The End of It All

I am happy to announce that I have successfully concluded my first blog series. This was something that was very new and refreshing for me. It took me away from the routine writing of a research paper that I have not been given the option to skip out on since high school. I would like to first thank everyone who took the time out to read my blog. I really do think that I will continue with this blog maybe on another topic or I may continue with a different point of view. Writing a blog really does take you away from daily things and it allows you to sit down and write all of your thoughts out for the world to see. I recommend for anyone to write a blog even if it’s for a limited amount of viewers. 

On another note, let’s discuss personal and organizational ethics. While both are two separate things it is important to know that these two things cross paths in our everyday lives. We must learn how to separate the two and handle them both in a certain manner.

Personal ethics is very tricky because it varies by who you ask. There is always going to be something that I believe in that the next person may frown upon. This is fine because we all come from different backgrounds and had to grow up with different lifestyles. However there comes a time where we must put our personal ethics to the side and do was best for the public.

In the public sector we must do what is right for the people. We must do our best to promote fairness, diversity, and ensure that those around us are doing the same. Standing by and doing nothing is the same thing as partaking in the deviant behavior.  In addition, as public servants we must be able to do the job that is put forth on the table. Everything that people do in the public sector someone is always watching. People notice where you eat, who you are eating with, and other various details of our lives that we feel are private.

Many people take these public servant jobs thinking that they can do what they please. They fail to remember that they are no longer the voice for self, they are the voice of that organization as well as the people they are there to serve. Once we take that oath we vow to do everything in our power to be as ethically correct as possible. This means setting our own beliefs to the side, especially when we know that they are very different from those around us.  

A good rule of thumb to follow is the ASPA code of ethics. There are eight very generic codes that speaks so loudly to many different branches of public administration. It is so generic because it is also there to let everyone know that even though we have different titles we are all here to do one job. That job is to uplift and protect the citizens within our community.

Being a public servant will not be an easy job. Just reading about it can scare someone out of the field. As long as you have strong moral values one can survive in this field. It is those that come into it with no values or weak values that don’t last long.

At the end of the day morals and values are not things that you can buy. Some believe that it’s what we are born with. While others argue that it’s acquired over time. Whatever the case is we all need to stick to our principles and ensure that we let nothing alter the way we think. Going back to our first week in this course. The clip we watched told us that ethics are something that cannot be compromised. 

They Have Issues Too

     Since we were on the subject of our local county, city and state government I thought it would only be right to end it that way. While doing some research on the state ethics for Georgia I found something very informative. At the gubernatorial debate in October Governor Deal of Georgia stated, "the commission is plagued by confusion, dysfunction and inefficiency". 

 In order to fix this issue Governor Deal pledged to add additional people into The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (ethics commission). The issue I see with that is it WILL NOT fix the issue. The confusion that was once there will still be present, by adding additional people to the pot it will only cause those people to either have to choose sides or not want to be a part of the ordeal all together. 

    
      Ironically after being re-elected Governor Deal stated, “It’s functioning well." How could the commission go from being dysfunction to doing well in just a few months? No update was given as to how they all of a sudden fixed the issues. ''Classic bait and switch tactic. He's going back on his promise now that he's been re-elected,'' Common Cause Georgia Director William Perry said. Many are starting to believe that the governor only made that change to get more voted to win the election. He knew that claiming to fix any ethical issues would gain trust with the citizens.
    
      If this isn't the case I think that Deal owes the citizens a reason as to why he will no longer overhaul the commission. If it was in fact due to their recent success of fixing their own issues he needs to let the citizens know when, where, and how they did so. If he can’t provide that then he needs to step in and do as he promised the voters during re-election time. 

     If he doesn't do so he will not only cause the citizens to lose trust in him, this will cause them to lose trust in the government all together. A lot of people already don't vote because they feel like the political campaign is all talk and once in office nothing gets accomplished. In order to make this right for the future Deal needs to address this issue quickly. 

     The saddest part about the whole thing is that the commission did not seem to be dysfunctional until former members refused to discard documentation of an ethical claim placed on governor deal. Now three former individuals are currently in the process or have already received a portion of a 3 million dollar settlement. They said they were allegedly fired because they refused to lose this documentation. His opponent at the time Jimmy Carter stated, "As a taxpayer, I’m outraged that we’re now on the hook for three million dollars, and as a citizen, I’m embarrassed that this is happening in our state."

     Personally, after reading the articles I feel as the commission acted very ethical. Just because an ethical claim was made against the governor they still chose to review the claim as if it had been anyone else. The governor to me seems to be the one that has acted unethically and dysfunction. 

     If Deal wants anything to act ethically and function correctly he needs to start with self. It goes back to the old saying practice what you preach. How can he expect the commission to run effectively if he is trying to corrupt the process by having them throw out an ethical complaint?

