INTRODUCING AND PRESCRIBING Ethical Dimensions of Leadership Virginia Tech MBA Andrew Watson

Agenda Current events Introducing… ethics Based on Ch. 1—but most of meeting based on Ch. 2* So far, not bad…. What’s right? Prescriptive approaches Tighten Up (music, not in textbook) Three approaches* Eight steps in suggested process* Preventive medicine* Pinto Fires case* Media ethics Looking ahead

Points From Ch. 1 (Introducing…) Hey business student, you should care about ethics Especially as covered in our book c.f. Preface: “Hey, prof, you should assign our book” Consider the financial disaster of 2008 Why: use this example? use the word disaster? Comments on account of disaster? Who cares about business ethics? Ethics and: Values Trust Law Neuroscience

Points On Your Pages and… To most of you, on 01/26 Discussion and Checkpoint 0 Good awareness that you are writing: The booklet that accounts for 50% of your grade For “Teach”: English teacher moonlighting as my co-grader Good Summary Could be better on Remarks and Connections To you, as individual students Brief comment to each student The comments I make to other students may help you

Tighten Up Song by Archie Bell & The Drells No time to listen to Tighten Up, or watch some of a 3-minute videoTighten Up3-minute video Back to the course! Ch. 2 is prescriptive, and includes: Statements about what we should do Eight steps to sound ethical decision making Back to Archie! “Don’t you get too tight” The statements come from a variety of approaches to ethics Next chapter/meeting is descriptive

Prescriptive Approaches Authors “We certainly don’t intend to offer a philosophy course here” Ethical dilemma Multiple “right” values in conflict Layoff example Outline “major contemporary approaches”: Consequences Principles Integrity Many ways to illustrate differences, including: Meet the Patels, which I recently watched

Consequentialist Theories Focus on consequences of decisions Utilitarianism: maximize benefits, minimize harm Arguments for? Arguments against? Descendants: Stakeholder theory Utility theory

Deontological Theories Focus on values, principles, etc. But which principles? Do we need to order the principles? Do people have rights? If so, what are they? The Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” Kant’s Categorical Imperative “Act as if the maxim of thy action were to become… universal” Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance Develop rules as if you don’t know how you’d be affected

Virtue Ethics Focus on personal integrity Intention to be a good person… As defined by a relevant moral community Communities for: Aristotle, accountants,… Should management be a profession?

Step One Of Eight 8-step process for “sound ethical decision making in business” Step One: Gather the Facts What qualifies as a fact? What theories explain the facts? What does it take for a theory to acquire the force of fact? Newton’s theory of gravitation Theories of vaccination, global warming,… Let’s look at all eight steps Which are most difficult? Which are most interesting? How does each relate to the rest of the chapter?

Eight-Step Process 1. Gather the facts 2. Define the ethical issues 3. Identify the affected parties 4. Identify the consequences 5. Identify the obligations 6. Consider your character and integrity 7. Think creatively about potential actions 8. Check your gut

Preventive Medicine “Your mission is to be as prepared as possible before you run into a problem” 1. Code of ethics, and policies 2. Ask questions relevant to ethical issues 3. Network within your organization 4. Network outside your organization How does this come from the book? Snap decisions Snappiness may act against ethics

Pinto Fires Case question from the text Process: 8-step from text Perspective: Ford recall coordinator What other processes and perspectives might we use?

Media Ethics Why important? What does media mean? SPJ Code of Ethics Based on four principles Conflicts between the principles? Other comments? The News: A User’s Manual Is a manual necessary? Useful? Quotes in Discussion: comments on these quotes?

Looking Ahead Next meeting/chapter takes a descriptive approach to the “What’s right” question Due from you before we meet next week Ch. 3 of text Post page on chapter to Discussion by 6am Come to class prep’d to discuss any 3 of the 10 numbered questions on p. 105 Preparation based on Toward Ethical Action/Reflections on Pinto

Standard Closing Anything else I should say to the whole class? Rest of evening Safe home Enjoy Anything you’d like to discuss with me? As individual or group