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Leadership & Ethics EDLD 502 Spring 2010 Mondays 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Hill Hall 131 Patti Saraniero, Ed.D. Office Phone: 619‐255‐2175 Email: psaraniero@sandiego.edu (Email is the best way to reach me) Office Hours: By Appointment Course Description Welcome to Leadership and ethics. Ethical decision making is one of the most challenging pieces of leadership. The media is flush with examples of failed ethical decision‐making – and the nonprofit sector is not exempt from these kinds of issues. Ethics have a particular resonance for nonprofit managers and leaders. Nonprofits are entrusted with the public good. There is an emotional element to nonprofits that is not typically engendered by for‐ profit entities. Likewise, when a nonprofit scandal erupts as the result of poor ethics or mismanagement, the adverse effects are felt throughout the sector. As nonprofit leaders, we have a responsibility not only to our own organizations, clients, boards, and donors, but, also to each other and the entire sector. With these special responsibilities in mind, nonprofit leaders are wise to carefully consider the place of ethics in their work. This course seeks to make ethics an explicit process for students rather than an implicit one. In other words, we will work towards developing a moral imagination. The moral imagination allows us to envision new ideas and solutions in ethics. This course will provide students with the opportunity to develop ethical decision‐making skills and consider ethical questions in the nonprofit sector. Textbooks/Readings/Films Texts: • Nair, K. A higher standard of leadership. San Francisco, CA: Berrett‐Koehler. • Noddings, N. Caring: A feminine approach to ethics and moral education (2nd ed). University of California Press. • Rachels, J., and Rachels, S. (2007). The elements of moral philosophy, (5th Edition), Boston, MA: McGraw‐ Hill. Films: • Attenborough, R. (1982). Gandhi. USA: Columbia Pictures. • Kuot, J., Vicente, J., Motemo,S., and Gibney, A. (2005). Enron: The smartest guys in the room. USA: Magnolia Pictures
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Articles & Other Reading: Additional required readings will be available on Copley Library’s E‐Reserve system. You can access E‐Reserves online: 1. Go to Copley Library’s homepage: http://marian.sandiego.edu 2. To the right of the page you will see a light blue tab labeled "Course Reserves". 3. Electronic Reserves ("ERes") will be the first pull‐down menu. Enter "Leadership & Ethics" in the search box. Be sure to use "&" rather than "and" in the course title. 4. Enter the password and click on “accept” (The password for this course is ethics502.) 5. Then, click on any of the titles of the documents and it will open the document in pdf. WebCT To facilitate the course, we will be using WebCT, the university’s online learning site. You will be able to check the site for the syllabus, handouts, announcements as well as work in your small group online. • To use WebCT you must have a current University e‐mail account. • To access your course, go to: http://pope.sandiego.edu • Log in using the username and password for your MySanDiego account. • Once on the My Courses page, you should see your course(s) listed. To enter a course, click on the hyperlinked title. Deadlines & Attendance All coursework must be completed. Work turned in after the stated deadline will receive a reduced grade of one point per week. Please submit your work in hard copy. If you need to turn in an assignment by email, please check with me prior to the due date. This is an interactive class in which much of the learning occurs through in‐class activities. Students are expected to attend class and participate in class activities. As a reminder, the attendance policy of the Nonprofit Leadership program is that after 3 absences for any reason, final grades will be dropped a full letter grade. When in Class, Be in Class Please be sure your cell phone is switched off or to silent mode during class. Please keep food and beverages unobtrusive. Assessment/Grading ‐ Specific grading rubrics will be distributed for each assignment. Personal Reflection 10 points Study Guide for Caring 10 points Working draft of Code of Ethics 15 points Case Study Project 15 points Final Project & Presentation 25 points Final Project Reflection 10 points Class Participation/Attendance 15 points Total 100 points