Scandal

We are aware of the dangers of social media. As we become more connected, it is becoming more common to be held accountable for our actions. Each day, we witness people abusing power and human reaction his become entertainment and excitement. Everything that we do is in real time, so we want real time results. So people attempt to cut corners and abuse their power. Abusing power is not a simple process. It requires certain decision making and adjustment in morality. 

The well-known Watergate scandal that involved Richard Nixon involved some heavy political games that were not acceptable, which resulted in his resignation because all of the details were being leaked and the public became aware. If we were to examine this scandal through the result approach, we could agree that Richard Nixon was focused on the outcome of the election. He deployed dirty tricks and activities that many would not agree with. When you examine the result approach, there is an opportunity for sacrifice and reward. When you view sacrifice and reward and apply it to decision making, the overall gain and reward compensates for any negative things or consequences associated with the act or series of actions. Richard Nixon needed the election to be in his favor so bad that he was willing to put all at jeopardy. He used close aids that organized harassment on activist groups and political figure, as well as using governmental agencies to administer force and abused multiple lines of power. Result focus drove the decisions that he made.

Unsure of how many of you watch the popular show scandal (which you should), there is a similar issue that the show is built upon. President Fitz was elected in the office because his team rigged the votes in a small town in Ohio. He did not know of this until years later. They cheated because they felt like having him as a president was a sacrifice for the greater good. Of course like any other scandal, it’s OK until the secret is let out. This forced the group to become more scandalous to cover up the presidential scandal that took place. This cycle will continue every time there secret is on the verge of being revealed.  

As we move forward in discussing decision making, virtue plays a part, as well. When I speak in regards to virtue, I am talking about the natural feeling of entitlement to do or make any decisions. James Warren Jones, as known as Jim Jones, led a group of people called the People’s Temple. He persuaded so many people to take their lives by drinking laced punched. Quoting his words he said, “Don’t be afraid to die," that death is "just stepping over into another plane" and that it's "a friend." He had a very convincing tone when he spoke and he manipulated and influenced their perception and created a virtue that they all followed. For example, he banned all sexual activities unless between married couple. However, he engaged in many sexual activities with numerous members including homosexual relations. But he justified his homosexual behavior stating that all homosexual activity was only for the male temple adherents’ own good, purportedly to connect them symbolically with him. Virtue is a very powerful thing and it speaks closely to a person. Since virtue can be understood as something we accept as true, it’s really difficult to convince a person otherwise, which is why when decisions are made based on virtue, anything else doesn't matter. 

In leadership roles we must be mindful that people look up to us for various reasons. Leaders have the power to steer individuals into just about any direction. Its up to you as a leader to steer these individuals in the right direction! We must use our judgement as to what direction best fits the group that we are leading. This can sometimes be a hard choice because sometimes what we will personally do is not always good for the group overall. 

Integrity

This week dealt with character, integrity, leadership and standing up for what you believe in. Many people state what they believe in but their actions never actually back their words up. In the same breathe many people are just blind to the things that happen around them until it actually affects them personally. Not many people can walk in the opposite direction when the crowd is going the other way. Very few stand their ground and do not fall for conformity.

A great example of a man who stood up for what he believed in was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He not only walked the walk, but he talked the talk. He received many things in his honor one being the Noble Peace Prize. He received that prize because he stood by his acts of non-violence.

An excellent quote to confirm his actions stated, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that”. That quote alone said a lot about the character of Dr. King. It simply means that resorting to senseless hate crimes as those that were imposed upon the minorities. He’s basically saying that two rights don’t make a wrong, and that the only way to right that wrong is to do the RIGHT thing. The right thing for him was to come in peace.

Dr. King was a moral management leader. According to Bowman and West (2015) the motives of a good leader is defined as: “wanting to succeed but only within the confines of sound ethical precepts (fairness, justice, due process). Success within the confines of legal obedience and ethical standards”. This is in a nutshell everything that Dr. King stood for; never once did he lead his followers into anything that broke any ethical laws. The laws that he did attempt to break where those that where unjust in many ways.

An awesome example of integrity was displayed in the movie Remember the Titans. If you haven’t seen the movie it is a must watch; in the meantime check out the clip below…

 In order to give your opinion on this clip one must know the true definition of integrity. Integrity is simply the quality of being honest are fair. Remember the Titans is based on the true story of the 1971 Virginia state football champions from T.C. Williams High School. The school became integrated at a time of segregation, and of course the town did not like that idea. Gary could have easily taken up for Ray simply because both of them are Caucasian and they are good friends. Instead he decided to do what was right as a captain. He knew that Ray intentionally missed that block; he could have make excuses to justify Rays' actions. 

