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.

I have worked for the Target Corporation for about four years. Although it is a

constantly changing business, nothing could have prepared me for the changes that

COVID-19 brought to the retail industry. During the pandemic, stores struggled to stay

true to Target’s mission statement and core values. During this time, I was a General

Merchandise Executive Team Leader. I was responsible for about eighty team members

and five team leaders. I oversaw the daily operations of about have the salesfloor and

Starbucks, as well as the fulfillment process. These areas included contactless shopping,

household essentials, and grocery. These areas were impacted the most by the pandemic

and I was forced to not only make quick business decisions, but also do what was right

for me team.

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

Target has always promoted a “guest first” mentality and this did not change with

the spread of COVID-19. During the pandemic Target recognized the fear that many

guests had for the safety of them and their families. Following the CDC guidelines was

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 not enough for the organization. It was quickly realized that the safety precautions still

did not make the high risk or vulnerable guests feel safe while shopping. Quickly acting,

Target stepped up and announced, “vulnerable shopping hours”. For one hour prior to

store open, elderly, and immunocompromised guests were welcomed to do their

shopping. The organization was able to stay true to their mission statement by helping

ALL families discover the joy of everyday life.

Team members were not immune to the virus either and Target recognized the

risk that every team member was taking by coming to work every day. The first action

taken was to ensure everyone truly felt safe working and having guest contact. Those

who did not feel safe or needed time off to get their personal lives under control were

given the opportunity to take a leave of absence. Target did not feel that it was right to

force the team to work in a time of such chaos. For those who were able to work, wages

were increased by two dollars an hour. On top of this, every hourly team member in the

company received two bonuses for working in a time of crisis.

3) Recommend how you would apply one of the ethical communities for an alternative

course of action regarding your case.

I think Target did a great job of rewarding and recognizing the team members and

team leads, but the executives and high like myself did not get that same attention. We

did not see pay raises or extra pay bonuses for being on the front lines. I believe Target

could have been more of a Family and given the love to everyone. Although team

members completed the manual work, leaders were constantly behind the scenes making

plans and removing roadblocks.

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 On zoom calls and district meetings, the question of what we were doing to

recognize out teams was always raised. District leaders were far more concerned with

what we were doing to appreciate our teams than they were with how we were handling

the stress of the pandemic. Caring is described as, “one person’s compassion and concern

for another – is both the primary purpose and the ethical glue that holds a family

together” (Bolman & Deal, p. 393). As executive leaders, we felt as if we were the forgot

child that was being pushed aside. There was so much focus on the team’s health that we

felt overlooked. I believe Target could have done a better job of keeping the family

mentality and loving everyone equally.

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

about ethics.

I would have focused on my team’s mental and emotional health significantly

more than I did during this time. COVID-19 was an extremely sensitive topic, and many

people were negatively affected by it. I did not have kids or family members that I

suddenly had to find care for during the day. I also was already attending school online,

so I did not have to go through a learning transition. On the other hand, many of team

members did have to go through these hardships.

I threw myself into my work and focused on being the best in the district. I

pushed my team’s limits and challenged their capabilities. Unfortunately, I believe I

probably pushed some too hard. Reflecting now, I would have taken a step back and

recognized what my team members were going through outside of the workplace. A

leader should always care about their team and, “caring begins with knowing; it requires

listening, understanding, and accepting. It progresses through a deepening sense of

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 appreciation, respect, and ultimately love” (Bolman & Deal, 2017, p. 393). I did care

about my team, but my actions failed to reflect how I felt. Rather than worrying about a

team member being out sick, I was worried about filling the salesfloor with more product

and remerchandising empty aisles. My focus was not where it should have been for my

team’s sake.

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 Reference or References

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

John Wiley

& Sons.

Culture: Working at target. (n.d.). Target Corporate. https://corporate.target.com/careers/culture