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UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO School of Leadership and Education Sciences EDLD 555 -- Leadership and Ethics Spring 2010 Instructor: David Herrera E-mail: davidherrera@sandiego.edu Phone: (858) 453 8662 Please contact instructor by e-mail or phone to schedule appointments Time and place: Session I: Mondays 5:30-8:20 p.m. at Serra Hall 210 Session II: Thursdays 5:30-8:20 p.m. at MRH 211 Course Description The ethical dimension of leadership has implications for us as persons, workers, members of society, and citizens of the world. Our family, community and our social, cultural and religious traditions shape our perception of what is ethical. Ethics permeates all facets of our lives: intellectual, emotional, spiritual, cultural and social. As leaders, our responsibility for ethics, which reaches beyond our role as workers to all aspects of our lives, is increased because our behavior, actions and decisions are a model to, and have consequences for others. Likewise, as followers, our responsibility is shared with our leaders, as we respond to their behavior, actions and commands by making our own decisions, which often have ethical implications. Thus, having a solid grounding on ethics and its intersection with leadership and followership (this intersection will be referred to as “ethics/leadership�) is not only wise but also necessary. In this course, we will assess our personal values regarding ethics/leadership. We will become more conscious of our own ethical views, some of which may not be known to us. We will study various ethics and leadership perspectives and their application to our daily work and life. We will also be exposed, although briefly, to some ethics/ /leadership views from other cultures. In brief, the main focus of this course will be on enhancing our ethical awareness as we learn more about ourselves and ourselves in relationship to others and our milieu. In addition to being exposed to some major ethical perspectives, we will learn helpful tools and practical skills to address our ethics/leadership issues. Tools have to be used and skills have to be practiced to become adept at applying them to resolve ethics/ leadership issues. Therefore this is mostly an interactive course in which personal reflection and problem solving, group work and class participation will be emphasized. We will thus have the opportunity to apply these tools and skills to address ethics/leadership problems as we progressively augment our capacity for ethical discernment through resolution of personal ethics/leadership issues, challenging readings
2 and take-home questions, selected self-assessments, thoughtful writings, book and movie reviews, and participation in small groups and in class. Course Objectives The aim is that by the end of this course students will: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
Become more aware of their own ethical values as persons, leaders/followers Have an enhanced capacity for ethical discernment and behavior Have learned skills to solve day-to-day ethics/leadership problems Know Western ethics perspectives and how to apply them to solve ethical issues Appreciate some non-Western perspectives to enrich critical thinking in ethics Have learned some leadership and followership skills
Instructional Materials/Resources --Textbooks Manning, R. & Stroud, S. R. (2008). A practical guide to ethics. Living and leading with integrity. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Weston, A. (2008). A 21st century ethical toolbox. Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press. --Readings, websites and handouts. As included in the Course Outline and additional materials assigned throughout the course. Various readings, handouts and self-assessment questionnaires will be added according to class and group profiles, emerging contemporary ethical issues and students’ interests. Method of Evaluation (30%) Individual Final Paper: Students will select an ethics/leadership personal or work-related problem of interest to them and with enough scope and complexity to require the use of the ethical/leadership perspectives, tools and skills learned in class to address it. The paper will be progressively written throughout the course, as new ethics/leadership approaches and tools are learned and will be reviewed twice during the semester by the instructor. The final product will be a 12 to 20-page paper in APA style. The evaluation will be 10% for the middle of the course review and 10% for the final paper. Students are advised to write the paper iteratively to avoid an accumulation of pending assignments at the end of the course. Papers are expected to: a. be clearly stated and grammatically correct b. demonstrate a thoughtful discernment and analysis of the ethics/leadership issue(s) at hand c. show an appropriate use of the material and tools learned in class, and d. articulate a clear connection between the discernment, analysis and the proposed solution of the ethics/ leadership issue(s)
