This
is a brief essay on absolute power, and the positive and negative transformational
effects it can have in the business world as well as education. I will discuss in detail the overwhelming
greed that is taking place in businesses today, which includes “over the top”
and unnecessary perks that are usually reserved for the upper echelon of
various fortune 500 companies. I will
also identify and define what is called the “One-Man Problem.” This deals with giving too much control and power to one person and how that can negatively affect morale and productivity.
I will show why the self-destructing,
unethical behavior displayed by these companies are relevant to the educational
field and should be studied to prevent this conduct from taking a stronghold in
our schools. In addition, I will attempt
to share with the reader numerous ways on how to avoid these aforementioned
“pitfalls” that permeate through various companies, include a short video to
further illustrate these strategies, and offer my own opinion on whether
absolute power by one person or a group of figureheads bare sole responsibility
for the unethical behavior of the entire company or educational institution.
I draw on that experience that I have
gained as a teacher and the knowledge I gained from the selected articles in
which I will refer to throughout this blog to conclude that absolute power does
corrupt absolutely unless effective preventative measures have been in place
and been well established long before any unethical behavior by one man, woman,
or group of people can permanently affect the corporate culture of their
workforce.
Establishing a quality corporate culture
that fosters production across the board, one must of course examine the leader,
or leaders, and the behavior they display.
In looking at leaders, it is necessary to understand the role they play
in the overall growth of the company or school they are entrusted with. Staff must be made to feel valued and
respected. This is turn will create
“buy-in,” and yield results that are beneficial to everyone involved. The benefits that this shared productivity
creates must be distributed throughout the company or school. This creates an
even greater issue. How does one accomplish
the task of distributing these benefits fairly?
Who gets what? This leads me to
discuss the value and sometimes-unethical distribution of “perks.”
In essence, this is one of the biggest
ethical decisions companies or educational institutions can make. “Wise decision-making also, inevitably,
involves moral/ethical choices and this occurs every time we take a decision.”
(Lloyd, 2009, p. 1) Perks are gifts or privileges offered to “high value”
employees. These usually consist of
board members and Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s). The unfair and often times unethical
distribution of perks can have a negative effect on the culture of a
company. CEO’s and other organizational
leaders are paid handsomely and rightly so.
However, having access to company cars, private jets, and country club
access, all at the shareholders expense is unethical behavior. This unethical behavior is emboldened by the
need to compete with rival companies who are offering the same perks, if not
more.
Another potential pitfall companies must be
sure not engage in is the “One-Man Problem.”
This is when the leader of the company is given too much autonomy over
employees and shareholders she or he has been entrusted to lead. In situations like this, creating a positive
and ethical work environment takes a back seat to impressing and catering to
the leader or head of the company.
“Despite fine-sounding mission statements, the internal reality was that
no value outranked pleasing the all-powerful and invulnerable boss, an
environment that generally produces trouble.” (Kehoe, 2011, p. 59) The “One-Man
Problem,” can lead to all types of unethical behavior such as nepotism, a
destruction of the company’s reputation, and last but certainly not least, an absorbent
amount of unethical spending and pay on the part of the leader.
In comparison, the principal of a school
is much like the CEO of fortune 500 companies.
Education is big business. Funds
are dispersed based on productivity.
Teachers feel the pressure to produce high student standardized test
scores for fear of being moved or replaced.
An ethics training program that is easy
and fun, as well as taking into consideration character and diversity when
hiring, are essential steps to avoiding the pitfalls of unethical behavior and
stagnant productivity. “There is less conflict when the work environment is
perceived as relatively ethical. (Tsai & Shih, 2005). In reading William J. Kehoe’s book titled “Business Ethics,” I came across an
article that discusses how Warren Buffett hires integrity over ability. This article talks about how Buffett and his
business partner Charlie Munger hire people they can trust and treat them the
way they would wish to be treated if the roles were reversed. This type of ethical behavior and business
savvy has made Warren Buffett, chairman of Brookshire Hathaway Inc., one of the
richest and most successful men in the world.
Buffett looks for ethics when hiring.
Schools should implement this hiring strategy more often.
In today’s educational world, which
focuses almost completely on standardized test results, one should take a step
back and re-evaluate its hiring process.
When hiring educators, there should be just as big of an emphasis placed
on past pier and pupil responsiveness as well as past student performance
levels. Previous behavior is a good
predictor of future behavior. Learning
how to coexist with others as well as not succumb to the pressures of today’s
“test crazy” society can go a long way in establishing a culture that is
honest, and productive.
In addition to integrity, employee
diversity has also been noted to produce positive results in the business
world. This hold true in education as
well. Diversity will create an
environment that eliminates or reduces the likelihood of “groupthink,” taking
place. Groupthink is when there is not
enough diverse viewpoint on a certain matter.
One train of thought permeates throughout the group. There is no room of dissent or constructive
discourse. This can prove to be
problematic, especially when it comes to education. The students that educators are entrusted to
lead often come from diverse backgrounds.
I believe the staff should adequately reflect its student
population. This in turn would help to
create a better rapport amongst the staff and students as well as the
community.
In conclusion, I believe that absolute
power does corrupt absolutely. The
leader sets the tone for the culture of the company or institution. This can be done through the establishment of
a corporate culture system that places a value on ethical behavior. It is up to the leader to model this ethical
behavior, demand it from his or her subordinates, and hold accountable those
who do not adhere to the ethical standards that have been set.
“Company
leaders must be actively involved in building a corporate values system by
developing the ethical framework, aligning the organization to that framework,
leading by example and addressing external challenges that pose ethical
dilemmas to employees’ behaviour. (Sims, 2000) As stated earlier, I have
included a video to help illustrate key initiatives that could help foster
ethical behavior in an any workplace environment.
Kehoe, W. J. (2013).
Business Ethics.
New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Lloyd, B. (2009). Power, responsibility &
wisdom: exploring the issues at the core
of
ethical
decision-making and leadership. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership,
2(6), 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.wisdompage.com/bloyd03.html
Sims, R. R. (2000). Changing an
organisation’s culture under new leadership.
Journal of
Business Ethics, 25,
65-78.
Thoms, J. C. (2008). Ethical integrity
in Leadership and organizational moral culture.
Leadership,
4, 419-441.
doi:
10.1177/1742715008095189
Tsai, M. T., & Shin, C. M. (2005).
The influences of organisatinal and personal ethics on
role
conflict among marketing managers: an
empirical investigation, International
Journal of Management, 22(1), 54-61
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