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A+ 100% B+ 87‐89% C+ 77‐79% D+ 67‐69% A 94‐99% B 83‐86% C 73‐76% D 63‐66% A‐ 90‐93% B‐ 80‐82% C‐ 70‐72% D‐ 60‐62% F >60% Academic Integrity It is the responsibility of all students to be familiar with the University and SOLES’ policies on academic integrity. This course has a zero‐tolerance policy towards academic dishonesty. The first instance of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism or cheating, the student will fail the assignment. The second instance will result in the student failing the course. Academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean’s office in accordance with SOLES policy, USD SOLES faculty members Dr. George Reed & Dr. Athena Perrakis composed the academic integrity statement that is provided below. Please keep this in mind while completing your work for this course and beyond. Hugo Bedau wrote the following in Thinking and Writing About Philosophy: "Writers plagiarize when they use another's words or ideas without suitable acknowledgement. Plagiarism amounts to theft – theft of language and thought. Plagiarism also involves deception.... [Plagiarism] wrongs the person from whom the words or thoughts were taken and to whom no credit was given; and it wrongs the reader by fraudulently misrepresenting the words or thoughts as though they are the writer's own." Finally, although it sounds cliché, when you plagiarize you cheat yourself in three clear ways: First, by not developing the discipline and diligence to research, write, and edit well; second, because taking credit for other people's ideas will induce outrage and resentment against you; and third, because a habit of plagiarism can end your career and destroy your reputation. Expulsion from the university or failure to complete a course or degree are minor problems when you consider that plagiarism can jeopardize your chances to pursue any further education after the incident, which impairs your entire professional and economic future. To avoid plagiarism, you must cite your sources everywhere in your paper where you use the ideas of others, and not only when you quote them directly, but where you paraphrase their points in your own words. In general, you should only use direct quotes when you find the author's wording to be especially effective. Your paraphrasing or summaries of author's points should be thorough. It is not fair to an author to change only a couple of words in a paragraph and then imply (by not using direct quotes) that the paragraph is entirely your own prose. It might help to imagine the author reading over your shoulder. Would he or she approve of your use of his or her work? At USD, the code of academic integrity is not just rhetoric; forms of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or facilitating academic dishonesty. Submitting a paper you wrote for a previous class as an assignment for this class is also a form of academic dishonesty. Engaging in academic dishonesty may result in suspension or expulsion
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from the USD. If you are unfamiliar with USD's policy, please ensure that you read it. Familiarizing yourself with USD’s policies and procedures is your responsibility as a student. Overview of Assignments: Due: February 2 Personal reflection 10 points Bring in a mini‐case study of approximately two pages that describes an ethical dilemma you have confronted in working in the nonprofit sector, preferably one in which it was particularly difficult to figure out the right thing to do. Write about the following: (1) Describe the situation (please use pseudonyms); (2) identify the ethical dilemma/problem; (3) indicate what action you took and/or what action you believe should have been taken; and (4) explain why you decided to act the way you did. Due: March 2 Study guide 10 points Turn in completed study guide that accompanies the Noddings book. Due: March 16 Working draft of Code of Ethics 15 points Write a code of ethics for a nonprofit organization of your choice that does not have a code. If the organization is large, the code may cover just one aspect of the organization (Human resources, finance, fundraising, etc.). When possible, input from the staff and Board from the organization should be included. Due: March 31 Case Study 15 points Using the codes of ethics created in class, students will work in teams to study real cases of ethical challenges in the nonprofit sector. Students will uncover the ethical issues in the case, identify each of the stakeholders and their positions, and present three alternative solutions, including the one the team agrees is the best course of action. Each team’s decision making should be rooted in the code of ethics. Each student team will present their case and suggested actions to the class. Use this opportunity to find out what works – and what does not – about your code of ethics! Each team should prepare 15 minutes of presentation and should all the components listed above. A creative approach to the presentation is encouraged. Due: May 11 Final Project 25 points Part 1: Present final version of code of ethics. Part 2: How will this organization become more ethical? How will the stakeholders embrace this new culture? What will you do to create this culture? Design a three‐year implementation plan to create a more ethical culture within this organization. Describe the tools and processes you will pursue to do this. For example, your team might design an ethics training tool. However you approach this, be sure to provide adequate details about your methods and strategies for implementation.
