You are a sales representative for a medical device company that manufactures artificial joints. Your company has developed an artificial knee joint that is less expensive than the competition and will dramatically reduce healing time for patients. However, it is also known to produce a serious and potentially lethal infection in a small percentage of patients. The company refuses to disclose this potential side effect. You feel you have a duty to divulge this issue, but you signed a nondisclosure agreement when you were hired and worry about possible repercussions.

QUESTION

COMPETENCIES

3008.1.1 : Practical Relevance of Ethical Theories

The graduate assesses the practical relevance of leading ethical theories and concepts.

3008.1.2 : Ethical Leadership and Code of Ethics

The graduate identifies influences on ethical leadership and analyzes a code of ethics.

INTRODUCTION Leadership is often defined as the ability to influence people. An effective ethical leader guides an organization and its employees to accomplish organizational goals. In the same vein, an unethical leader can guide an organization and its employees to act unethically, harming both the organization and the stakeholders. Being a leader is an exploration, a reflection, and a test of your leadership values. Seeking understanding of how you resolve ethical dilemmas, taking inventory of where an ethical weakness may lie, and examining the traits of an ethical leader helps you define, shape, and apply an ethical decision-making framework, while also taking into consideration all stakeholders who may be impacted by your decisions.

For this task, you will respond to an ethical situation as well as analyze the results of the Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI), including your top five values from the Clarifying Your Values exercise, both of which should be completed in the course of study. This task focuses on you as a leader by helping you to define, refine, and test your ethical boundaries through self-reflection and analysis.

SCENARIO

You are a sales representative for a medical device company that manufactures artificial joints. Your company has developed an artificial knee joint that is less expensive than the competition and will dramatically reduce healing time for patients. However, it is also known to produce a serious and potentially lethal infection in a small percentage of patients. The company refuses to disclose this potential side effect. You feel you have a duty to divulge this issue, but you signed a nondisclosure agreement when you were hired and worry about possible repercussions.

REQUIREMENTS

Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. The originality report that is provided when you submit your task can be used as a guide.

You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

Write an essay (suggested length of 6–8 pages) in which you do the following:

A. Select a nonfictional leader who you feel has exhibited exemplary ethical conduct and do the following:

1. Discuss two ethical traits your chosen leader has demonstrated.

2. Explain how your chosen leader has exhibited ethical conduct.

Note: The chosen leader can be someone you know personally or someone famous.

B. Compare the deontological and consequentialist perspectives and how each perspective would approach the dilemma from the scenario.

C. Explain which level of cognitive moral development (i.e., preconventional, conventional, or postconventional) is represented in the scenario for each of the following questions:

• Which action would most likely serve the greater good in society?

• If I reveal this information, will I get into trouble and possibly even lose my job?

• Which action best aligns with my long-held belief in the principle of justice?

• What do the laws say, and what would a law-abiding citizen do? • If I keep quiet will I get some sort of reward?

D. Reflect on your Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI) by doing the following:

1. Explain your preferred ethical lens, or what it means to have a center perspective relevant to the ELI.

a. Analyze whether you have the same preferred lens in different settings (e.g., work, personal, social).

2. Explain both your primary values and classical virtue(s) from the ELI.

a. Compare two primary values and one classical virtue from part D2 individually with three of the top five values from the Clarifying Your Values exercise.

3. Describe one of the following from the ELI: your blind spot, risk, double standard, or vice.

a. Discuss three steps you can take to mitigate the blind spot, risk, double standard, or vice described in part D3 in order to make better ethical decisions in the future.

4. Discuss how you plan to use the ethical lens(es) to approach ethical situations throughout your professional life.

E. Submit a copy of the PDF file with your results from the ELI, as a separate document.

F. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.

G. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.

File Restrictions File name may contain only letters, numbers, spaces, and these symbols: ! – _ . * ‘ ( ) File size limit: 200 MB

Books Used Managing Business Ethics ‐ Straight Talk about how to do it right 7th Edition ‐‐‐Linda K Trevino , Katherine A Nelson

ANSWER

Exploring Ethical Leadership: Analysis of Exemplary Conduct, Ethical Perspectives, and Moral Development

Introduction

Leadership plays a critical role in guiding organizations and individuals to achieve their goals. Ethical leadership is particularly important, as it ensures that decisions and actions are guided by ethical principles and considerations. In this essay, we will discuss a nonfictional leader who has exhibited exemplary ethical conduct, compare the deontological and consequentialist perspectives in the given scenario, analyze the cognitive moral development represented in the scenario, reflect on the Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI), and discuss how the ELI can be applied to approach ethical situations in professional life.

Exemplary Ethical Conduct of a Chosen Leader

The chosen leader for this essay is Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Malala has demonstrated several ethical traits throughout her journey:

Courage: Malala’s unwavering courage is evident in her advocacy for girls’ education, despite facing threats and a near-fatal attack by the Taliban. She fearlessly speaks out against injustice, risking her own safety to fight for the rights of others.

Integrity: Malala consistently displays integrity by aligning her actions with her beliefs and values. She remains steadfast in her commitment to education and equality, even in the face of adversity. Her integrity has earned her respect and admiration worldwide.

