IWU Business Ethics and Faith Discussion

Getting Started

Sometimes you know it when you see it. That is the case with unethical behavior. Some examples from corporations are complaints about Walmart not paying for overtime, Toyota concealing safety issues in cars, Enron concealing losses and inflating profits, and Bristol Meyers Squib inflating sales. It is not easy being a virtuous organization. Islam and Crego (2014) give a possible definition of a virtuous organization:

“The virtuous organization is one that has a strong moral compass, and a compelling mission that creates values for customers, employees, shareholders and the community. The virtuous organization does well, but also does good” (p. 1).

Having a strong moral compass could be the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge can be used for evil or bad purposes as well as for good. It is the moral compass that provides the wisdom to act appropriately (some would say righteously).

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

Apply a biblical perspective to leadership and ethics.

Resources

• Website: Bible Gateway

Article: The Need to Build Virtuous Organizations

Background Information

Exodus 20 gives us the Ten Commandments to live by. Integrity is a key concept in the scripture from Proverbs. The Golden Rule in Luke 6 can be a source of guidance on ethical behavior. Project managers must face ethical decisions on even simple things, like recording the status of a project as green (meaning all is going well) when the status should be yellow or red (meaning there are issues or major risks). It is easier in the short term to mark a project green, hoping things will resolve themselves, but they rarely do, and besides, the lie can catch up with you later.

Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

• Proverbs 19:1

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

• Proverbs 11:3

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Luke 6:31

Instructions

Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

Read the Introduction and Alignment and the Background Information sections.

Read the article, The Need to Build Virtuous Organizations.

Navigate to the discussion thread and respond to the following prompts:

Name a decision where a project manager could have been unethical.

How should the project manager have acted in that situation?

What were the pros and cons of doing the right thing?