SLC 300 (601) Fall 2024 Leading with an Ethical Perspective

In How to Link Team Values with Personal Values by Jaffe, Dennis, and Scott, Cynthia we learn how some of the top companies in the world can leverage their employees’ values into their own corporation’s value and provide an essence-based organization. In today’s work world many times a company has its own set of values it operates under and does not take into account that their employees may have different values than the company. What happens tho if a company does take into account their employee’s differences in values and creates company values that align with their employees? This article tells us that three major things take place when values align. These consist of motivate commitment, align action, and transcend individual conflicts. Motivate commitment – values can help employees find meaning and purpose in their work, care about what their company is doing, and link their individual efforts to those of the entire company. Align action – With employees having to make many complex decisions, values offer a set of guiding principles. Transcend individual conflicts – Values provide a language and way of understanding individual differences. They also help open the door for nonjudgmental acceptance of different ways of doing things. This simple step of aligning company values with employee values creates a more motivated workforce because they are now working not toward the company’s values but their own. This is a practice all companies should look into and try for an easy way to make the workplace more enjoyable and productive overall. 

The article “Personal Values and Performance in Teams” by David J. Glew examines the relationship between individual personal values and team performance. Through two studies, involving undergraduate and MBA students, the research explores whether personal values like accomplishment, equality, helpfulness, and honesty influence individual and team-level outcomes. Glew found that personal values, although expected to have a positive impact, were generally not significant predictors of peer-evaluated performance. Instead, prior individual performance was a stronger indicator of how well team members would perform within their teams. At the team level, the value of equality was found to have a positive impact on overall team performance among undergraduate teams, but the results were less clear for MBA teams. This research highlights the complexity of understanding team dynamics, showing that while values are important, other factors like past performance may have a greater influence on team success. The findings suggest that the interplay between values and performance is nuanced, with individual and team-level dynamics contributing differently depending on the context.

Denise A. Bonebright’s article, “40 Years of Storming,” provides a thorough historical analysis of Bruce W. Tuckman’s influential model of small group development. Originally introduced in 1965, Tuckman’s model outlines four stages—forming, storming, norming, and performing—that describe the progression of groups as they develop cohesion and effectiveness. The model was later expanded in 1977 with Mary Ann Conover Jensen to include a fifth stage, adjourning, acknowledging the group’s eventual dissolution. The article traces the model’s rise in both academic and professional circles, emphasizing its widespread adoption due to its practicality and adaptability across various fields, especially in human resource development. Bonebright also highlights the model’s limitations, such as its reliance on therapy groups in initial research and the lack of consideration for external factors affecting group dynamics. Despite these limitations, the model has maintained its relevance for over four decades, offering a simple yet effective framework for understanding team dynamics and development in diverse settings.

In Personal Values and Performance in Teams: An Individual and Team-Level Analysis, David J. Glew explores how personal values influence both individual and team performance. According to his assertion, “Teams that have a strong alignment of personal values with organizational goals exhibit enhanced cooperation, commitment, and performance.” This highlights the significance of having values that are congruent in order to be able to develop successful teamwork. There was a time when I was a member of a volunteer group, and this brings back memories. The fact that our group’s ideals were not aligned originally caused us to have difficulty communicating with one another and working together. As a result of our efforts to develop common ground through discussions that centered on shared values such as community service and teamwork, our performance improved, which is consistent with the findings shown by Glew. In situations when our individual values were congruent with the mission, we were able to work together more cohesively and accomplish our objectives with more efficiency. The findings of Glew are readily apparent in a number of high-functioning organizations in the modern day, such as Patagonia and Salesforce, which place a great priority on connecting the personal values of its employees with the purposes of the company. Because of this, these businesses frequently experience increased levels of employee engagement and productivity. On the other hand, businesses that have values that are not linked with one another frequently experience significant turnover and disengagement, which demonstrates how important value alignment is for long-term success in their respective fields.

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=468573

In “40 Years of Storming: A Historical Review of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development,” Denise A. Bonebright examines Tuckman’s influential model, which outlines four stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, and performing. Bonebright states, “The storming stage, characterized by conflict and disagreement, is a necessary phase that helps groups clarify goals and roles.” The purpose of this review is to examine how Tuckman’s model has developed over time and how it has been utilized in a variety of fields to better comprehend group dynamics. This essay brings to mind a work team that I was a part of when I first started my new job earlier this year. When our team first started, we were in the “forming” stage, which meant that everyone was kind but unsure of their position. As soon as we started the “storming” stage, disagreements surfaced on the allocation of tasks and the process of decision-making. After reading Bonebright’s study, I came to the realization that this was a normal and important part of the development of our team. After working through our differences, we arrived at a more productive “norming” stage, which is similar to what Tuckman’s model predicts will happen. The Tuckman model is commonly utilized in the real world, particularly in the context of project management, to describe the functioning of organizational teams. As an illustration, teams frequently go through phases that are comparable to Tuckman’s model in situations when agile approaches are utilized in technology businesses. As Bonebright points out, conflict during the “storming” phase frequently results in creative solutions and deeper togetherness. This exemplifies the significance of accepting group problems in order to achieve success in the real world.