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(20%) Participation: This is an interactive class in which students will learn from their own work as well as others’. Regular and prompt attendance to class and small group sessions is required. Likewise, completing reading, writing and other assignments before class, demonstrating preparedness and actively participating in small and large group discussions and activities are expected. The assessment of participation will include expressing your opinions about the material we will study, sharing your experiences and knowledge in the small and large groups as well as the practice of good listening, according to the guidelines to be described in class. Students are required to attend all class sessions and deliver assignments on time. If being absent is inevitable, the student must advise the instructor and his or her small group before the session to be missed and the student will complete a make-up assignment to be handed in to the instructor and all classmates. Unexcused absences will affect the final grade and the studente will still complete a make-up assignment to be handed in to the instructor and all classmates. Late written papers, journals or other assignments will affect the final grade. The make-up assignments are not a punishment for being absent but a means to substitute the missed opportunity to participate in the small and large groups with additional material that will benefit everyone in class. (15%) Personal mission statement. This statement will include a specific action plan with corresponding beginning dates. (15%) Small Group Final Presentation of Assigned Book: Members of the small groups will review a book from an ethics/leadership perspective. The final products will be an oral presentation and a summary handout. The oral presentation will be made by all members of the group, illustrating the author’ view and a contrasting view, ethics and leadership perspectives/tools/skills used, at least three ethical/leadership issues and the group’s reflection on each of the issues. The summary handout will be a minimum twopage (single-spaced and double-sided) document to be handed out to all classmates and the instructor. (10%) Journal. At least once a week, students will write in a Journal the insights and reflections that come forth from doing the assignment, recalling related personal experiences, answering the assigned questions, and narratives of classmates in the small and large groups. The journal entries must be related to the assigned topic This journal is not a summary of the material but the result of an interaction between the material and the students’ reflections, reactions, thoughts and feelings about the material. Please indicate in the index if any entries are confidential. The Journal will be reviewed toward the end of the semester by the instructor. He will review in the classroom the title of each entry and the frequency and length of the written reflections by checking the index. He will also glance at 2 or 3 weekly reflections at random (confidential entries will not be read or reviewed). Sharing of journal contents in class will be optional.
4 (10%) Ethical/Leadership Issue Assignment. Members of small groups will analyze Gandhi’s movie and lead discussion of ethical/leadership issues General Information Responsibility: Students are responsible for doing their own work, and academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation of information in oral or written form. Such violations will be dealt with severely by the instructor and the dean. Plagiarism: Plagiarism consists of using another author's words without proper identification and documentation. The fabrication of sources, or the act, deliberately or unconsciously, or passing another author's work off as your own are also considered to be plagiarism. Falsification: Falsification consists of deliberately changing results, statistics, or any other kind of factual information to make it suit your needs. It also consists of deliberately changing a sources' intent by misquoting or taking out of context. This includes falsifying signatures or letterhead for use to verify volunteer work at an agency and unauthorized use of an agency's letterhead. Multiple submission: If you wish to turn in the same work or use the same research, in whole or in part, for more than one course, you must obtain permission to do so from all professors involved. Failure to obtain this permission constitutes academic dishonesty. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement Any personal learning accommodations that may be needed by a student, covered under the ADA, must be made known to the instructor as soon as possible. This is the student's responsibility. If you are a student with a diagnosed disability or suspect that you may have one, please contact USD's Disability Services in Serra Hall room 300 or call 619260-4655 or visit the website at www.sandiego.edu/disability BEFORE midterm. NOTE: STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COURSE WILL RECEIVE AN "INCOMPLETE." THE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE END OF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE NEXT REGULAR SEMESTER; OTHERWISE, THE "I" GRADE WILL BE COUNTED AS AN "F."
Course Outline 1st session (1/25, 1/28) --Introduction of the Course and Syllabus Review