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Your project will take the form of a detailed written report that outlines a three‐year plan and makes use of relevant ideas and readings from the course. Project papers should be a minimum of 8 pages and should include a timeline and appropriate references. Part 3: Oral presentation of projects and appropriate handouts. Due: May 11 Final Project Reflection 10 points A 3‐page narrative/reflection piece describing the process you undertook in the course of helping to create this product. What concepts did you learn in the course that you applied in the process of creating this document? What were the dynamics you encountered as part of your working group and how did those dynamics you encountered as part of your working group and how did those dynamics detract from or contribute to the process and produce (e.g., did your team cohere easily, and if so, how; did much negotiation take place; was there a need for conflict resolution, etc.)? What organizational dynamics within your client organization impeded or contributed to the effectiveness of the work (for example, how did individual clients or the culture of your client organization shape your work?).
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Course Outline: Week #1/Jan 25 Course introduction and review of the syllabus. Week #2/Feb 1 The Challenge of Ethics DUE: Written assignment #1 READING DUE: From The Elements of Moral Philosophy: ‐ “What is Morality?” (Chapter 1) On EReserve: ‐"The role of ethics and value setting in leadership" from The Servant Leader ‐ "What is good leadership?" by Joanna Ciulla from Center for Public Leadership, JFK School of Government, Harvard Univ. Week #3/Feb 8 Introduction to the RulesBased Perspective of Ethics We consider three unique rules‐based approaches to ethics. DO: Take the “Moral Dilemma Survey” at www.yourmorals.org READING DUE: From The Elements of Moral Philosophy: Chapter 6 – “The Utilitarian Approach” Chapter 7 – “The Debate over Utilitarianism” Chapter 8 – “Are There Absolute Moral Rules” Chapter 10 – “The Idea of a Social Contract” Week #4/Feb 15 Rules & Ethics: What is the Right Thing to do? VIEWING DUE: Dr Michael Sandel's Justice (Episode 2) ‐ www.justiceharvard.org READING DUE: On EReserve: "A Kantian theory of leadership" from Leadership & Organization Development Journal Week #5/February 22 NonWestern Approaches To Ethics: The Case of Gandhi We will discuss Gandhi and his unique ethical framework. In class we will consider if we can utilize his teachings today and how we might do so. VIEWING DUE: Richard Attenborough’s film Gandhi. READING DUE: A Higher Standard of Leadership: Lessons from the Life of Gandhi by Keshavan Nair
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Week #6/March 1 The Ethics of Caring DUE: Study guide for Caring DO: Take the “Moral Foundations Questionnaire” at www.yourmorals.org READING DUE: From Caring: 1. “Introduction” 2. “Why Care About Caring?” (Chapter 1) 3. “An Ethic of Caring” (Chapter 4) On EReserve: ‐ "The ethic of compassion" from Ethics for the New Millennium March 8 No class – Spring Break Week #7/March 15 Servant Leadership Theory Leading from a Moral Place Reading Due: On EReserve: ‐ "Who is the Servant‐Leader?" from Practicing ServantLeadership ‐ "The unique double servant‐leadership role of the board chair" from Focus on Leadership ‐ "Servant‐leadership and philanthropic institutions" from Focus on Leadership ‐ "Servant‐Leadership, forgiveness, and social justice" from Practicing ServantLeadership Week #8/March 22 Working draft of your Codes of Ethics DUE: Students will present their working drafts of their codes of ethics with the class. READING DUE: On EReserve: "Make your values mean something " from Harvard Business Review "Managing for organizational integrity" from Harvard Business Review "Just leadership: Creating a values‐driven community" from Leader to Leader Week #9/March 29 Moral Psychology: The Science of Philosophy (or How We Really Make Decisions) DUE: A variety of articles will be assigned to read for this session prior to spring break. Each student will be assigned a specific article and you will lead a discussion about it in class with a small group. Expect to use about 15 minutes for your discussion. You may discuss the article’s big ideas or connect it to your work or argue with its main points. Your choice. There will be some overlap in the articles so you may want to be prepared to discuss a couple of different ideas to avoid repetition.