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=468574

In “How to Live With Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership” by Anne Loehr, the author emphasizes the importance of aligning personal values with leadership roles to inspire authenticity and purpose. Loehr notes, “When you lead with your values, you create an environment of trust and respect that fosters collaboration and innovation.” The connection between self-awareness, value-driven leadership, and the success of an organization is brought into focus by this occurrence. The emphasis that Loehr places on determining one’s basic principles is something that I have personally encountered when deciding on a career route. I made the decision to pursue a career that was more in line with my passion for creativity and helping others after spending years feeling dissatisfied in a position that did not connect with my own values. This adjustment enabled me to discover meaning in my profession, which in turn allowed me to become more involved and productive. This is similar to the advise that Loehr gives about living with purpose. Loehr’s observations are reflective of the difficulties that many leaders are confronted with in the modern era, particularly during times of crisis or transition in the workplace. During the COVID-19 epidemic, for example, many leaders who prioritized values like as empathy, flexibility, and purpose were able to assist their organizations in navigating uncertainty. Her approach to value-driven leadership exemplifies the emerging global trend of placing an emphasis on human-centered leadership as a means of fostering trust and resiliency in the face of adversity.

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/mod/url/view.php?id=468554

In “Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices,” Ron Carucci explores the paradox of individuals with strong moral values engaging in unethical behavior due to situational pressures. He writes, “When people face conflicting demands or goals, they are often drawn into unethical behavior because they see no way out that would satisfy both.” This highlights the fact that even people with good intentions can make immoral choices when confronted with challenging circumstances, frequently placing survival or success ahead of having ethical considerations in their minds. This reading brings to mind a situation in which I was required to make a decision between assisting a friend with their schoolwork and sticking to the regulations that govern respect for academic honesty. Because of the temptation to keep our connection intact, I was tempted to make a decision that was unethical. To my good fortune, I chose a solution that allowed me to assist my friend in acquiring knowledge without violating any ethical bounds. Along the same lines as Carucci’s observations, I experienced the burden of competing objectives, which prompted me to empathize with the individuals described in the article. The content of the article is relevant to a number of business scandals, including the emissions controversy involving Volkswagen. There are a lot of employees who probably did not come to the organization with the intention of committing fraud, but they felt compelled to reach performance targets anyhow. The way in which Carucci discusses conflicting demands and unethical actions is a reflection of how real-world business pressures can compromise integrity, which is a frequent issue in many different types of organizational crises. Carucci’s argument serves as a reminder that firms need to develop settings that promote ethical behavior and offer employees with the support they need to keep their principles, even when they are under a lot of pressure.

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=468553

In the article “How to link personal values with team values” it talks about understanding the difference between personal values and team values. Companies Levi Strauss, AT&T, and Nordstrom conducted research to see the desired values and commitment to strategy goals. They found that some core values are integrity, competence, teamwork, and communication. When I was in my workplace over summer, these values were critical as we wanted everyone to feel like they all mattered. Having these values made us all a better team together and we got to meet each other’s standards which gave us successful days. Assessing techniques for personal and team values is also very important. This involves workplaces using surveys to identify different things that are important. In the article you learn how to conduct a values workshop. Over Summer, at a training, I shared my values with my team to then learn theirs. This allowed us to create a list of shared values we have together which allowed us to learn more about each other. Not only did this grow a bond between some people, we got to see the goals people wanted to accomplish while working. When creating values, it is important to make a list of each value. This can create a clear understanding for people who may not understand it. While working, we created a list of all the values we carry when we are an employee and what each value represents. This made us realize how we are not only impacting ourselves or each other, but all the families we made bonds with over the course of the ten weeks, and how we can reach their standard of values. 

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/654176/mod_resource/content/3/Jaffe_Link_Personal_Values_Team_Values.pdf

While reading the article “40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman’s model of small group development” I learned about the importance of Bruce W. Tuckman’s model. The model goes through five different stages and each one has a significant impact. In college, doing group work has been a big role in many of my classes. I have experienced all these stages while working in a group project in college whether it is forming all the way to adjourning. In one of my classes last semester we had a whole semester project that we were assigned to us at the beginning of the semester. The professor had chosen our designated groups, so we didn’t know the types of people we would be working with. I remember once we got our assigned groups, I sent an email out to everyone and tried scheduling a date where we could all meet and start to form our project. That worked very well as every group member attended and we all got to meet each other and figure out our goals for the project. Another step that was seen a while in our project was the “norming”. We were discussing how we want to assign our tasks and figure out who was responsible for completing what. This allowed us to stay organized and get everything we needed done in a timely manner. After learning about this model, I can now go about group projects by using these things, as they can help solve problems within a group. These stages showed how they have impacted various fields and how much the model has evolved throughout our lifetime. 

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/654178/mod_resource/content/2/40%20Years%20of%20Storming%20Tuckman.pdf

After reading this source, the conclusive results indicate that, “One of the greatest challenges for undergraduate teams seems to be establishing and implementing an equitable division of the workload; MBA teams still struggle with this issue, but often to a lesser extent. Equality may predict performance for undergraduate teams because equality concerns are their greatest impediment to performance, and once resolved, allow the team to move forward and complete its work.” I think this connection is very relevant and important to recognize because a lot of the time work is divided based on reliability and what people say they are willing to do. 

I will make a text-to-self connection here. Undergrad classes involve a lot of collaboration and group work. A good example of this is this class. We are expected to responsibly approach group work by communicating with each other and holding each other accountable without really knowing anything about each other personally or professionally. We don’t know what everyone’s work ethic, accountability, motivation, time management, etc is like and we have to put our grade on the line in hopes the team can successfully divide and complete work successfully. I can agree with the conclusion that this source provided because it shows that if work is divided unevenly then it can affect the quality of work done. I feel like times when I have felt I got handed more work or the “bigger parts” or even “more difficult sections” I was frustrated because my group members got off the hook.