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2nd session (2/1, 2/4) --Introduction to ethics: Ethics as a learning experience. Learning about ethics by listening/ talking/sharing. Living and leading with integrity --Taking values seriously Introduction: READ --Weston: Ch 1; Ch 4 & 13 --Manning and Stroud (M&S): Preface, Ch 1 (1-6) --Ground rules to share ethical issues and to create a safe environment (handouts) Ethical/leadership perspectives: --READ Weston Ch 6 WRITE ON AND BRING JOURNAL TO CLASS --Write your personal reflections in a journal, leaving the first two pages blank. Bring the journal to class to fill out pages 1 and 2 3rd session (2/8, 2/11) --Relativism, absolutism and pluralism. Dogmatism (and how to avoid it) --Ethics and religion. Ethics around the world --The ethics of happiness --Ethical/leadership perspectives: READ --Hinman Ch 2 (pp. 27-33, 53-59) ERES --Weston Ch 2 & 3 --M&S Ch 2 & Ch 5 READ Weston Ch 8 --Self-knowledge: HAND IN --Select a personal or workplace ethics/leadership issue (“individual issue”) that is important to you. Write a 2 to 4-page paper stating your position and a contrasting position as described in “Hearing the Other Side,” Weston, pp. 33-34. Your issue will be shared mostly with your small group and hopefully you feel encouraged to share it periodically with the large group. Furthermore, your individual issue will be the topic of your final paper. This submission will not be graded but late delivery will affect the final grade Note: Select your issue thoughtfully and make sure it is of enough personal interest, scope and complexity to work with it throughout the term, as you will develop multiple potential approaches to resolve it 4th session (2/15, 2/18)
6 --Catholic Social Thought (CST)’s contribution to ethics/ leadership. CST and Mondragon as an ethical workplace. --The ethics of virtue Ethical/leadership perspectives: READ: --DeBerri & Hug, Ch 3-4 ERES --Herrera, D. “Mondragon: A for-profit organization that embodies Catholic social thought.” (Review of Business, St John’s University) ERES READ: Weston Ch 9 5th session (2/22, 2/25) --Exploring my conscience, my vision and my values. Personal mission statement based on my vision and values --You can change your life --The ethics of the person Self-knowledge: READ --Gula, R. M. “Ch 1. Conscience,” (pp.11-40) ERES --Weston Ch 17 DO EXERCISE: Instrumental and terminal values (Johnson, pp. 84-85) ERES WRITE: Use your results from the above exercise to craft your personal mission statement based on your values, life experience, aspirations and work. Resources: Johnson: pp. 79-81 ERES Also, Covey’s: “7 Habits of highly effective people,” pp. 106109 & 292-294 and “The 8th habit,” pp. 156-159 ERES Ethical/leadership perspectives: Weston Ch 7 & 18 6th session (3/1, 3/4). --Service and service learning --The ethics of relationship --You can change the world --Mid-term assessment of course (to be done in class) --Mid-term self and peer assessment (to be done in class) Ethical/leadership perspectives: READ Weston, Ch 5 & 10 Self-knowledge: READ Weston Ch 19
7 ADD A FOUR-POINT ACTION PLAN AND HAND IN. Your mission statement with a four-point action plan including starting dates No session (3/8, 3/11) – Spring Break 7th session (3/15, 3/18) – Small groups work on their own – NO CLASS --Ethical issues in Gandhi’s movie --Critical thinking and judging like cases alike Ethical/leadership perspectives: WATCH Gandhi’s movie with your small group READ: --Nair: Gandhi’s “The spirit of service,” (pp. 57-92) ERES --“Practicing Servant-Leadership” websites: http://www.butler.edu/studentlife/hampton/principles.htm http://www.leadersdirect.com/servant.html Small groups meet on their own to analyze movie on Gandhi’s life and its relationship with Gandhi’s Spirit of Service and Servant Leadership. Specific questions will be assigned. Skills/tools: READ Weston Ch 11 & 12 8th session (3/22, 3/25) – Discussion of Gandhi’s movie. Gandhi’s higher standard of leadership. Greenleaf’s servant leadership. SHARE ANALYSIS AND LEAD DISCUSSION --Small groups will share with the large group the answers to the assigned questions and will stimulate discussion about the ethical/leadership issues HAND IN --First part of your individual issue paper with a total of 6-10 pages in APA style. It will include at least a title and introduction to your issue, a statement of your view and a contrasting view as would be expressed by a friend (see Weston p. 33) and what each side is right about (Weston p. 300). It will also include an analysis of your issue according to the ethical/leadership perspectives we have studied (Weston Ch 7-10). The last two paragraphs on M&S p. 80 can be a helpful guideline to frame your issue. You are encouraged to use Weston’s tools and insights we have read so far (Ch 11, 12, 13, 18… ) and applicable M&S’s perspectives. This first part of the paper will be graded and will not be reviewed again. 9th session (3/29, 4/8) --Communicating with integrity --The world of work --My relationships with family and friends --The intersection of my work and my personal life --When values clash
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Self-knowledge: READ: -- M&S Ch 7, 8 & 9 --“The real reasons you are working so hard…and what you can do about it.” Mandel Business week October 3, 2005 (60-67) ERES --“The overworked, networked family.” Farrell. Business week, October 3, 2005 (68-70, 73). ERES Skills/tools: READ Weston Ch 14 EASTER BREAK (4/2, 4/5) 10th session (4/12, 4/15) --The light and shadow aspects of leadership and followership --Why is it so hard to do the right thing? --Justice --Creative problem-solving and reframing problems Ethical/leadership perspectives: READ: --The leader’s light or shadow Johnson: Introduction and Chapter 1 (xv-xx & 3-34) --Why is it so hard to do the right thing? M&S Ch 1 (6-22) --M&S Ch 6 Skills/tools: READ Weston Ch 15 & 16 11th session (4/19, 4/22) --Combating evil --Forgiveness --Spirituality and Leadership --Review of Journal (in class) Self-knowledge: READ --Combating evil Ch 4 (105-111) and box 4.1 (112-113) --Forgiveness. Johnson Ch 4 (111-120). --Spirituality and Leadership Johnson Ch 4 (120-133); --Herrera, D. (2001). “Awakening the spirituality of the leader to heal the world” (1-19). Unpublished book chapter ERES BRING JOURNAL TO CLASS FOR REVIEW --At least ten entries (one per week) expected. Assignment will be graded HAND IN
