Session 5 - ethical ladership and culture

Question 1

What is ethical leadership?

Answer 1

• demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relations
• promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement and decision making

Question 2

How can you be an ethical leader?

Answer 2

Only if you are both a moral manager and moral person

Question 3

Why do good people do bad things?

Answer 3

• obedience to authority (authority pleaser)
• conformity bias (fitting in)
• loss aversion

Question 4

Why are corporate officers particularly likely to do bad things even if they are good in theory? (five things)

Answer 4

1. self-serving bias
2. moral license
3. bathsheba syndrome
4. moral rationalisation
5. overconfidence

Question 5

what is a self serving bias?

Answer 5

difficulty being objective when wellbeing or deeply rooted values are at stake

Question 6

What is a moral license?

Answer 6

people who have done something good, will allow themselves a little sidestep

Question 7

what is the bathsheba syndrome?

Answer 7

inability to cope with the by-products of success (fame, money etc.)

Question 8

What is moral rationalisation?

Answer 8

decide ethically-tinged issues quickly and resoirt to post-decision rationalizing

Question 9

What is overconfidence (bias)?

Answer 9

overestimate their own abilities, knowledge, or the accuracy of their predictions

Question 10

How can we go toward greater humility?

Answer 10

• appreciate a lack of invincibility: our inherent weaknesses and frailty
• learn to be suspicious of gut feelings when placed in new or difficult situations (reflect and ask other POVs)
• recognize that we might not always even notice the chouse that will lead us astray

Question 11

What is organizational culture? (three layers)

Answer 11

1. basic assumptions (unconscious beliefs, perfecptions, thoughts and feelings)
2. espoused values (strategies, goals and philosophies)
3. artifacts (visible organiztaional structures and processes)

Question 12

What is a strong organizatioanl culture?

Answer 12

standards and guidelines are widely sharred within the organization, providing common direction for day-to-day behavior

Question 13

What is a weak organizational culture?

Answer 13

stromg subcultures exist and guide behaviour that differs from one subculture to another
allows for diversity of thought

Question 14

what are the two systems in an ethical culture?

Answer 14

Formal system:
- selection, policies, training etc.
Informal system:
- role models, norms, rituals, language etc.

Question 15

How can these two sytems support ethical behavior?

Answer 15

When they are aligned

Question 16

what are examples in how organizations can integrate integrity indicators into perfromance management?

Answer 16

• treats others with respect
• is fair and objective
• actively listens and incorpoartes inputs
• acts with integrity
• inspires the trust of the team
• talks openly and honestly

Question 17

what is whistleblowing?

Answer 17

the disclosure by organization members (current or former) of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices under the control of their employers to persons or organizations that may be able to effect action