Ethics in Organizational Leadership
Abstract
This paper provides both a workable definition of, and examines those factors which may contribute to, an ethical dilemma in organizational leadership. To accomplish these purposes, it examines both individual ethical standards and the effects of legal demands of seniors on the ethical behaviors and standards of subordinates. The latter includes determining the ethicality of legitimate directives which demand subordinates to choose between ethical conduct and career survival in the accomplishment of given tasks. The premise is that a task that may appear to be ethical form the perspective of the leader of an organization can, in the process of being filtered and interpreted by individuals at various levels of that organization, become unethical in terms of the demands placed on the individuals who eventually have to accomplish the task. Ethical conduct may be defined as conduct which is above reproach when judged by legal and moral standards of society. For soldiers, the society is the Army; therefore, ethical conduct for those of us serving in the Army is conduct which is above reproach when judged by the legal and moral standards of the Army, standards which are frequently more stringent than those of the rest of society.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA154134
Entities
People
- R. C. Hartjen Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College