Leadership for Ethical Decision Making

Abstract

might account for this apparent decline in acceptance of ethical responsibilities? One could speculate that it might be related to growing affluence, the breakup of families, the depiction of violence and dishonesty on TV and in movies (often in the hero or heroine), a shift away from the value of productivity and toward the value of consumption, or any number of other influences in modern day life. Barbara Tuchman, historian and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, in characterizing the twentieth century, speaks to the nuclear threat and environmental problems, but her central concern points to “the real disruption in public morality.” She stated that the “extent of public immorality making itself so obvious to the average citizen” was a new and very disturbing phenomenon. A Rutgers professor reported that of over 6,000 students surveyed from 31 colleges and universities, greater than two thirds admitted to cheating on a major test or assignment at least once while an undergraduate. The presence of an honor code (in 14 of the 31 institutions) apparently had little deterrent effect. Sixty-three percent of law students, 68% of medical students, 71% of engineering students, 76% of students in graduate schools of business, and 56% of students in schools of education admitted to cheating. A New York Times/CBS News Poll showed that 55% of Americans believed that the vast majority of corporate executives are dishonest. A Wall Street Journal article noted that one fourth of 671 executives surveyed believed that ethics can impede a successful career. Indeed, in observing the behavior of some of our elected officials and in reading about corporate irresponsibility, accounting irregularities, and personal greed in recent headlines, one would logically conclude that there is a disintegration of public and private responsibility for ethical living. Could we be inching closer to an ethical meltdown? What Those of us in professional education typically avoid moralizing to our students or to each other. But ethicists have come to realize that ethics and morals cannot be easily segregated, as they are, in very large measure, the same. John Rawls defined ethics as the pursuit of justice, fair play, and equity. Certainly, we realize the importance of including ethical topics in our curricula, as ethical underpinnings are essential for professionals and for leaders. Leaders set the ethical tone in an organization and influence the decisions of followers. Effective leadership is built upon an ethical foundation, because, to paraphrase St. Augustine, the first and last job of a leader is to serve the needs of those being led. Peters and Waterman asserted that the role of leadership is managing the values of an organization, further pointing to the importance of an ethical foundation for our students. Gail Sheehy argues that it is important to examine the ethical natures of our leaders, as the fate that they reap will also be our own. Our curricular offerings in ethics are, in many instances, relegated to a few lectures in the law course and a hope that the clinical faculty will work a few ethical dilemmas into their teaching cases. In this editorial, I submit that the development of ethical proficiency is a serious responsibility to which we should commit, and that in-depth discussion on this topic within Corresponding Author: Barbara G. Wells, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677. Tel: 662-915-7265. Fax: 662-915-5704. E-mail: wells@olemiss.edu