OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Ethical Communities Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:

1. Describe the four ethical communities

2. Apply the ethical communities to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

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

The situation that I profiled in my submission for module one was a description of when
the City Manager of a local municipality decided to move the Diversity Office from one
department to another. The Diversity Office was set up to implement programs resources
and services for all residents regardless of their status. The department was originally
held in the Community Services department which encompassed the Housing Authority
and Community Revitalization divisions. The City Manager made the decision to move
the Diversity Office into the City Manager's office after a summer of social justice
protests as well as the societal and organizational rise of diversity, equity, and inclusion
being at the forefront of organization decisions. This additionally meant that the office
staff was cut from 4 to 1, as well as allocated budget being stripped and the office’s
budget was absorbed by the City Manager.

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

As our understanding of ethics is covered in the textbook, an organizations commitment

to ethics is rooted in the soul they create with their values. The this of a public
organization like a municipal government are always a matter of public interest. Given
the public nature of local governments work, there are many mechanisms of
accountability for the organization to ensure that taxpayers can trust the process. Aspects
such as employee ethical codes, Public Information Requests, and an internal/external
Ethics Hotline are all examples of this commitment. The most important thing to
understand about ethics is that it is a way for leaders to do what they feel is morally right
to do. I think this is is how city management viewed the decision to move the DO to the
executive floor. After seeing the public interest in the matter increase, while also seeing

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 the internal benefits become more visible, the City Manager wanted to do what is right by
the organization and appropriate for the future of management.

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

I think that the most memorable aspect of ethical communities and the ethics of an
organization is that they really enable leaders to become catalysts for change, excellence,
justice, and compassion. A lot of how a leader is perceived is in how they approach
values. When a leader is inspirational, transformative, or accessible, it benefits the
workforce by building upon the positive spirit within. Wether it be in national politics or
workplace leadership, we like our leaders to best represent the values and codes we are
committed to. This is one of the aspects of the case study that I believe city management
approached and executed the move adequately. Throughout the entire time and while
there were certainly questions about process and implementation, the city manager and
all involved were truly committed to making a decision based on inclusive policies and
sustainable solutions.

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

This is one of those case study sections that makes me reaffirm to myself that there are
many more things that matter in life and organizations than hierarchy and public
perception. There should be no higher motivation for leaders than to do what is right and
justified for their organizations, teams, and people. Some the best teams and workplaces
I’ve been apart of were the ones with leaders who embodied this. I would absolutely
attempt to remain consistent in my ethical standards for myself and my decisions. When
it comes to the transition of the Diversity Office, I would emulate the City Managers
intent to make the morally right decision and stay committed to doing it effectively.
Though the conflicts that arise on account of working to implement DEI policies in
organizations are plentiful, the endurance of ethics is what most benefits sustainable
solutions.

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Reference or References