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

I found this article insightful, even though it was quite long. I appreciated that it began by emphasizing the first step in the decision-making process: recognizing that you’re facing a moral dilemma. Once that’s identified, the next step is understanding the nature of the dilemma and deciding how to resolve it. I found it particularly interesting that the article discusses how people often struggle to identify moral dilemmas due to “moral intensity.” According to the article’s Proposition 1, issues with high moral intensity are more likely to be recognized as moral issues than those with low moral intensity. I completely agree with this point! I would also add that issues with low moral intensity not only tend to go unrecognized as moral dilemmas but also make people less likely to see themselves as moral agents. This tendency contributes to what’s known as the bystander effect, where individuals are less likely to intervene in a situation that doesn’t directly impact them. When moral intensity is low, people might feel less accountable or assume someone else will step in, resulting in inaction. This article effectively highlights the link between moral awareness and action, showing how moral intensity can influence whether individuals see a situation as requiring ethical consideration and intervention.

Source:

Thomas M. Jones. Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model. The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Apr., 1991), pp. 366-3. Published by: Academy of Management. http://www.jstor.org/stable/258867

In my experience as a lifeguard, I can see how the intuitive decision-making model applies. This model refers to arriving at decisions without conscious reasoning and is often used by experts who face high-stakes situations, such as fire chiefs, pilots, and nurses. These professionals don’t typically sort through a list of options; instead, they identify cues in the environment, recognize patterns, and draw upon their experience to make quick, effective decisions.

As a lifeguard, I’ve been trained to respond similarly. We’re required to know precisely what to look for and how to perform life-saving procedures based on immediate observations. Since so much of our work is about responding intuitively, proper training is critical. I’ve practiced numerous life-saving scenarios during training, preparing for every potential emergency that might occur at the pool. Additionally, we’re required to recertify every two years, ensuring we retain the skills and knowledge to recognize and respond to a crisis swiftly. Although I’ve never had to make a real rescue in my five years as a lifeguard, I’ve practiced these scenarios hundreds of times. Through these repeated exercises, I’ve developed an intuitive understanding of how to assess situations quickly and act without needing to consciously analyze every step. This ability to recognize patterns—such as spotting subtle signs of distress—enables me to respond instinctively, much like the experts described in research on intuitive decision-making.

Source: Principles of Management. Pages 478-479. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. 2010.

For my 12th DEJ post, I chose reference and analyze Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model by Thomas M. Jones. This article highlights three various definitions related to ethics and ethical decision making. The first is surrounding moral issues which are present when an individuals choices affects others in either a positive or negative way. The second is a moral agent which is defined as a personal who makes the moral decisions but often doesn’t realize moral issues are at hand. Finally, the third definition discussed surrounds ethical decisions which are decisions that are ethically and morally acceptable to the larger community/group of individuals affected. These three definitions align with the ethical frameworks and value based leadership which we have discussed in this course. When considering ethical decisions made by individuals in organizations, these three definitions are helpful in guiding that through process especially at the organizational level. One experience that I have seen these definitions put into practice was with my internship experience. Within this experience, I saw the CEO lead the team through a trying time of layoffs and down turn in business. The CEO used these ethical principles and definitions to guide the company through a difficult time while making the most ethical decisions about the future of the company and employees livelihood. The CEO had to make moral decisions that were affecting various groups of people in either positive or negative ways and he would be considered the moral agent in this ethical decision making. He overall did a great job and was a great example of proper ethical leadership.

Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model

Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model on JSTOR

Reflecting on the importance of ethics in a professional and educational context, I see how ethical awareness goes beyond personal integrity; it becomes essential for maintaining public trust, credibility, and the sustainable success of institutions like UC San Diego. The ethical standards and frameworks UCSD upholds underscore the significance of operating with transparency, responsibility, and respect—values that not only guide individual behavior but shape the organization’s overall reputation and operational effectiveness.

One of the points that resonated with me was the concept that acting ethically is not always about making clear-cut decisions between right and wrong but often about navigating complex situations with conflicting values. This echoes my understanding that ethical decision-making is nuanced; sometimes, it means choosing between competing values, such as fairness and responsibility, to determine the most appropriate action. This requires critical thinking and a commitment to uphold core character values like trustworthiness and respect.

