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 company I am working at is a new technology enterprise proliferating its business.

Because of the poor economic situation - inflation and rising energy prices have led to
severe financial losses for the company. Also, the competition in the industry is fierce.
Other companies have launched newer, lower-priced products to beat ours, which has
caused us to lose some customers in specific markets. The company has spent a lot of
time and money developing new products, but now there is no more budget to recruit new
people to fill the line of business to match the required skill set of the new product. Also,
sometimes the product fails to meet specific deadlines because of the approval policy
based on the corporate hierarchy. Furthermore, the upper management is considering
laying off some employees from overstaffed departments if necessary to cut down on
expenses. My role in the organization is as a project manager responsible for finding a
solution to best suit the company in this urgent situation.

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

Though generous, the company's policy of reimbursing employee business expenses can
cause financial strain on the organization. If you need a budget increase for a project, you
must report it to your manager and go through several levels of approval, which can take
time. This may cause some employees to try to bypass the process. As a result, some
employees may submit false expenses to obtain reimbursement. The current corporate
structure relies heavily on strict divisions, hierarchies, and codes of conduct. While these
mechanisms were implemented to maintain order, they can lead to bureaucratic practices
as the company expands its business.

It is crucial for individuals to uphold a strong ethical character, particularly reliability, as

a lack of these qualities can result in project failure. This attribute empowers individuals
to make sound decisions and exhibit consistent behavior throughout the project.

1
 Possessing personal integrity implies that an individual's actions are in line with their
internal ethical principles and values, as well as the organization's codes of conduct.

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

Project managers should be responsible for their own decisions and actions. To be a
successful project manager, it's essential to have a deep understanding of the ethical
values of all stakeholders and relevant laws. Following ethical standards involves
adhering to guidelines and laws, and applying them to all aspects of project management.
If a project manager behaves in a way that doesn't align with ethical standards, it can
quickly erode trust and respect. This can have serious consequences such as affecting
negotiations and even leading to the termination of the project. Therefore, it's crucial for
managers to comply with ethical standards and ensure that everyone involved in the
project understands and upholds the codes of conduct.

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

In the event that I discover an employee engaging in the creation of fraudulent business
expenses, which goes against our company's code of conduct, I would take appropriate
ethical measures to pinpoint the responsible party. The ethical values held by project
managers are crucial in the decision-making process. Managers who possess heightened
levels of moral cognition are more inclined to make decisions that align with the
development goals of the project. On the other hand, low ethical standards among project
managers could result in conflicting planning objectives and potential harm to the project.