Deontological and Consequentialist Perspectives in the Scenario

The scenario presents a dilemma for the sales representative regarding the disclosure of a potential side effect of the artificial knee joint (Malik et al., 2022). Let’s examine how the deontological and consequentialist perspectives would approach this situation:

Deontological Perspective: From a deontological standpoint, the focus is on following ethical duties and principles. In this case, the sales representative would prioritize honesty and transparency. They would argue that it is their duty to disclose the potential side effect, as it aligns with the principle of honesty and respect for patient autonomy. The nondisclosure agreement, although signed, would be seen as superseded by the higher duty to protect patients’ well-being.

Consequentialist Perspective: Consequentialism emphasizes the consequences or outcomes of actions. From a consequentialist standpoint, the sales representative would consider the potential harm caused by the infection and the benefits of reducing healing time (Shahab et al., 2021). They would weigh the overall consequences of disclosing the side effect versus not disclosing it. If the potential harm outweighs the benefits, the sales representative would argue for disclosure to prevent harm to patients.

Cognitive Moral Development in the Scenario

To assess the cognitive moral development represented in the scenario, we will consider the questions posed and identify the corresponding level:

Which action would most likely serve the greater good in society?

Postconventional level: The question indicates a concern for the broader social impact and ethical principles. Considering the potential harm caused by the infection, disclosing the side effect would likely serve the greater good by protecting patients’ well-being.

If I reveal this information, will I get into trouble and possibly even lose my job?

Conventional level: The focus here is on the fear of personal consequences, such as job loss. This level is driven by social norms and maintaining personal status. It suggests that the individual is more concerned about their own well-being than the potential harm to others.

Which action best aligns with my long-held belief in the principle of justice?

Postconventional level: The question reflects a consideration of long-held beliefs and values, indicating a higher level of moral development. A postconventional thinker would prioritize justice and fairness, favoring disclosure to uphold these principles.

What do the laws say, and what would a law-abiding citizen do?

Conventional level: This question suggests adherence to legal requirements and societal norms. The focus is on complying with existing laws rather than critically evaluating the ethical implications. It reflects a conventional level of moral development.

If I keep quiet, will I get some sort of reward?

Preconventional level: The question centers around personal gain or reward, indicating a self-centered perspective. At this level, moral decisions are driven by self-interest and immediate gratification, lacking consideration for the ethical implications.

Reflection on the Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI)

Preferred Ethical Lens: My preferred ethical lens is the Rights and Responsibilities Lens, which focuses on individual rights and duties. It emphasizes the importance of respecting the autonomy and dignity of individuals while fulfilling our responsibilities towards others. This lens promotes fairness, justice, and equality.
a. Consistency Across Settings: I maintain the same preferred ethical lens across different settings, such as work, personal, and social contexts. I believe in upholding the rights and responsibilities of individuals in all aspects of life and ensuring fairness and justice prevail.

Primary Values and Classical Virtue: From the ELI, my primary values are Autonomy and Equality. Autonomy reflects the importance of individual freedom and self-determination, while Equality emphasizes fairness and equal treatment for all (Kumar, 2019). The classical virtue associated with my preferred ethical lens is Courage.
a. Comparison with Clarifying Your Values Exercise: Comparing Autonomy and Equality with three of the top five values from the Clarifying Your Values exercise, we can see that Autonomy aligns with Personal Growth, Authenticity, and Independence. Equality resonates with Fairness, Empathy, and Respect.

Blind Spot, Risk, Double Standard, or Vice: Within the ELI framework, my blind spot is Risk. This implies that I tend to overlook potential risks or negative consequences when making ethical decisions. It could lead to underestimating or neglecting the potential harm associated with certain actions.
a. Steps to Mitigate the Blind Spot: To mitigate the blind spot of Risk, I can take the following steps:

Conduct thorough risk assessments: Evaluate potential risks and consequences associated with different choices or actions.

Seek diverse perspectives: Consult with others to gain different viewpoints and identify risks that may not be immediately apparent.

Develop a decision-making framework: Establish guidelines or criteria for evaluating risks and making ethical decisions to ensure comprehensive consideration of potential harm.

Using Ethical Lens(es) in Professional Life: I plan to utilize the Rights and Responsibilities Lens in approaching ethical situations throughout my professional life. This lens will guide me in upholding the rights of individuals, promoting fairness and justice, and fulfilling my responsibilities towards colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. It will serve as a framework to assess the ethical implications of my decisions and actions, ensuring that they align with my core values.

Conclusion

Ethical leadership is crucial in guiding organizations and individuals towards ethical conduct. By examining the exemplary ethical conduct of a chosen leader, comparing deontological and consequentialist perspectives, analyzing cognitive moral development, reflecting on the Ethical Lens Inventory, and discussing its application in professional life, we gain valuable insights into ethical decision-making and personal ethical boundaries. It is through self-reflection and analysis that we can shape our ethical values and approach ethical situations with integrity, fairness, and a commitment to the greater good.

References

Kumar, P. (2019). Ethical Leadership. www.academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/39509357/Ethical_Leadership 

Malik, M., Mahmood, F., Sarwar, N., Obaid, A., Memon, M. A., & Khaskheli, A. (2022). Ethical leadership: Exploring bottom-line mentality and trust perceptions of employees on middle-level managers. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02925-2 

Shahab, H., Zahur, H., Akhtar, N., & Rashid, S. (2021). Characteristics of Ethical Leadership: Themes Identification Through Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Design From the Pakistan Context. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.787796