Transcript Ethics Workshop

ETHICS & PM
Roger D. H. Warburton
1
Assignment
I always …
I never …
2
ETHICS
“Situations where it
is difficult to
determine whether
conduct is right or
wrong.”
3
ETHICS



PMI emphasizes that ethics is not
just about knowing what is ethical,
but actually speaking up.
A Project Management Professional
must report ethical violations
IPM Co:
 “We
will walk away from a contract that
we feel violates ethical standards”
4
ISSUES

Difficult vs. Ethical




Legal vs. Ethical
“Ignorance of the law is no
excuse”
Culture


Firing People
U.S. vs Other Countries
“Pay for protection”
5
“A PM IS ETHICALLY BOUND TO DO WHAT IS
BEST FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS”
 When
do the interests of different
stakeholders conflict?
 If
a PM knows that her company’s bid is
overly optimistic is she ethically bound to tell
the client?



Or, is she ethically bound to keep it to herself?
Who made the decision?
Are some stakeholders more important?
6
A COMPANY’S BID IS “TOO OPTIMISTIC”
 Whose
responsibility is it?
 Is the problem competency, experience or
ethics
 How does a PM know what is common practice
(contingencies)?
 What is truly & deliberately un-ethical?
 Would a PM give up ethics in a weak legal
system?
 Can an organization survive if it consistently
acts unethically?
7
DEONTOLOGY

Greek “deon”
 duty, obligation

Ethics based on acting according
to what is right

Moral obligation
8
DEONTOLOGY




Kant is the most important
deontological theorist
Application of established general
rules or moral laws to a decision
There are acts whose rightness or
wrongness is not dependent on the
goodness or badness of their
consequences
“No matter what the consequences”
9
THE SEVEN BASIC MORAL DUTIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
One ought to keep promises (fidelity)
One ought to right the wrongs that one has
inflicted on others (reparation)
One ought to distribute goods justly (justice)
One ought to improve the lot of others with
respect to virtue, intelligence, and happiness
(beneficence)
One ought to improve oneself with respect to
virtue and intelligence (self-improvement)
One ought to exhibit gratitude (gratitude)
10
One ought to avoid injury to others (non- injury)
TELEOLOGY

Greek



telos, “end” & logos, “reason”
Study of design, purpose
Historically identified with Aristotle
Explanation by reference to some purpose or end
 The doctrine that in the universe all phenomena are
directed towards a goal or are designed according to some
purpose

What is the true purpose of the nose?
11
TELEOLOGY
Evaluate actions by the goal
or consequences
 Correct actions produce the
most good
 Wrong actions do not
contribute to the good

12
THE WATCHMAKER ANALOGY


Dates back to Cicero
Voltaire


“If a watch proves the existence of a watchmaker but the
universe does not prove the existence of a great Architect,
then I consent to be called a fool.”
Countered by showing that highly complex systems
can be produced by a series of very small randomlygenerated steps

Dawkins “The Blind Watchmaker”
13
TELEOLOGY “THE ENDS”

Egoism (Focuses on self-interest)


Utilitarianism



Does the action benefit me, as an individual?
Operating in the public interest rather than for
personal benefit
An action is right if it maximizes benefits over costs
for all involved, everyone counting equal
Altruism
An action is right if it maximizes the benefits of
some, even at the cost to yourself
 Self-sacrifice is the highest moral duty, virtue, and
value.


“A decision results in benefit for others, even at a cost to
yourself”
14
ETHICS EXAMPLE
 “We
could get out of Iraq
by 2010 if we ….”
 “War
is wrong”
15
ETHICS
Done!
16