Ethical Communities

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

As a Talent Acquisition Coordinator for the Medical Industry, I am responsible for

processing the new hires from the moment they accept the offer and start their
background check until they attend Orientation. I ensure to collect all necessary licenses
and certs that are required for their job title. On the day of Orientation, I ensure that they
receive their employee ID badge, register for parking, and complete their I-9
verifications. The specific situation is how to verify that the Operations department
receives the correct badge information and photo for the new hire so that there are no
delays. The goal is for the new hire to have a seamless and positive onboarding
experience.

2) Describe how the ethics of the organization influenced the situation.

When thinking about the ethics frame and this situation, I find that the issue lies in not
considering how the decision to change the policy without discussing it with all those
involved was more self-serving than anything. It was more about the Director of Human
Resources appearing to be in control of the situation rather than considering the outcome
of the immediate decision. Taking the action, removed the care and concern with the new
hire process in search of immediate results.

I also see the ethical frame influencing the situation when we review how the Operations
department handled the influx of emails and information regarding printing the badges
on time for the Orientation class. There were several staff members who felt that if they
printed the badges incorrectly or simply deleted the emails, they would create enough of
an issue to have the policy reversed to pre-COVID methods. This too was a self-serving
action rather than having empathy for the new hire coming into the organization and
ensuring they felt welcomed and prepared.

3) Recommend how you would apply one of the ethical communities for an alternative
course of action regarding your case.

The ethical frame that I would apply is verify that the work is done a “effectively and
efficiently as possible” (Bolman & Deal, 2017). In business we strive to be effective and
to complete the work with as much perfection as possible while being efficient. In doing
the work correctly, the work will be done ethically. This situation also brought in the
juggle of who has the power to control the situation and who can solve it quickly rather
than considering who can also resolve it correctly.

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 Our organization carries intense values on caring for others and being present in the
situation. Reviewing how it was handled shows how quickly one can forget the mission,
vision, and values when making “knee-jerk” decisions.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about ethics.

Now learning about the ethics frame, I would’ve done more to ensure that each person
saw the impact from the new hire’s point of view. I would remind them of the uncertain
feeling they had once up on a time walking into a the company as a new hire. It is hard
for people to see the ethical relation in every aspect of the job. Most relate it to the major
dilemmas such as blatant ethical decisions.

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 Reference

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
Hoboken: Jossey-Bass.