I read “Value Based Leadership Paradigm”, and what stood out to me most was how much leadership is about values over rules. The authors said that people bring their own beliefs/culture into the workplace. This is something that cannot be ignored because each individual in a team has their own thoughts, ideas, and values that all have to work together. So a team should agree on a small set of values that everyone can support. This reminded me of the leadership style of transformational leadership, this is where those in charge inspire people with a clear vision rather than only orders.

I also saw how this could be connected to the style of servant leadership. A value based leader is not only focused on outcomes, but on growth and well being of their team. This can mean frequent check-ins, being fair, and respecting each other. If a company says it values honesty and respect but their employees aren’t comfortable speaking up, then the leadership is not based on their values.

The article helped me see that ethical problems in leadership are a frequent occurrence that does not only happen in large scandals. Leaders have to balance what is good for the organization and what is good for the individual. Each member has their own values and still needs to work as a coordinated team. A value based leader needs to communicate, listen, and help with compromise in their teams. When people are treated equally, the team is more likely to be effective.

Shatalebi, B., & Yarmohammadian, M. H. Value-based leadership paradigm [PDF]

In the reading “Identifying and Assessing Managerial Value Orientations”, the author James Weber looked at values that managers would see as the most important. Today’s managers place more emphasis on moral values like honesty and fairness compared to the older generations managers. They would focus on things like achievement and it shows that ethics are a part of how leaders think and operate, not something to choose when necessary.

One idea that stands out to me was how values work behind the scenes by guiding decisions. When a manager cares about helping others, it will be reflected in the way they treat their employees and customers. Weber used categories like competence and moral to demonstrate how leaders slowly shift towards choices that incorporate moral values over strictly performance. This can show that a “good” manager has to align with ethical behavior.

Seeing this shift in organizations is a positive one, it creates a positive work environment that encourages employees to make the right decisions. This could be connected to the reading “Engineering Ethics and the Boeing Scandal”, if there was an ethical manager on the project that focused their work on safety over profits that the entire scandal could have been avoided. 

Webers finding show that organizations should continue to prioritize ethical leadership. Goals/strategies are not enough if the leader in charge does not enforce them. When employees see that their management truly cares, they are more likely to feel respected and be committed. In the long run, ethical values will lead to success.

Bizjournals.com, 17 Feb. 2017, www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2017/02/17/guest-column-strong-ethics-provide-guidance.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

While reading “Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations” I saw that there was a large shift from the person to the exact issue at hand. Jones says that people do not act the same way when approaching situations. The response depends on the moral intensity of what is happening. This makes sense when assessing how you feel when doing a policy workaround compared to releasing a risky product. This is true across all people too.

Jones analyzes moral intensity and breaks it down into simple parts, size of consequences, amount of people that agree it is right or wrong, likelihood of harm, how soon effects arrive, closeness of the affected people, and whether the harm is focused on a few or spread across many. When any of these signals are high, you are likely to notice the moral stakes and think deeper upon the decision. 

What helped the most is action focus. If noticing and following through is more likely with intensity, leaders can account for that. Make the stakes real with stories of users or people that have been affected. Another approach is to reduce the distance between people by listening and following up with them. Add simple early alerts to everyone on the same page. Have clear standards so people are aware of the rules. Have communication be covered frequently on topics such as who to call, when to stop, and how to fix something so they can’t get “stuck”.

I see direct links to real world examples such as recalls, data breaches, and medicine shortages. The main lesson is to not rely on good intentions, have systems that detect problems early and so the response can be quick and help those in need.

Jones, T. M. (1991). Ethical Decision Making by Individuals in Organizations: An Issue-Contingent Model. The Academy of Management Review, 16(2), 366–395. https://doi.org/10.2307/258867

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I read “Ethics Awareness” and was surprised by how much an affect the everyday actions shape the culture of an organization. The small choices that are decided when someone makes a mistake or how coworkers talk to each other matter in the long run. Ethics is not about the big actions but the routine decisions. Those matter more to the individual because they show ethics when someone isn’t watching. Having ethics integrated into the workflow by asking yourself those questions about whether the decision is right or wrong is reflected in the work culture. 

