and empowered each with useful developmental tools. They instilled the same ground rules and ethics for each of the children to follow. Even though they raised each child the same, each one has a different mindsets concerning personal ethics. So in some ways personal ethics are also an interpretation of the individual. Underlying Ethical System Growing up with a military family, we followed the military ethics mindset. My father was a career military man and believed in nothing less than the ethical ways of the military. Growing up we traveled and met different people from many walks of life. My mother and father built an ethical foundation or an underlying ethical system for our family that helped us throughout our childhood and into adulthood. It was the basic foundation of treating everyone the same and treating people the way a person would want someone to treat him or her...
Words: 1082 - Pages: 5
...government, civic, academic, and charitable organizations. Leadership topics are limitless, as evidenced by the vast expanse of information available in bookstores, libraries, blogs, and corporate leadership schools. For the purposes of this paper, the focus is on the highest-profile trends embraced by thought leaders in the leadership arena. Specifically, this work centers on the similarities – and differences – in the way the different major sectors view and define the important competencies of their leaders. Questions prompting this research include the following: 1. What are the most valued concepts delivered in training sessions to leaders of non-profits versus leaders in the military? 2. How do governmental nuances determine the areas in which leaders must excel? 3. Do leaders in different types of business view the concepts of leadership differently, or do the trends relate to the same basic tenets? 4. Is the area of ethics limited to Fortune 500 CEOs or non-profit directors? The following outlines the key principles that appear to be the most valued leadership concepts and the most significant concepts imparted to each sector’s leaders. Four Sectors Explored For the purpose of this research, the focus is on 4 major working sectors: 1. Corporate business GE, Enron, AIG, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Wal-Mart all have one thing in common: They are all recognizable corporate business names. Some in the list no longer exist, and others prosper today...
Words: 2680 - Pages: 11
...Personal Dilemma Paper CJA/324- Ethics in Criminal Justice Personal Dilemma We live in a world of diversity and in a government that gives individuals the right of freedom of speech which enables citizens to express their thoughts and ideas without any suppression. People are given equal opportunity, and women have become empowered. It has taken our government a long journey to finally create laws to protect and give the people rights, which are no longer being based on race, religion, or gender. Therefore, people are able to pursue any profession without the stigma of being rejected for factors that are beyond their control. Individuals are given an opportunity in the work place based on the level of expertise, knowledge, and education they have acquired. However, living in male dominant society, some women continue to face discrimination in several professions like the military. In this paper the author will discuss a moral dilemma they have faced in their professional life. Every profession has a code of ethics they abide by that allow them to become creditable and proficient in the job. A code of ethics is defined as a written set of guidelines issued by an organization to its workers and management to help them conduct their actions in accordance with its primary values and ethical standards (Business Dictionary,2012). In every military branch exists a set of values...
Words: 874 - Pages: 4
...Drones, Ethics, and the Armchair Soldier This is an article by the philosopher John Kaag about how the military is dealing with the changes in today’s environment with military warfare and the affects it has on the ground pilots that are driving drones to eliminate targets and terrorists. 10 years ago the Iraq invasion was a remote control game for the soldiers, very similar to how we use our remote controls for channel surfing on the TV or video games today. Many people use remote controls to play games, shoot animals, and blow up buildings to entertain themselves. The military uses similar remote controls to direct and deliver devastating military assaults against enemies and terrorists. Today the operations of the traditional chain of command is similar to writing directions for robots but without having to think about ethics behind it. Now soldiers do not have to be carrying pounds of gear while fighting and fearing for their lives, instead they do their jobs sitting down, they have something in common with philosophers who do their job sitting down. John quoted, “For the first time in history, soldiers have something in common with philosophers: they can do their jobs sitting down.” This provides the remote control soldier additional time and ability to think about how they will use a drone to eliminate a target. Soldiers today need to work their way through arriving at the logical answer of their orders and decisions while working through existential responsibility...
Words: 1225 - Pages: 5
...Military Ethics Marvin J. Harris United States Army Sergeants Major Academy Department of Military History Class 64 SGM Rivera November 26, 2013 Abstract Since 1775, the birth of the United States Army, many men and women have served in the United States military. These individuals have given their lives in defense of democracy, both at home and abroad. The oath of enlistment these individuals took to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” is a major obligation. Whether it was through the draft or a voluntary commitment, these individuals are willing to give their lives in defense of their country. Along with their commitment to defense, these soldiers also committed themselves to be ethical professionals as well. The burden of being a member of the United States military is different than any other profession. Military members must maintain a high standard of ethics both on and off duty. Leaders in the United States military always enforce a high standard of both professionalism and ethics. Failure to maintain ethical standards and a high sense of professionalism may lead to a lack of trust within the command and the service. It may also lead to a lack of faith in the military by the general public. Ethics is the foundation that the United States military is built upon. Military Ethics Before a paper can be written on Military Ethics, one must define the following words: ethics, values and morals. Ethics are standards by which...
Words: 2711 - Pages: 11
...Military Ethics Marvin J. Harris United States Army Sergeants Major Academy Department of Military History Class 64 SGM Rivera November 26, 2013 Abstract Since 1775, the birth of the United States Army, many men and women have served in the United States military. These individuals have given their lives in defense of democracy, both at home and abroad. The oath of enlistment these individuals took to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” is a major obligation. Whether it was through the draft or a voluntary commitment, these individuals are willing to give their lives in defense of their country. Along with their commitment to defense, these soldiers also committed themselves to be ethical professionals as well. The burden of being a member of the United States military is different than any other profession. Military members must maintain a high standard of ethics both on and off duty. Leaders in the United States military always enforce a high standard of both professionalism and ethics. Failure to maintain ethical standards and a high sense of professionalism may lead to a lack of trust within the command and the service. It may also lead to a lack of faith in the military by the general public. Ethics is the foundation that the United States military is built upon. Military Ethics Before a paper can be written on Military Ethics, one must define the following words: ethics, values and morals. Ethics are standards by which...