9 --Second and final part of your individual issue paper. The second part of the paper will have a total of 6-10 pages in APA style. It will include a continued analysis of your issue according to the additional ethical/leadership perspectives and other material we have studied. It will also include a four point action plan that would begin to resolve your issue within the next year. This final part of the paper will be graded on the completeness of the analysis and the feasibility of the four point action plan. Staple this second part of the final paper to the original first part of the paper and to my corresponding feedback. Not complying with this requirement will affect the final grade. 12th session (4/26, 4/29) – Small group work on their own to prepare presentation and handouts of assigned books. No class 13th session (5/3, 5/6) – Group presentations of assigned books. Course evaluation. Final peer evaluation. Reflections about our ethical journey. PRESENTATIONS AND HANDOUTS BY SMALL GROUPS End Bibliography Coles, R. (1993). The call of service. A witness to idealism. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Restoring the character ethic. New York: Fireside. Covey, S. R. (2004). The 8th habit. From effectiveness to greatness. New York: Free Press. Driver. J. (2007). Ethics. The fundamentals. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Edel, A. et al (Eds.). (1994). Critique of applied ethics. Reflections and recommendations. Philadelphia, PA. Temple University Press. Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership. A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press. Gula, R. M. (1997). Moral discernment. New York: Paulist Press. Herrera, D. (2001). “Awakening the spirituality of the leader to heal the world.” Unpublished research paper. Herrera, D. (2002). “Laborem Exercens, ‘Traditional organizations’ and the democratic Mondragón model,” Work as key to the social question. The great social and economic transformations and the subjective dimension of work. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Herrera, D. (2003). “Mondragon: A For-Profit Organization that Embodies Catholic Social Thought.” Review of Business (Vol. 25, No. 1. Winter 2004). New York: St John’s University. Hinman, L. M. (1996). Contemporary moral issues. Diversity and consensus. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hinman, L. M. (2003). Ethics. A pluralistic approach to moral theory. Third Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Hoose, B. (Ed.). (1998).Christian ethics. An introduction. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press. Hopkins, W. E. (1997). Ethical dimensions of diversity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Series of Business Ethics. Hospers, J. (1996). Human conduct. Problems of ethics. Third edition. Belmont, CA: Wasdsworth Group/Thomson Learning. Johnson, C. E. (2005). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership. Second edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Lebacqz, K. (1985). Professional ethics. Power and paradox. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. Leone, B. et al. (Eds.). (1995). Ethics. Current Controversies. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press.
10 Manning, R. & Stroud, S. R. (2008). A practical guide to ethics. Living and leading with integrity. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Nair, K. (1994). A higher standard of leadership. Lessons from the life of Gandhi. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Newton, L. H. & Ford, M. M. (Eds.). (1990). Takings sides. Clashing views and controversial issues in business ethics and society. Sluice Duck, Gilford, CT: The Duskin Publishing Group, Inc. Noddings, N. (2003). Caring. A feminine approach to ethics and moral education. 2nd edition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Pojman, L. (Ed.). (1993). Moral philosophy. A reader. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Co. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (2002). Work as key to the social question. The great social and economic transformations and the subjective dimension of work. (2002). Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Rachels, J. (2003). The elements of moral philosophy. 4th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Shelton, C. M. (2000). Achieving moral health. New York: Crossroads Publishing Company. Solomon, R. C. & Higgins, K. M. (Eds.). (1995). World philosophy. A text with readings. New York: McGraw-Hill. Solomon, R. C. & Higgins, K. M. (1996). A short history of philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press. Stewart S. & Donleavy, G. (Eds.). (1995). Whose business values? Some Asian and cross-cultural perspectives. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. The servant as leader (1991). Booklet. Indianapolis, IN: The Robert K. Greenleaf Center. Timmons, M. (1990). Conduct and character. Readings in moral theory. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co. Vardy, P. & Grosch, P. (1994). The Puzzle of Ethics. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. Velazquez, M. G. (1992). Business ethics. Concepts and cases. Third Edition. Englewoods, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. Waluchov, W. J. (2003). The dimensions of ethics. An introduction to ethical theory. Peterborough, Ontario, Canada: Broadview Press, Ltd. Weston, A. (2008). A 21st century ethical toolbox. 2nd Ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
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