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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Osaretin Aghedo
Cohort 19, Team 5
From the APM case study,
I observed the following :
1. the team of 3 that was sent for the engagement with the stakeholders, working individually could not come up with a good approach.
2. Karen, demonstrate human intelligence skill in bringing John to the reality of the report.
3. They could come up with something good through communication and team work.
From the case study , there was lack of transparency and communication amongst them
From the APM CASE STUDY, 3 persons were chosen for an engagement program with a key stakeholder and they were to give feedback that will help identify any substantial hurdles that could mar the next stage of a project.
Firstly, the three of them never met to have a kickoff meeting on how to engage the stakeholder, they worked individually and only one of them ended up presenting an easy overly positive report.
Karen was hesitant at the beginning to air her views/concerns on the report presented by William to John because she was considering her continuous rapport with John in the office and her dream job(remained in her comfort zone, sentimental at first).
John got carried away with his tour round the city and got distracted from the main task. He also did not question Williams quick report on the stakeholder.
Williams who was the Agency’s man appointed to oversee the engagement lacked team work, communication, collaboration and decided to do what was needed without bearing in mind the goal for the meeting(lack of transparency as a professional conduct was clearly demonstrated by Williams).
At this point there was no effective communication, honesty, team collaboration & work, critical thinking, proactiveness, e.t.c amongst the three of them.
Later on, Karen decided to be tactful by teasing John regarding the engagement report Williams gave to him. It was at this point they worked and rubbed minds together. They discussed about the pros and cons of the report William had given out.
Based on our previous lessons, Karen carried out effective communication with her line manager John, discussed with her peers over the weekend, did an online research to seek independent verification of the report.
These skills fostered an environment of collaboration and integrity, crucial for navigating ethical challenges in the project which in the end identified some material hurdles for the next stage of the project.
Cohort 19, Team 3.
In the case study , key issues of professional conduct include a lack of transparency in project execution and Karen’s hesitation to voice concerns about an overly positive report, which raises ethical questions about honesty and accountability. Skills that helped address these issues include effective communication, as demonstrated by John’s open discussions with Karen, and critical thinking, evident in Karen’s proactive approach to seek independent verification of the report’s findings. These skills fostered an environment of collaboration and integrity, crucial for navigating ethical challenges in the project.
Cohort 19 Team 1
The Team lacked Synergy,proper communication and confidence. They would rather play the nice guy than defend the company’s reputation until Karen overcame her fears and helped John to saved the day through collaboration, effective communication, active listening, brainstorming, research and willingness to deliver a reputable project for future contracts. However, they sidelined William who believed in cutting corners and is not bothered about exploring resources to align himself with trends.
they map out their option together as a team work. smooth communication and expressing their position about the project.
They had a very serious case of poor communication, lack of Team work, lack of risk management, exaggeration and Compromise because Karen was afraid to criticize the report because she did not want to offend John and get an unconducive office atmosphere, all this loopholes is enough to flop any project.
Karen and John were able to save the situation by Effectively Communicating and Constructively Criticizing with Active listening, Research, Team Work, Analysis, Brain Storming, and Decision Making in place.
Communication, ethics, team spirit was missing in this team. William obviously is a one man team. I liked the fact that John was open to criticism and correction which also shows he is a good project manager. Then after a week, He brainstormed with Karen to get the job done.
They were working independently before and everyone have their opinion on the project but the following week karen was able to get the nod to work as stern with John for the seek of the project and also to secure a bigger project in the future.
Initially, it was evident the group lacked:
1) Smooth communication
2)Team Spirt
3) Value and ethics in terms of professionalism and transparency
4) Ability for team members to express their true position about the project.
After a week, all they lacked in the previous week, which could have costed them their desired firms’ growth were corrected when they gave room for true team spirit.