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April 5 No class – Easter break Week #10/April 12 Case Study Presentations Students will present their case studies to the class. Week #11/April 19 Leadership, Ethics, and Cultural Diversity: Are Ethics Universal or Relative? From The Elements of Moral Philosophy: Reading Due: ‐ “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” (Chapter 2) ‐The Elements of Moral Philosophy ‐“Subjectivism in Ethics” (Chapter 3) ‐The Elements of Moral Philosophy On EReserve: “Judging Other Cultures” by Martha Nussbaum Week #12/April 26 Honesty and Deceit VIEWING DUE: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room READING DUE: On EReserve: ‐ “Deceit and illusion in human affairs” from Lying and Deception in Everyday Life ‐ "Is it Ever Right to Lie?" from Honest Work ‐ "Whistleblowing and professional responsibility" from Honest Work ‐ "Whistleblowing as responsible followership" from The Art of Followership. Week #13/May 3 Altruism Reading Due: E‐Book at Copley Library (see WebCT for direct link): ‐ "The puzzle of altruism" (Chapter 1 ‐ pgs 6‐15) from The Heart of Altruism by Kristen Renwick Monroe On EReserve: ‐ "Kindness among strangers" from Kindness in a Cruel World ‐ "What we're missing by raising happy kids" by Richard Weissbourd ‐"Visions of a more just world: The acts of moral leaders" from Do Unto Others Week #14/May 10 Oral Presentations Presentations of final projects. DUE: Final projects
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10 Things You Really Must Do for APA Formatting (Think of these as absolute rules. Use them all the time in every circumstance.) One of the most frequent questions I am asked: “Why do I need to use APA formatting? I don’t need to use it at work or in the real world!!” Yep. Nearly all of us working outside of academe are free of the constraints of APA formatting. However, you do have formatting requirements in grant applications, tax forms, marketing materials and other necessary paperwork. You have these formatting requirements to make the work more uniform and easier to read. That’s why we have formatting rules in this course – to insure that everyone is doing roughly the same amount of work and that it can be easily read. These are not onerous rules and they will serve you well in other writing. 1. Indent each paragraph 5 spaces (or, conveniently, this is typically one tab). 2. Double space. HOWEVER, do not put an extra space between paragraphs. Your references should be double‐spaced as well. 3. Use Times New Roman or Courier in 12 point. 4. Use one‐inch margins all the way around your paper. 5. Number each page. It goes in the top right corner of the page. Begin numbering on the first page. 6. You may use italics for titles of full‐length works, such as books or movies. For example, The Smartest Guys in the Room. Use quotations marks for titles of chapters and articles. You may also use quotation marks when you are using words counter to their intended meaning (i.e. you are being ironic, as in Jeff Skilling’s “ethics”.). 7. When citing a source, the in‐text citation should include the author’s last name and the year the work was published (Saraniero, 2006). That’s it. You do not need a page number unless you have used a direct quote (see #9). 8. What is citing a source, really? If you are discussing someone’s specific work or ideas, than you need to give them credit (to indicate that they are not your ideas & work). However, if you are writing about something generally known, such as the fact that the sky is blue, you do not need to cite someone to establish that the sky is blue. 9. When directly quoting material from another source, use quotation marks for quotes under 40 words. “These quotes are part of your paragraph. Include an appropriate citation” (Saraniero, 2006, p.1). Note that the period goes after the citation. The other form of citation, observed Saraniero (2006), is to “break the citation up into two parts” (p. 1). Again, note the placement of the period. 10. Your reference page is a list of all the materials you cited in the paper. If you read something, but did not cite it in your writing, you do not need to include it as a reference. Center the word “References” at the top. Alphabetize your references by the last name of the first author. The first line of each reference is at the margin. Any additional lines are indented 5 spaces. For complete details on preparing your
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reference page, see the APA guide on the USD Writing Center website. Here are some example references from the upcoming readings:
Nair, K. (1997). A higher standard of leadership: Lessons from the life of Gandhi. San Francisco:Berrett‐Koehler. Nussbaum, M. (2002). Judging other cultures: The case of genital mutilation. In L. May, S. Collins‐Chobanian, & K. Wong (Eds.), Applied ethics: A multicultural approach (pp. 23‐36). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.