The consequences of unethical behavior, like legal repercussions and damaged reputations, highlight the personal and institutional risks at stake. This awareness reinforces why public institutions emphasize ethics: any lapse can have far-reaching consequences, affecting careers, morale, and public perception. UCSD’s dedication to building an ethical environment with strong internal controls and clear standards sets a valuable example for creating a culture of integrity, where ethical behavior is not only encouraged but expected.

This framework for ethical decision-making is something I find personally valuable, especially as I consider my own future in a professional setting. Learning to prioritize ethical values and communicate them effectively within a team is something I want to develop as a skill, ensuring I can contribute positively to any organization I am part of.

Reflecting on Thomas M. Jones’s “Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations,” key insights stand out, especially his introduction of “moral intensity” as central to ethical decision-making. Unlike traditional models focused on character or culture alone, Jones argues that specific characteristics of an issue—such as magnitude of consequences, social consensus, probability of effect, temporal immediacy, proximity, and concentration of effect—strongly shape our responses.

An especially interesting idea is temporal immediacy; people feel more urgency to act ethically when consequences are immediate rather than distant. Similarly, social consensus—the degree to which society agrees on the morality of an action—can significantly impact whether individuals view an issue as ethically relevant. This insight helps explain why people may engage in unethical behaviors if their peers do, emphasizing the importance of fostering cultures where ethical norms are widely shared.

Jones’s integration of psychological and empirical evidence to support these points reinforces a more nuanced understanding of ethical behavior, showing that context can be as influential as individual values.

For my 11th DEJ post, I chose to look at the article from Emerald Insight; It’s how leaders behave that matters, not where they are from by Barry Posner. This article discusses the depth of leadership and how many leaders or individuals working to become leaders often believe there is a need to adapt to your leadership environment to become an effective leader. The article, however, shares that it is truly the leaders ethical behaviors and values that determine their leadership effectiveness. A quote from IBM leader, Caroline Wang, shares her experience working in various companies internationally; “when it comes to leadership it is not about the leader’s personality, it is all about how that individual behaves as a leader”. This statement truly encompasses much of what we have learned in this course. It is clear from Wang’s international experiences that she gained much perspective from her various roles internationally and realized that to be an effective and ethical leader she had to focus on her ethical values and behaviors from within rather than putting her focus into adapting to her environment/country she was leading in. This is similar to my experiences studying abroad. I interact with various leaders, many of which were in a classroom/educational setting. These professors and leaders who I interacted with had strong ethical values which made them effective leaders in their environments to diverse groups of students. As someone who hopes to work internationally at some point in my career, the advice from the article and Wang gives me guidance in hopefully developing strong ethical leadership qualities one day.

It’s how leaders behave that matters, not where they are from

Leadership & Organization Development Journal- Emerald Insight
It’s how leaders behave that matters, not where they are from
Barry Z. Posner

Emphasizing the need of ethical decision-making in professional environments, the UCSD article “Ethics Awareness” stresses the part that each person plays in preserving integrity and responsibility. The paper emphasizes that understanding of ethics goes beyond only following guidelines to include making decisions in line with moral values and so foster respect and trust in the workplace. The source exhorts experts to evaluate their choices carefully so as to guarantee they benefit society and organizational culture. The paper reminds me of my own experience working on a team project when ethical issues have to be given top priority over convenience. We had to make a choice that would have jeopardized our long-term image even if it would have helped the project momentarily. As the author notes, I can understand the difficulties in juggling ethical choices with pragmatic results. Like the focus in the UCSD tool, I discovered the need of following moral guidelines even if it would seem more convenient to cut short. The moral conundrums raised in the paper remind me of the Operation Varsity Blues affair, in which people acted unethically in order to get into colleges. Emphasizing the need of moral behavior to maintain justice and confidence, the piece parallels the social fallout from actual scandals. This narrative is a warning on the harm done when one ignores ethics in favor of selfish benefit. Still, the actual effects of such choices are usually more broad and detrimental than in organizational environments.

https://blink.ucsd.edu/finance/accountability/ethics-awareness.html

In Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model, Thomas M. Jones relies on the idea of “moral intensity,” which he describes as “a new set of variables” affecting ethical decisions (Jones). This model shows how ethical decisions shift with perceived consequences, indicating that not all ethical issues are viewed or acted upon with the same importance. Jones’s model, based in social psychology, suggests that the perceived intensity of a moral issue impacts each step of decision-making, from awareness to action.