The focus on systems and not just people was a nice perspective. Having policies and processes that justify the “right” choice makes it easier to pick the ethical option. The article mentioned phrases like “it’s necessary”, “it’s legal”, and “everyone does it” are common traps that people fall into that justify their actions. Written rules matter but having incentives and role models to look up to are the course to ensure employees actually follow those rules.

The reading tied ethics to performance. Ethical choices build trust with people involved, this can increase reputation and funding. The best decisions are ethical and effective, they meet goals without sacrificing values. Leaders have a lot of responsibility, they set the tone, distribute resources, and respond to concerns. They should be the one that changes the system if it isn’t in line with the company’s values and needs to be fixed. Ethical culture needs to be a daily practice.

“Ethics Awareness.” Ethics Awareness, blink.ucsd.edu/finance/accountability/ethics-awareness.html#core-ethical-values. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

While reading about Susan Fowler’s experience at Uber, I am reminded of how often power and position can be used to silence those who speak up. So many women in male dominated fields just want to be treated with respect, so many hope their hard work will be enough to earn them opportunities. So many are discouraged when their voices are ignored. At Uber it seemed like female employees were not only dismissed but made to feel like they were the problem. Instead of protecting their workers, the company’s leaders and HR department chose to protect their image. This caused many employees to lose faith in leadership because honesty and accountability were clearly not a priority. Many people, like Susan Fowler, join companies like Uber with excitement and ambition. So when they experience harassment or discrimination and see their concerns blantatly ignored, it’s understandable that they would feel that way. Because of their gender and status, they were treated unfairly. Those in power faced few consequences. It can be very frustrating when hard work and integrity are overlooked while favoritism decides who gets ahead. I am reminded of when a teacher once ignored repeated bullying in my class, telling the victims they were “too sensitive.” Just like at Uber, it felt like the people meant to help were the ones refusing to listen.

Hensley, Nicole. “Ex-Uber Engineer Accuses Tech Company of Gaslighting Female Employees, Defending Workplace Harassment.” New York Daily News, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2018, www.nydailynews.com/2017/02/19/ex-uber-engineer-accuses-tech-company-of-gaslighting-female-employees-defending-workplace-harassment/.

While reading about LuLaRoe and how it tricked people into joining what turned out to be a pyramid scheme, I am reminded of how often people’s dreams and hard work are taken advantage of. So many people were looking for a way to make extra money, so many were trying to build a small business, and so many believed they were being given a fair chance. Not only were they misled about profits, but they were also left with debt, piles of unsold products, and broken promises. This caused many people to lose trust in companies that claim to “empower” individuals, because LuLaRoe seemed more focused on making money for itself than helping others succeed. Many felt it was unfair that those higher up in the company benefited while ordinary sellers struggled. Many people joined LuLaRoe because they wanted hope, independence, and a better future for their families. So when they realized that the system was built to profit off them, they were naturally angry and discouraged. Because of someone else’s greed and position, they were left behind. It can be very frustrating when hard work doesn’t seem to matter. I am reminded of when I worked on a group project and one person did almost nothing but still got the same grade as everyone else. Just like the LuLaRoe sellers, it felt unfair and discouraging to see effort go unrewarded.

Jones, Charisse. “Lularoe Was Little More than a Scam, a Washington State Lawsuit Claims.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 29 Jan. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/01/28/lularoe-pyramid-scheme-duped-consumers-washington-suit-says/2700412002/.

I found the quote “How leaders behaved made a difference, regardless of culture (country)” to be particularly interesting. I find it to be true in my own life. Simple acts help the most. Having clear goals, showing up, and knowing people personally. Doing these simple tasks make you work better with people and show that you care. Having this as a baseline for whoever I interact with gives the impression that I want to be there and helps with getting respect from people. Having a successful leadership process is beneficial, the application may vary, but the core process is the same across cultures.

This connects to Treviño, Brown, and Hartman’s “Moral Person and Moral Manager.” They say that ethics has two parts, character and systems. Posner says what leaders do matters more than where they are from.  Treviño believes a moral person has good character and steady actions. A moral manager sets rules, rewards, and follows through. Together they show that values and systems shape work behavior. That behavior builds trust and gives results.

