It is now time to review a case study that focuses on ethical behavior.
Access the Open APM’s ethics case study resource provided below to read a scenario concerning ethics in projects.
Can you pinpoint a few instances of professional conduct highlighted in this scenario? Reflect on the skills employed to integrate ethical considerations into the decisions made by the individuals involved. Can you recognize them?
Share your responses in the discussion section below.
After posting your comment, proceed to the next step, where you will find some potential answers provided by APM for these questions.
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Karen demonstrated:
Respect
Research
Problem solving
Empathy
Communication
Empathy
Teamwork
Critical thinking
John who was the Project Manager got carried away on the first day of work instead of organizing the team for proper planning thereby mismanaging time.
William was self centered and neglected the concept of team work and acted on his own accord, had no empathy toward his teammates and what contributions they may have had in mind.
Karen wanted to carry out more research on the project but she went along with what William presented without communicating her opinion to the rest of the team.
When John and Karen communicated, they found out that there was more to the project and better approaches.
Ethics that were meant to be met in this case study are: Time management, Communication, Teamwork, Creating of a Plan, Empathy.
Three skills portrayed in the case study include; Empathy, communication, and problem-solving skills.
The three major characters portrayed skillful and efficient individuals, however:
Williams seem to be overconfident and feels he can do it all alone without collaborating and communicating with his other team members which isn’t part of good qualities of Teamwork.
John and Karen understood and played the role of good team members. They engaged in open and clear communication, ensuring they are aligned on achieving a specific goal.
Some skills to navigate this challenging scenario are:
*Communication skills
*Conflict resolution skills
*Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
*Problem solving skills
*Respect and Integrity
The three characters portrayed were skilled and efficient workers and they had the project’s interest at hand, although William lacked the skill of being a team player, the skill of transparency and integrity.
He was overly confident in his abilities to handled the project that he underestimated the ability and contributions of his team mates.
However john and Karen understood what teamplay implied, they were able able to communicate their ideas clearly without hostility in the work environment. i find Karen’s quick thinking and ability to present her observations quite impressive, being tactful while respect your team’s feelings is one of the responsibility of a project manager, it helps prevent internal conflict at the same time motivating one’s spirit to get the work done.
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
*XYZ sent one of his key principals to Organise implement the engagement.
* John asked a question how the engagement programmes would be organised.
* Williams made him to that a report is already being documented and would be out in one or two days.
*Findings are important in delivery the next stage(Karen).
* A bit of online research Identified a global big firm has partnered with local firms.
* John and Karen identified the material hurdle for its next stage.
SKILLS EMPLOYED ARE:
*Empathy
*Resilience
*Compassion
*Aim to achieve high
All three of them have the interest of the project success at heart but they approached it differently because of their experiences and understanding.William who oversees the project and much experience in the clients country went solo in involving the opinion research company on the first phase of that which is needed for the project,he did not collaborate with John and Karen his team mates on the project, therefore John and Karen was uncomfortable with because there are pros and cons that was supposed to be identified and look into before making up the report.There is communication breakdown and lack of team spirit here from Williams end.Karen with her lack of experience was able to courteously deal with both John and Williams opinion research report, that’s commendable,it demonstrate her intergration into the company and team player attitude.
The professional code of conduct highlighted in this scenario.
John acted professionally, he was open to suggestions because he wanted what is best for his firm having in mind that success of this project would move the XYZ firm to the next level.
William on the handle wasn’t a good team player he was not ready to collaborate with the team he was working with and he also has communication issues. He clearly he didn’t know how to pass information. While Kareen on the other hand is a better team player, she knows how to communicate her informations, she knows what it means to collaborate with her team to achieve their common goal. Though she is new but she clearly understood the ethical code of conduct better than Williams
William clearly doesn’t know how to work with a team, and he’s too excited on pushing thing a little too fast, he needs to work on collaboration, John is quite professional and has a cool temperament, that could have escalated real quick seeing as his office as project overseer was sidelined, Karen was highly proactive and should probably get a raise or a bonus, her quick thinking and speaking up saved the day, and we should also learn from how she presented her thoughts “jokingly” so it was easier for it to be accepted… respect for one’s self and for people and their position saves us a lot of drama at the end of the day.