A more familiar issue that hits home for me is the utilization of the “N” word. It offends me more as an African American when people of my own race use it against each other. To me they are not being leaders and setting an example for the people they wish to make the statement to. In addition, as a black male I would never go around calling anyone out of their name. This goes with the old saying, “do unto others as you want done unto you”. Growing up I was always taught not to use the “N” word even when speaking to friends etc in the comfort of our community. In many rap songs this word is exhaustively used; this to me is being a hypocrite.

We should always look in the mirror at ourselves before we ask why certain things are happening. We should ask ourselves a few things. (1) Am I assisting with things that I disagree with? (2) Have I done anything to help right this wrong? (3) Am I practicing what I preach? If you cannot answer any of these questions correctly then you should not expect anyone to give you the respect that you are not giving yourself. 

We should all take a page out of Dr. King’s book. We may never accomplish the things he did on a national level however we can promote growth on a personal level. If we ever want to become public administrators we must start with ourselves. If we cannot do that we should not seek to be in this field. 

                                                                        

                                                                        

Got Ethics?

Throughout our lives we have all ran cross a system that is flawed. In some instances those flaws are not put in the spotlight until the system is no longer benefiting the individual. As long as the system is doing right by an individual then it is acceptable, despite whomever else it may negatively impact. The problem is that any system that is designed and/or operated by a human being will have flaws. Reason being is that humans make mistakes and in no way, shape or form are we perfect.

Being a leader requires you to make decisions that are not going to only benefit you but everyone else. Especially in the public administration field leaders need to ensure that they lead by example with solid, responsible, and ethical decisions. Being a leader does not only mean that you need to go by the book and ensuring the rules are enforced. It also means that you have the capability and the will to be able to realize when issues arise and to make the right decision when there are grey areas.

At the same time, it takes more than one person to make things move in the right direction. This is where the organizational code of ethics, conduct, and values come into place. Ensuring that you have the right tools to back you up is a big thing in leadership. Without someone in your corner you will not be able to accomplish things alone. Its equivalent to having a blue print for a home you want to build without having the funds to start building it. Having solid principles and codes to follow by will set the ground work for the employees to make better decisions.

Having the wrong rules or code of ethics can get your organization to come together, however it will not be in benefit of the company. Each level of the organization plays a key part in ensuring that the organization runs smoothly and ethically. This example should always be from the top down. Standards and codes should not be too strict to where it doesn't allow one to grow within. On the other hand, it shouldn't be too loose as to where it allows employers to find loopholes and ways around doing the right thing.

It also gets a bit tricky when you have an organization because everyone comes in with their own ethical views. It is up to the organization to find out who is best fit for them. In addition, organizations should make their handbooks easily accessible so that the associates will be able to find out what the code is and what they need to do in case someone violates the codes. Many times too many ethical rules go untold because associates do not know where to go and they are afraid to ask someone fearing that someone will know that they told.

Recently I just watched a clip from CNN where they featured the Ethics Guy. He mentioned 5 basic rules of them: do no harm, make things better, be fair, respect others and be compassionate. He notes that these rules apply to every aspect of your life; this can be utilized in the home, at the office, restaurant, etc. Review the clip and answer the short quiz within it. 

Many of those questions may seem self-explanatory, however everyone does not think the same way. I would have thought that the anchor would have gotten all of the answers correct. As we can see she struggled with answering the questions in the most ethical manner. What seems correct and ethical for you may be wrong for the next person. This is the very reason for the organization to have a code. This is also a reason for the leaders to receive the buy-end of their employers. One can easily dish out rules and tell others to follow it. However, that is not effective when dealing with so many different types of individuals. Helping them understand the reason behind the rules, and addressing and questions or concerns they may have will work the best.

The next time you go to work, try to locate your organizations code of ethics. See if they match up with what toy morally believe. Was the handbook easily accessible and does everyone know about it? If not, ask for a copy and if the organization doesn't have one then there may be a problem.  

Is the right choice always right?

Many times in life we make decisions based off of what we want in the “now”. This could be a decision about a job, school, marriage, and a host of other situations. Regardless of the situation, we sometimes want what we want and when. This sometimes comes with a price if we don’t analyze our thoughts and consider the best situation that best fits us. Depending on our individual morals everyone may have a different answer as to what is the most ethical decision to make.

The ethics triad is a wonderful tool for anyone to analyze their choices and thoughts before they make a big decision. The triad includes: results-based analysis, rule-based analysis, and virtue-based analysis. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the three step process, each step focuses on a different approach to your choices. The results based decision is used when attempting to seek the greater good for the majority of society. Then there is the rule based approach, which is used to follow all legal rules and regulations governed by the law. Lastly, there is the virtue based ethics, this is used for personal development and well-being of self.

The big thing to remember about all of these approaches is that each of them are choices. The final decisions ultimately have to be made by you. All these approaches do is give you three different directions as to where you can go and the possible cost to benefit that may come along with each choice. The decision that one chooses to make all depends on the mindset and what they are trying to accomplish.