A manager who sets small goals and gives feedback does well as a leader. An example of this is Satya Nadella during COVID-19. He set guidelines for communication, gave flexible work schedules, and kept empathy for his employees. These habits and systems helped teams stay aligned and supported while plans changed fast. The other side shows up in the news, when a new leader fights the core culture, plans slow down or fail. When daily habits match shared values it does much better overall.

Barry Z. Posner, (2013),”It’s how leaders behave that matters, not where they are from”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 34 Iss 6 pp. 573 – 587

The article “Moral Person and Moral Manager: How Executives Develop a Reputation for Ethical Leadership” argues that a leader values control their strategy and ultimately the results they receive. Values shape what leaders notice, what is seen as good, and what is bad. Lichtenstein shows that value creation depends on alignment. This is the alignment between a leader’s values and the existing culture. When these two pieces fit, strategy works better and faster. When they clash, plans are bound to fail. Hiring and making leaders shouldn’t be based on their resume, but on the values they will lead with.

What I found interesting were the problems associated with misalignment. I’ve seen this on small teams, members that have differing visions of the project would clash and progress would slow down. Once the differences were figured out, progress resumed and the goal was more clear. The same pattern appears on a larger scale with companies, leaders that know their team values adjust for this so progress isn’t inhibited.

Leaders should make values visible with open talks and hiring. They should also lay out expectations and goals for their team. This lowers resistance and builds trust. It makes performance steady, not lucky.
Treviño, L. K., Hartman, L. P., & Brown, M. (2000). Moral person and moral manager: How executives develop a reputation for ethical leadership. California Management Review, 42(4), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.2307/41166057

Thinking Ethically

After reading Thinking Ethically I learned about the five different approaches to resolving moral issues. I read about Utilitarian, Rights, Fairness/Justice, Common-Good, and Virtue. What stood out to me in the article was that facts alone are not enough the make good choices. Values are just as important when it comes to actions and decisions. This made sense to me because there are times where I choose the easiest option without thinking about the implications. The reading emphasizes that good choices are not about what works, but also whats right.

This connects to another article by Markkula Center called A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. This one gave steps to making choices, finding the issue, getting facts, and looking at options. When looking at options there were different lenses to use to ensure the best possible choice. For example the fairness lens means that you should do your share when being in a group and the common good lens means you should want to help others succeed. Both articles are supposed to remind people that ethics is more than thinking about yourself

On a larger scale, the world faces problems like poverty and inequality. These problems cannot be solved by facts alone. People need to think about values and do what is ethically right. The utilitarian way asks what helps the most people, while common good reminds us that we are all connected. By using these ideas, we can work towards a better world where society as a whole can work together.

University, Santa Clara. “Thinking Ethically.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-ethically/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.

In A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

The article reminded me of a group project I had last semester. There were multiple times where my team had conflicting opinions about what to prioritize when working on the presentation. Some wanted to focus on visuals and aesthetics while others wanted to ensure the slides hit all the criteria. I personally cared more about getting a good grade than having a presentation that looked good. The article described various lenses to make ethical decisions, the justice lens resonated with me. I realized that back then, I shouldn’t have prioritized what I thought important, but balanced the workload so each member was respected. It wasn’t about the decisions we made for the team, but it was about being fair and understanding. 

This also connects to To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson, a man that was falsely accused of a crime in a racist community. The story is centered around the justice lens from the framework, which stresses fair treatment and giving people what they deserve. Atticus follows this lens by choosing to stand for equality and ensure the truth gets out. He pushed past the cultural norms and fought against the law to do what’s right. Some situations have straightforward ethical choices, but the book shows how sometimes justice can mean standing against the public opinion. Ethics does not mean what is legal but about what is right.

This makes me also think about AI and personal privacy. Companies that develop AI face decisions that have to weigh the rights of the people against the potential benefits. Looking through the rights lens, reminds us that people have the right to choose for themselves and have privacy. AI can take this away from us and have a harmful effect on society as a whole.

University, Santa Clara. “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.