Each team should respond in paragraph form to the questions that follow the scenarios presented below. Any disagreements or complications that occur within the team regarding the correct response should be noted in the Learning Team Reflection Worksheet for the week.
Individual
After the teams have completed their responses, each member should consider his or her individual responses and reactions to the various ethical
perspectives. Rate yourself on the scale at the end of this document for each perspective. For each ethical perspective (duty-based, goal-based, rights-based, and human-nature), write a reflective paragraph in which you express your personal ethical statement regarding that perspective. The paragraph should state the numerical rating you gave yourself on the scale, and then supply an explanation for why you rated yourself at that level.
SCENARIOS
Duty-based (Deontological):
This is a common issue in corporate America. There always seems to be individuals that never seem to pull their own weight. In this first perspective Michael is not pulling his own weight, so Donna who feels duty-bound creates a set of rules and tries to impose the rules on Michael. I have found that when you try to tell someone what or how they should do something they resist and eventually become even more difficult to work with. Sometimes it is easier to try to sit down with the individual and ask why there is a problem. After discovering the underlying reason you can then work together to come up with a solution to the problem.
Determining what someone’s work ethics are prior to developing a team can eliminate a great number of headaches. This will give you the opportunity to structure the team environment in a manner that will eliminate most problems before they arise.
I have rated myself a four (4) on this because I have always been a duty-based person. The task at hand has never been the issue only to work as hard as possible to complete the task.
Goal-based (Teleological):
Setting team goals can be a difficult task because determining if the goals have been obtained on an individual basis can be subjective. For example, Corin and his team are in their last class at the University of Phoenix. Corin believes that he has reached his goal and therefore has no interest in the class. While the rest of the team believes that the goal to graduate has not been reached since they have not completed the Capstone class.
Goals have to be defined well in advance and monitored. By monitoring the objective of the goal a team or individual can determine if the have lost sight of the goal then redefine the path to reach the goal.
I rated myself a four (4) on this because I have been attempting to achieve a goal for 25 years. I have been on track at different periods and I have been off track at times. However, I have always kept my eyes on the goal and have made adjustment to my approach to achieve my goal.
Rights-Based:
“It is my god given right…” is probable the most abused statement in history. Right-based ideology is at times, the most dangerous and most powerful belief. Individuals have rights… groups have rights… however when a group of people with similar beliefs get together and try to force their beliefs on the masses watch out. Numerous atrocities have been perpetuated on society because a group has been successful in enforcing their rights. For example World War II was partially about one group’s ideal that they were the master race and look what that small group was able to do.
However, there are an equal number of examples where right-based ideology can be constructive as in the town meeting where the community gets together to discuss an ordinance on car noise levels. In this example the community as a whole is deciding the best course of action. Another example would be the “Civil Rights Movement” where “One man had a dream” changed a nation.
I originally rated myself a four (4) on this but, after writing about right-based issues I find that I am not admittedly a right-based thinker. I believe that right-based thinking is important and under the right conditions a powerful tool. So I changed my rating to a 3.
Human-Nature:
What is in one person’s nature in not necessarily in another’s? Karen believes that it is alright to try to cheat by copying a paragraph and not making the required references. It is often the easy road that defines “Human Nature”. Is it easier to copy and past the home work? Is it easier to say that you have done something when you honestly have not? The easy road is just too hard to resist some days.
I rated myself a four (4) on this because, I believe that through had work the accomplishments are better savored.