Ethics and Values: A Leader's Imperative

Author : Kenneth Rice
A Leader's ImperativeValues define the things we care about and prize the most and provide the basis for ranking the things we want. We may value honesty, money, physical beauty, and may not be rooted in ethical principles. Thus, they are not necessarily appropriate standards of conduct. Ethics refers to standards of conduct, standards that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues, which themselves are derived from principles of right and wrong. We may not necessarily prize what is right. "Goodwill and good-doing have only as much moral value as there is love in them." (Joas, 2000, p. 87).I will to compare values and ethics in order to evaluate how values are articulated and implemented. I will also discuss how these values come together to as principles of conduct, or ethics, to govern an individual or an organization.Are Values and Ethics Important?Absolutely. Values and the actions that arise because of them can either build or undermine an organization. Everyone has some set of principles they live by, whether explicitly laid out in an orderly standard or implicitly developed and held by virtue of habit, influence, and experience. Ethics and Values are more than "just good business practices"... they are also tools that can promote growth, build customer loyalty, or empower Organization for long-term success. Ethics and values are not synonymous or interchangeable. They both concern how we make decisions, but if you review the definitions of both it will be obvious that they are different. Value refers to beliefs or standards while ethics is the system of morals of a particular person, religion, group, etc. (Agnes, 2002).Articulating Values Leaders spend a great deal of time drafting and proofing vision statements, mission statements, values statements, purpose statements, and goal statements. They spend nowhere near enough time trying to align the organizations with their values. According to Scheler there is an essential difference between the enunciation of a wish or desire with intention of directing the will of another and the communication of a value-judgment or even the mere allusion to a present value, no matter how much this difference is hidden behind the double meaning of 'you ought to.' (Scheler, 1973, p. 174).When we articulate our moral feelings, we give them a forum where they can be discussed but most importantly, we are forced to confront our own understanding of those morals in relation to our values. This dialogue will either strengthen our own understanding or compel us to alter our views. "Finding and acknowledging another understanding for our moral feelings alters our own understanding of these feelings." (Joas, p. 133). Charles Taylor goes farther, describing the development of modern moral sources in an empowering notion of human dignity and a sense of self. For example, when we apply Taylor's concept to open discussions on diversity in the workplace we must accept the possibility that in order to affirm individuals' equal dignity, we must acknowledge their cultures. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, King James Version). Taylor claimed that the indispensability of God "does not rule out granting other cultures their own interpretations of equally authentic religious experiences. (Joas, p. 139).Ethics is Values in Action Where are you going? What will it look like when you arrive? How are you acting while you are 'getting there'? Synergy within an organization can occur when the members have a shared understanding to these questions. Leaders must create and communicate mission, vision and values so that everyone has a clear understanding of how they contribute to the organization's success and what that success looks like. For example when an employee is asked, "What are you doing?" the reply from an employee without a clear understanding of the mission, vision, and values might simply be "Mixing cement." The reply from an employee with a clear understanding would be "Building a cathedral." There is no question of who would make the best value-judgment when the opportunity arises.Understanding ethics, clarifying values, and having a framework for decision-making are all part of creating a basis of ethical behavior within an organization. Interactive, experiential processes enable leaders to discover shared values and link values to the decision-making process. Understanding and applying ethical principles will create a framework for individual, team and organizational accountability and action which require constant attention. "Achieving organizational ownership of company values is a continuous process of communication, discussion, and debate throughout all areas of the organization." (Driscoll and Hoffman, 2000, p. 172).Aligning Values and ActionWe comprehend many moral traits though communication. However, it is the process of alignment that allows leaders t ensure that follower actions are in step with organizational values. The first issue leaders must address is how followers understand and relate to organizational values. Doing this means looking around the organization, talking to people, and getting feedback. This creates a sense of shared values. Shared values are enduring because they make a difference in terms of how people feel about themselves and their work. This connection binds individuals together by helping them understand the activities of others and guiding their own activities within and on behalf of the organization. "Because the shared beliefs include values about what is desirable and undesirable how things should and should not be, they dictate the kinds of activities that are legitimate and the kinds that are illegitimate." (McLaughlin, 1999, p. 67).Leaders that are genuinely concerned with creating a values-holistic organization will bear in mind the beliefs of their followers as well as other organizational stakeholders. "The culture of the group is based upon common assumptions and identities with others who are engaged in the same quest, and that individual identity with the group rests upon the value of what the group does." (Cooper, 2001, p. 248). This connection allows common beliefs, norms, and ethics to function in the organizational decision process. Any discussion of value formation must recognize that an individual's culture will affect their sense of good. Individuals bring their own particular cultural dynamics to the organization which is also rooted in the resulting organizational culture. Driscoll and Hoffman (2000) suggested "To become leaders who demonstrate a commitment to values, senior managers must recognize the interest of those they are trying to influence." (p. 66).Implications for Ethical ActionsWhile ethics evaluates behavior against values held, an organization that does not know itself is inadvertently committing to a course of confusion. If it survives, it would not be a healthy environment. It is not enough to venture into a particular line of business, without a framework to operate within every part will likely pull against another. Additionally, the structure of those values is equally important. Careful application of ethics and a consistent implementation of values will result in similar understanding and organized behavior, visible to employees as well as consumers.ReferencesAgnes, Michael (Editor) (2002). Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. Second Edition. Cleveland, OH: Wiley Publishing, Inc.Cooper, Terry L. (2001). Handbook of Administrative Ethics: New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc.Driscoll, Dawn-Marie and Hoffman, W. Michael (2000). Ethics Matters: How to Implement Values-Driven Management. Waltham, MA: Bently College Center for Business Ethics.Holy Bible. (1997). King James Version. Grand Raids, MI: Zondervan Publishing.Joas, Hans (2000). The Genesis of Values. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago.McLaughlin, Janice. (1999). Valuing Technology: Organizations Culture and Change. London, GBR: Routledge.Scheler, Max (1973). Formalism in Ethics and Non-Formal Ethics of Values: A New Attempt toward the Foundation of an Ethical Personalism. Translated by Manfred Frings and Roger Funk. Chicago, IL: Northwestern University Press.Lieutenant Ken Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. He is currently assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force's Warfare Requirments Directorate as the FORCEnet Requirements Officer. Lieutenant Rice is responsible for the program analasys and budget oversight for Information Technology Transformation for the Surface Fleet. He is currently enrolled at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.
Keyword : Spiritual Leadership in the Military, ETHICS and VALUES: A LEADER'S IMPERATIVE