Words: 2711 - Pages: 11
...Organizational Ethics Benigno Borjon III ETH/316 October 6, 2015 Mr. Jack Land The United Stated Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy which in turn is ran by the Department of the Navy. The Marine Corps is headed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps and is assisted in his duties by the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. They both are responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for operation at any given moment. Professional ethics is a subject that I feel passionate about, and I believe it is the foundation upon which we build a successful organization. After all, the United States Marine Corps has three primary responsibilities to the American people: 1) Make Marines, 2) Win our nation’s battles, and 3) return quality citizens back to the American people. External social pressure has become a major driver in not only business ethics but in the military as well. This is especially true for small businesses in smaller communities. Information flow has significantly increased at a quick rate when companies fail to adhere to social and ethical standards. The concept of business ethics has evolved significantly over time and historically, it refers to operating a business in a way that does not break the law or violate any major moral guidelines. In the early 21st century, business ethics has broadened to include...
Words: 804 - Pages: 4
...accomplished. Management is critical, something that everyone must have in order to accomplish goals and be successful. Controlling, organization, planning, and leadership are four vital things that are needed for an organization to run smoothly. However throughout these functions of management globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics really play an important role and affect the four functions of management. Every organization whether it is a company or a branch of military service must exercise the functions of management and what it must do to maintain order and accomplish task at hand. Think of the United States military as an example. The United States military is structured with required regulations and standards that must be adhered to in order for it to be an effective global force. Throughout history controlling could be considered the most important of the four functions of management for the armed forces, but, as society has evolved, so has this approach to management and leadership. With Members of the U.S. military working side-by-side with the services of other nations around the world, American military commanders often find themselves in a position of leadership over a very diverse group of nationalities. The way in which this collective assembly of individuals is managed must be adjusted by taking into consideration all of the variances of not only possible language barriers, but also the cultural differences that are present. Common goals must...
Words: 1789 - Pages: 8
...Is Ethics Natural or Learned Behavior Mary Wilcox Ethics and Moral Reasoning PHI 208 Michelle Loudermilk February 10, 2014 To shoot this person or not to shoot this person? That is an ethical decision that has been going on for years, being an ex-military spouse; I have been around the military for a long time. Seeing what decisions a military person has to make, has a big ethical decision in their life. If it is not the correct decision they can ruin their career, or ruin a family when they make that decision to shoot, not only to shoot but what to do with their junior service men under their charge. Every decision that is made has an ethical part of somebodies life. You can follow the rules or break them and ruin everything around you and the junior service men under you. How they have learned to make these decisions is by a lot of training, and intelligence they get from other people. Is that person going to cause them harm, is that person going to cause somebody else harm? These are factors that a military person has to take into effect before making that ethical decision to take somebodies life in a war. For them to make these ethical decisions, they have had to learn them from somewhere, some of these things are almost natural, but most ethics are learned over a period of your life. You learn your ethics from your parents, teachers, friends, and family, anybody that has a big influence on your life, also TV and video games have an influence to a point on...
Words: 2464 - Pages: 10
...Ethical Decision Making in the Military Ethical Decision Making in the Military Lawren John Doyle Business Ethics 323 Professor Smith July 25, 2012 Thesis The American public is bombarded with ethics violations on all levels, including corporate scandals, university cover-ups, and wasteful government spending. Ethical leaders are becoming important now more than ever. If basic, common sense ethics had been exercised, the economy would not be in the situation it is in today. The military has been known for creating exceptional leaders, but just like any other organization, there is always room for improvement. In the military, it is extremely important to make ethical decisions. Leaders are entrusted with hard-earned taxpayer dollars and the lives of America’s most valuable asset, people. This paper focuses on the importance of making sound ethical decisions. Leaders operating overseas must use ethics as a cornerstone in their decision making process to ensure commanders are able to maximize resources and to promote a culture of integrity for soldiers to emulate when they become leaders. During a recent deployment, our Task Force conducted a series of Joint Combined Exercise Training blocks to build relationships with foreign allies. One of the well-respected platoon leaders began writing inaccurate reports that embellished the positive points and left out the negative points to demonstrate his superior management skills. When others in the team were asked to...
Words: 1565 - Pages: 7
...Ethics and Compliance Program An ethics and compliance program is essential for all organizations contrary to the beliefs that some may have. Effective ethical and compliance initiatives are a combination of high moral, spiritual, with ethical beliefs that are formulated and executed with obedience to the law as well. Some feel that ethics are derived from logical reasoning or observation. Others may feel it is the gut feeling that decides ethics. Companies with no ethical program stand the risk of limited or no success with unethical behavior. Leadership must be the leading example of the ethical and compliance program. Planning an ethical and compliance program could be a huge undertaken in the beginning, but the benefits are astounding and worthwhile (Rae & Wong, 2012). This plan for the 186th Air Refueling Wing’s (186 ARW) Communication Flight in Meridian, MS will reside within the Quality Assurance (QA) shop whose office sits beside the commander. The QA shop will maintain and update the plan as necessary. This plan will establish an ethics and compliance program that will consist of knowing the importance of ethics and compliance guidelines, establishing and maintaining the code of conduct to include the formal letter from the Communication Flight Commander, method of code introduction, establishing an ethical culture, handling ethical issues to include reporting, and knowing the policy regarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to include its...
Words: 1983 - Pages: 8
