Transcript Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Higher Education

Ethical Leadership and Decision
Making in Higher Education
Marissa Fulache
Guadalupe Valdivia
Background
The issue of ethical decision making in organizations has
received much attention in recent years for a variety of
reasons:
- Post-Watergate atmosphere
- Mounting public scorn regarding business behavior
- Leaders’ cynicism and internal personal-work values
conflicts
Background
 Powerful tools and technologies have change the speed with
which information, ideas, and culture capital travel the world.
 Complex interactions among institutions have also
developed and evolved new organizational forms, including
science parks, research hubs, and for-profits companies.
 Collaboration between HE and external organizations
(multinational corporations, government agencies, nongovernmental
organizations, philanthropic organizations, etc.) help tap into
specialized knowledge, networks, and capabilities that are
useful for projects related to purposes.
The Ethics of Leadership
“..the obligation of leaders to promote justice, fairness,
trust, and the conditions necessary for people to
promote communities that flourish”
(Carter, 2007)
Why should Higher Education Leaders
Care?
 Universities have the opportunity to influence 18 million
minds of people who will soon be in positions of
leadership in our communities, our states, and our
country.
 Universities have the responsibility to help people obtain
the tools for ethical leadership in America—and,
because America still is in a leadership position in world
higher education [HE] –in the world.
(Sethna, 2007)
Who is responsible for preparing
Ethical Leaders?
 “Faculty, staff, students, supporters, alumni, administrators,
funding partners, contributors, legislators, and the public who
influence higher education” (Sethna, 2007)
 Everyone plays an important role.
How can universities provide ethical
leadership in a global society?
 Teaching, Scholarship & Research, and Service:
1. Education to help our children become increasingly
prepared for the future, and help the people of the
world open their eyes to developmental opportunities
rather than conflict.
2. Research and development to help with the problem of
resource management and economic integration.
3. Helping people, communities, societies, states, and
nations to be in a position to receive some of the
benefits of the 21st century.
Higher Education Leaders Making
Decisions
 Primary concern is the impact their decision will have
on the financial, legal, pragmatic, aesthetic, cultural,
and psychological well-being of the institutions rather
than moral, ethical, and spiritual.
 Conscientious administrators put forth sincere efforts to
make decisions in a rational rather than arbitrary
manner and they check for legal implications, but
decisions can also be reviewed for the ethical
ramifications (Siegel & Siegel, 2007).
Preparing Higher Education Leaders
in Ethical Decision Making
 Mandate ethics training*
 Require a course on ethics*
 Require shadowing a current educational leader
 Written exam of solutions to different scenarios
 Expose them to different Decision Making Models
Most commonly used Ethical DecisionMaking Model by Higher Education
Leaders
Step 1: Identify the problem.
Step 2: Identify the potential issues involved.
Step 3: Review relevant ethical guidelines.
Step 4: Know relevant laws and regulations.
Step 5: Obtain Consultation.
Step 6: Consider possible and probable courses of action.
Step 7: List the consequences of the probable courses of action.
Step 8: Decide on what appears to be the best course of action.
Corey et al. (1998)
Decision Making: Budget Cuts
 Economical Crisis: School
funding gets the first hit.
Choose what programs or
departments will be
impacted. Choose who stays
and go. Your job is to
maintain a balance budget.
Decision Making: College Athletics
 Coaches and Staff are cutting
a lot of corners for athletic
students. They get extra
benefits such as change GPA,
modify test, excused absences
and trades. Non-athletic
students want to know why
they get special privileges.
Your job is to bring positive
media attention and keep both
parties happy.
Decision Making: Research
Universities (R1)
 R1a are changing all of HE to
behave more entrepreneurially.
Federal funds are low and
departments are now being asked to
fund their own research. However,
the industrial/private sectors want to
only fund research in one specific
area that is extremely controversial
and political. Your goal is to maintain
the relationship and secure funding
for departments, while protecting the
identity of your institution.
Educational Leadership & DecisionMaking: Dr. Christine Cunningham,
School of Education, ECU
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGB3l1EKabc
 Is their similarities and differences in attitudes and
applications of decision-making in educational
leadership in Australia and China?
 Who makes the final decision in China and Australia
educational institutions? How are those final decisions
made?
“What we do in our schools, early
childhood centers, and higher
education…We model practice to our
future generations”
Dr. Christine Cunningham
References
 Arlow, P., & Ulrich, T. A. (1985) Business ethics and business
school graduates: A longitudinal study. Akron Business and
Economic Review, 16, 13-17.
 Carter, J. (2007). For the common good: The ethics of leadership
in the 21st century. J. C. Knapp (Ed.). Greenwood Publishing
Group.
 Bennis, W. (2009). On Becoming A Leader (20th anniversary ed.).
New York: Basic
Books.
 Kohlberg, L., & Candee, D. (1984) The relationship of moral
judgment to moral action. In W. M. Kurtiness & J. L. Gerwitz (Ed.),
Morality, moral behavior and moral, development (pp. 52-73). New
York: Wiley.