Running head: LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Leadership and professional Ethics

Theresa Waggoner
Brandman University
OLCU 350

Date: 5/22/2016

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS:

Every day we as a society are confronted by moral issues. We notice them daily as we sit
down with our coffee in the morning tuning into our favorite news stations, or subconsciously by
the casual glance at a newspaper highlighting a sensitive topic. Dealing with these moral issues is
often perplexing. We are forced to look deeper into issues of the heart such as parenting, and
social order. We as humans living in a populated society then must take account of all of the facts
and notions to then confront the situations morally. This ethical framework on how we build our
lives truly defies us as people, as well as governs how we will impact future generations. How
exactly should we think through an ethical issue? What questions should we ask? What factors
should we consider? I believe an ethical framework is rather individual, a set of building blocks
put together solely off of past experiences and future notions, and lessons learned though life.
Due to its large importance of shaping who we are as people it is essential to evaluate your own
personal ethical frame work in order to actually understand who you are as a person. I also
believe there has to be an innate, universal moral code that is shared by all humans.
That is how we have evolved and became the unique species over the last several million years
on Planet Earth. We must all share or believe in some form of an ethical framework to co-exist
with family, friends, and society.
For me one of the ways I make my ethical choices is I stand back and try to collect all the
fact before I make my decisions. Once I have collects my facts I can now start resolving the
ethical issue which requires my understanding of my own ideas and values. Basically I check in
with my moral compass. Then I ask myself; why do I have these values and what in my own life
has caused me to feel and believe the way I do. Would my children be proud of my decision,
would I be embarrassed to share my decision with others. Will I sleep soundly tonight? And one
of the most important questions I must ask is how wills this decision affect others?

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According to Kohlbergs we have six stages of moral development starting at Stage One
called Punishment / Avoidance and is usually set in childhood examples of this would be when a
child run into the street; quick punishment is needed to reinforce the punishment to make sure
the child does not hard themselves and does not perform the same act again. Stage two is
Instrumental Relativist such as what best satisfies ones own needs. Stage three: Good Boy
Nice Girl Morality; is seen as meeting expectations of those around them. Stage Four Is what
many people are stuck in and never progress past this stage; which is Law and Order meeting
expectations and following the law. Stage five is Social contract Utilities Human Rights.
It is our hope that as we grow and mature we are able to travel through all the different stages of
Kohlbergs moral and ethical theories. The ultimate goal is to reach stage six. I would like to
believe that most of my decision making is set in this stage which is called The Universal
Ethical Principle and the age group for this stage is considered Mature Adult which according to
our text reflects cultural relativism justice, equality, fairness for everyone, and universal human
rights (Collins, p. 156,157). Why do we do what we do and act the way we act? Is it because of
our friends, our family, Social Media, our churches, or government, cultural norms?
In our text one of the questions that Icek Ajzen a Professor of Psychology wanted to
answer was when will attitudes predict behavior? According to Ajzens theory of planned
behavior, formulating an intention to act ethically is a function of a persons attitudes toward the
behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Collins, p.142).The theory of
planned behavior help us understand how we can change the behavior of people.
I believe people can change if they want to change and our attitudes do affect our behavior. If
you go into anything with a bad attitude your behavior will most likely become negative. And I
believe this goes along with making ethical decisions. According to Christine Chmielewski who

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writes for Clearinghouse Academic Advising Resources, in her article, The Importance of Values
and Culture in Ethical Decision Making writes To be ethically successful, it is paramount that
we understand and respect how values impact our social environment. How we perceive
ourselves and operate within our environment is of such importance that institutions establish
rules of ethical behavior that relate to practice. Institutions that examine power and
responsibility, and audit their ethical decisions regularly, develop employees that function with
honesty and integrity and serve their institution and community (Chmielewski, 2004). Attitudes
are infectious and can affect the people that are near the person. According to Boundless
Management Understanding different types of attitudes and their likely implications is useful in
predicting how individuals' attitudes influence their behavior. A person who has positive attitudes
towards work and co-workers (such as contentment, friendliness, etc.) can positively influence
those around them. These positive attitudes are usually manifested in a person's behavior; people
with a good attitude are active and productive and do what they can to improve the mood of
those around them. In much the same way, a person who displays negative attitudes (such as
discontentment, boredom, etc.), will behave accordingly. People with these types of attitudes
towards work may likewise affect those around them and behave in a manner that reduces
efficiency and effectiveness (Boundless 2016).
Much of this may seem like common sense, surround yourself with positive people or
thoughts and positive thing will happen. Plus when youre positive you are better able to handle
ethical decisions; why because positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more
resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. Which can deeply impact your ethical
Framework? In the end, we must deliberate on moral issues for ourselves, keeping a careful eye
on both the facts and on the ethical considerations involved.

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Resources:

Boundless (2016). Boundless Management. Retrieved from

https://www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-managementtextbook/organizational-behavior-5/drivers-of-behavior-44/how-attitude-influences-behavior228-612/

Chmielewski, C., (2004).The Importance of Values and Culture in Ethical Decision

Making.Retrieved -insert today's date- from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic
Advising Resources Web site:
http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/Values-and-culturein-ethical-decision-making.aspx

Collins, D. (2011). Business ethics: An organizational systems approach to designing ethical

organizations. United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons.

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LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: