Business Ethics in Leadership & Management Development

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary
Introduction
Methods of Study Used
Findings and Discussion
Conclusion
Recommendations
Reference List

Executive Summary

The focus of this report is to explore business ethics in leadership and management development using study approaches to delve into the concept. From research resources and leaders’ insights, the path to an organization’s sustainable success is through ethical leading and managing. The paper will examine business ethics in relation to team development via approaches such as training. A comparison of ethics role is given in detail, pointing the effects as well. A variety of business ethics such as personal responsibility, corporate responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, and fairness is discussed inclusively.

Introduction

Organizations have changed rapidly and to a great extent due to enabling factors such as technological breakthroughs. The transformation will continue in coming decades with an increasing need for shifts in structure, global competition, work process, or content creation. Ethics are in the heart of leadership, and individuals should not take for granted the ethical roles that come with the position (Tushar, 2017, p. 83). Some entities focus on maximizing short terms profits which could lead to corporate scandals. Examples of such scenarios were witnessed with Fannie Mae, WorldCom, HealthSouth, Qwest, and Enron, where leaders failed the businesses ethically (Tushar, 2017, p. 83). Unethical irresponsible practices can tarnish good credibility. The purpose of this paper is to provide a report on the role of ethics in leadership and management development.

Methods of Study Used

To gain insight into the role of business ethics in leadership and management development. A semi-structured interview was conducted involving two business leaders and two managers from different companies. A leader was defined as someone in the senior position of an organization, such as a CEO, while a manager is in the lower rank. The two managers from companies A and B were in charge of human resources. The qualitative study approach applied the use of telephone because an office meeting was impossible. The selection of the participants was based on online ratings as the best hiring and successful local company. During the interview, important notes were taken concerning ethics, leadership, and management development concepts. This method’s choice was relevant because it provided first-hand information about the topic; therefore, the data gathered is more reliable. Another methodology used is research on existing data from credible published library sources such as online databases. Criteria used to select information sources involved date range and topics covering on leadership and management practice ethics.

Findings and Discussion

Role of Business Ethics in Leadership Development

Business ethics in leadership entail a broad spectrum of areas. For example, a leader can improve a company’s reputation or credibility by exemplifying quality ethical behaviors to employees within an organization, according to Tushar (2017). Leadership skills are used to demonstrate the right ethics in an organization team and establish a positive culture. Both leaders interviewed reported that ethics in leadership plays a crucial role in evoking confidence in investors or stakeholders, building customer loyalty, and giving more freedom to operate. Studies from Tushar (2017), inform that ethics help to create a positive image in the media, thus establishing trust in trading partners, and keeping workers’ morale high while ensuring self-satisfaction. Furthermore, there is adherence to safe, legal practices, attracts better employees, and designs a healthier workplace environment.

Role of Business Ethics in Management Development

On the other hand, managers’ perspective on ethics management was that it is related to the social responsiveness of an entity. According to research, ethics in management development is the art of dealing with what is good, bad, right, or wrong holding moral duties (Grigoropoulos 2019, p. 167). Being ethical is a standard behavior that guides managers in work, such that when they assume a social role, it is expected that tasks will be done ethically. A study conducted by Grigoropoulos (2019, p. 168) indicate ethical activities that manger can perform. They include making organizations effective, attending to employees and customers, and avoiding maximization of profits as a central goal. A narrow construction of an ethical role in management development was noted to be that managers serve only shareholders’ interests.

Information from the interview and studies identified that managing and leading are inherently ethic related tasks. Such is said to be true since managerial decisions affect people or some natural environments in one way or another. The impacts must be taken into considerations while decisions are being made. Another similarity is that whenever outcomes result from a leader or a manager’s choices, some ethical aspects play role. The concept of ethics in leadership and management development required upholding moral principles when executing duties.

Ethical Considerations When Preparing, Designing, and Selecting People for Training

Organizations make ethical considerations during the training selection process, such as discrimination, diversity, and inclusion, legal issues, company resources as well as the types of training. Recruiting and job training are vital professions for some reasons obtained from the studies (Kasztelnik and Brown, 2019, p. 16). For instance, the process changes individuals’ lives, enables to counter organizational external forces such as competition, and demands vital skills such as listening and understanding clients’ needs. However, when deciding who to take for training or how to design and make the selection, legal and ethical decisions such as inclusion must be considered.

Considering diversity is a good approach leader or managers take to counter bias or discriminative practices. An example of an ethical problem witnessed in businesses is selecting people for leadership training on a biased approach (Singer, 2018, p. 98). Normally, people can be influenced by personal motives or interests to have whoever they want in the training lists based on individual factors. Alternatively, some leaders or managers in charge of recruiting or job training selection may require favors from potential trainees, which can be deemed unethical and hurt the business’ reputation.

How Business Ethics Role Will Affect Leadership and Management Development

Business ethics will influence leadership and management development by requiring an organization to enforce training programs that foster employees’ adherence to ethical practices. Moreover, leaders’ and managers’ effectiveness are assessed by how well they execute essential functions or duties, and ethics application is an integral part of achieving better results. Managers and leaders are responsible for a variety of stakeholders and workers in meeting organizational goals. How responsibly or ethically these professionals chose to operate depends on some factors. For effectiveness, leadership or management values count since the principles are regarded as central norms of organizations.

Therefore, business ethics impact leadership and management’s development process by requiring people to hold quality features, personalities, and standards that create a positive culture. Companies that are inclined to perform per ethical standards, values, and morals have noted the benefit or significance that procedures or policies are well communicated throughout. An example of a well knows corporate with effective business ethics is IBM. The latter is named the world’s most ethical organization by the Ethisphere agency as it is devoted to advancing business practices standards across the world (Miranda, 2020, para. 1). Codes of ethics that outline regulations and expectations of stakeholders are passed through informal and formal approaches.

Conclusion

In the modern competitive world, leaders and managers face pressure internally and externally arising from unrealistic demands. That may lead to confusion, frustration, and unproductive decision-making at the workplace, raising unethical practices. Findings from the research approach reveal the need to study the gap between short and long-term objectives where ethics become less important. The purpose of this report was to examine the role of business ethics in leadership and management development. Through research methodology integrated, it is obtained that practicing ethical leadership sets a role model among an organizational culture with more values for the common good. Ethics play a major role in both managers’ and leaders’ development as they set the pace at which individuals commit to following organizational goals.

Recommendations

For better ethical leadership and management development, organization seniors should exhibit good behaviors to set an example for trainees or employees. Building an ethical company needs individuals who lead or manage to establish moral practices that followers will embrace. Leading exemplarily means showing respect, compassion, and concern even to less disadvantaged as anyone can lead. Another recommendation is to formulate work ethics guidelines that could be communicated to all team members through employee handbooks. Such an approach is meant to integrate individuals into an ethic-committed culture as soon as they start working in a company. To leaders and managers, caring for themselves before others is suggested so that vital capabilities can be better supported. Ideally, a calm and capable demeanor is the basis of robust leadership since a happy and contented person will want happiness or contentment in those being led.

Reference List

Grigoropoulos, J., (2019) The role of ethics in 21st century organization. International Journal of Progressive Education, 15(2), pp.167-175. Web.

Kasztelnik, B. and Brown, D., (2019) Perceived effective business ethics through leadership and cultural competence in the united states. Business Ethics and Leadership, 3(4), pp.15-27. Web.

Miranda, G., (2020) IBM named one of the world’s most ethical companies. Web.

Singer, A., (2018) Justice failure: efficiency and equality in business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 149(1), pp.97-115. Web.

Tushar, H. (2017) The role of ethical leadership in developing sustainable organization. Australasian Journal of Law, Ethics and Governance, 3(2), 83-95. Web.

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