              Watching the movie Training Day will or any other movie makes you look at things through differently lenses. Training Day makes you wonder why Jake Hoyt would stay around so long after he noticed that Alonzo Harris was as corrupt as he was. It also makes you wonder if the only reason why he decided to do something in the end was because the murder was going to be put on him. Another major question that came to mind was what made Alonzo so corrupt? Was it money, his ego, or was he trying to take care of home?

              Honestly, until this year I have never heard of the ethical triad. However, one of the most influential people in my life has always made decisions based on these three approaches. That person who I honor and respect is my grandfather. Whenever anyone in the family has a troubling issue he always knows how to get you to make the best decision, not just for self but overall. He wanted you to think about who your decision was going to affect; which is similar to the results based approach. In addition, he wanted you to think about whether or not your choices where legal, and if not what where the consequences. Lastly, he wanted you to think about which decision would make you feel most comfortable with yourself.

              Another great movie that displays the ethical choices is seven pounds featuring Will Smith. In this movie Will plays a character named Tim who loses his fiancée in a car crash that he caused while using his cellular phone while driving. In that crash his wife died along with seven other people. Feeling down and guilty about the whole ordeal Tim decides to give away seven organs to seven different strangers. In the end he decides to commit suicide in a tub with a jellyfish to give away part of himself to two more citizens. For the greater good of all he decided to save 7 people opposed to one. The things he did weren't necessary illegal. Lastly, he did what he thought was right in his heart and he was at peace with his decision

As a public administrator you have to know your role and think about one important thing, and that’s what is good for the greater number of people in society. This is not to say that one should go against the law or tremendously sacrifice their personal views. Sometimes we must find a common medium in order to perform our duty to the public. We may have to step back and think about whether our moral values are being tested.

Leadership

We have all been leaders or have been lead by someone in more ways than one. This week covers whether or not those leaders have been ethical or unethical. Eisenbeiß and Brodbeck(2014), did a cross-cultural and cross-sectoral analysis on ethical and unethical leadership. They wanted to examine the similarities and differences between the eastern and western cultures in regards to ethical and unethical leadership. In the opinion of many it was concluded that unethical leaders mainly lack the skill of decision making. Why do you think this is to be true across all societies. In a nutshell it is important to know that in order to be a good ethical leader, one may have to go against the companies' ethics and go by their personal moral code. 

Going by a book will not tell you how to feel when certain situations arise. There may be a rule at work that says not to feed the homeless. Do you let the guy on the corner outside starve or will you buy him a sandwich? Sometimes you have to do whats in your heart and what you know is right opposed to reading from a manual that doesn't have the ability to express emotion. 

Have you ever ran across a situation where you had a set of rules to follow, however your heart, moral and ethics steered you into a different direction? Think about what it would have done to you had you not followed your heart. How did making that decision effect you at the workplace. Lastly, where there any consequences given by to you by the employer for not following the rules?

A good leader is able to assess a situation and understand what route they should choose and the benefit/cost of the situation. If a situation ever arises where that leader must make a choice you want to be assured that they can do so without little or no supervision. 

Have you ever been in a situation that was lead by ab unethical leader? If not, it has happened to me several times. A good example would be taking advantage of someone and their skills and not compensating them for it. A former general manager of mine made an unethical decision of hiring someone they where romantically involved with. This caused problems within the organization because any special request that the person had it was granted just because they where romantically involved with the boss. Many times my former co workers and myself where inconvenienced to accommodate the outlandish requests. At some moments it was presented as if we had no choice. The issue was not resolved until the relationship ended badly and the employer became spiteful and reported the GM simply because they didn't work out romantically. This resulted in a full investigation, which gave the organization a bad name. 

To avoid situations like the one listed above organizations can do several things.

1. Implement ethical training

2. Ensure best fit of the employers prior to hiring

Following these two steps will minimize the need for a leader to become unethical because they should fit with what your organization is all about. In contradiction to that, we never know what a person is thinking and we will probably never know what a persons personal ethical code it. We could ask, however we would be taking a chance on them giving us an honest answer. 

We want to make sure that if we have to follow someone that we are following the right people. There is nothing worse than following something that can lead to a disastrous situation. We can do this by getting to know one another, asking follow-up questions and just being aware of the person and the actions that they mostly  display. Another great example to see if one is ethical or not is to examine their work ethic. A good ethical leader is one that who not only delegates task, they actually help get the work done. The reason why a good ethical leader doesn't have a problem expecting good quality from their employers is because they are not shy of producing such quality themselves.

The next time that you are lead by someone at work or you are the one leading, take a step back and evaluate. If you are the leader observe how people are receiving the information that you provide. Sometimes observation can give you the answer to many questions!