This model reminds me of an unethical situation I noticed at school. A colleague was misusing school resources, and although I knew it was wrong, I hesitated to act because the consequences seemed minimal and I did not want to be “that guy”. With Jones’s framework, the lower “moral intensity” explains my reluctance to report it. Looking back, if the consequences had been greater or impacted others, I might have acted differently. Jones’s model shows how perceived seriousness shapes our response.

Jones’s model also relates to corporate scandals like Enron, where employees likely observed unethical practices but may not have grasped the full consequences. This “issue-contingent” nature of ethics shows how individuals sometimes overlook small ethical breaches that grow into major problems. While everyday decisions suggest early action, corporate scandals show how a lack of action due to perceived low intensity can lead to systemic failures. Jones’s model reminds organizations that preserving integrity and trust requires addressing ethical issues early, regardless of perceived intensity.

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/654253/mod_resource/content/1/Ethical_DM_Individuals_Organizations.pdf

The Josephson Institute of Ethics recognizes six core ethical values—trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship—that are the building blocks of ethical behavior and coincide with good decision-making. In one passage, Josephson relates, “Ethical values and principles always take precedence over nonethical ones. The ethical person should always choose to follow ethical principles” (UC San Diego). As can be derived, this instills that moral values will always come first before one’s self-interests, no matter how difficult the circumstances may present themselves.

This source reminds me of a situation when I had to decide whether to report a coworker who cut corners at work. It was not an easy decision, but eventually, my parents’ clarity assured me that it was more ethical to take responsibility for the sake of the organization and my own well-being, like the Josephson model for ethical decision-making suggests. This experience connects well with the values of responsibility and fairness because, through it, I realized my responsibility for ensuring standards were upheld, even if it meant a path not comfortable to tread.

In a broader perspective, the process of ethical decision-making has parallels with cases such as corporate fraud, whereby executives may put their personal interests before those of corporate integrity, leading to scandals and harm to the organization. There are quite a number of instances in the world where failure to observe ethical principles leads to disastrous outcomes, such as loss of reputation or legal fines, and shows the applicability of sustained ethical behavior in organizations.

https://blink.ucsd.edu/finance/accountability/ethics-awareness.html#Process

The article “Principles in Management” from the University of Minnesota Libraries explores the essential role that decision-making plays in management processes. It shows that effective decision-making is vital for achieving organizational goals and navigating challenges in a business environment. In the article, it showcases that while making ethical choices is fundamentally the right approach, it can often be fraught with challenges. Key topics were covered in the article including: Understanding Decision Making, Types of Decisions, Decision Making Process, Developing Personal Decision Making Skills, and Faulty Decision Making. The article defines decision making as a systematic process that involves identifying a problem, evaluating alternatives, and choosing the best option. It then differentiates between programmed and non programmed decisions. Furthermore, it takes a step into outline various models and techniques used for making decisions, including rational decision making models and the importance of the group decision making process. As for Developing Personal decisions making skills, the article provides insight for improving your own decision making abilities and how you can highlight the need for critical thinking and reflection on past decisions to enhance future outcomes. Lasty, it addresses common pitfalls in decision making, such as overconfidence and anchoring bias in faulty decision making. I can apply this in a real life situation where I had to use the decision making process in group work through a project this semester. In one of my classes, we had to come up with a pain point and address the paint point as a group and figure out a solution to our pain point. We had to walk through the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling steps to get to where we wanted to be through the decision making process. 

Source: https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/654251/mod_resource/content/2/Decision%20Making_Chap11_Principles%20of%20Managment.pdf