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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Conflict of Interest: One of the individuals faces a situation where personal gain could influence their project decisions, potentially compromising the integrity of the project and its outcomes.
Transparency and Honesty: The case highlights a lack of open communication about project risks and challenges. This lack of transparency could lead to uninformed decisions by stakeholders, impacting the project’s success and stakeholder trust.
To bring ethics into their decisions, the people involved used skills like:
Ethical Awareness: Recognizing the potential conflict of interest and its implications helped the individual prioritize integrity over personal benefit.
Communication and Transparency: Honest and timely communication was crucial to align stakeholders and maintain trust, especially regarding project challenges.
In this case I would say there were issues that surrounded the completion of the project such as, miscommunication, unethical time management, zero teamwork. All I see is confusion surrounding the task which John and Karen couldn’t carry out due to lack of supervision.
Several issues were at play here
1. adequate communication did not occur initially – before John left for the meeting with William, there should have been an agreed agenda and action plan. this did not take place giving rise to the issue that ensued
2. There should have been an agreed terms of reference for the project from the onset
3. On returning from his meeting with William, John should have called for a meeting with Karen and the team
4. There was no study and no stakeholder strategy and plan in place
5. The company’s values were at risk and they made the right decision to stick to those values and found an alternative way to get the information they needed to solve the problems arising
Ngozichukwuka Onwuchuluba. Cohort 20 Team 6
In this scenario communication is lacking. William, John and Karen were supposed to have a meeting and assign each other tasks considering their experience and expertise. Karen was feeling insecure and low self-esteem by not confronting John.
In the case study, John, William, and Karen lacked a supervisor or a clear reporting structure, making it difficult to make unified decisions. Communication was poor, and there was no mutual understanding among the colleagues. Feelings of imposter syndrome and low self-esteem were evident, with each person avoiding conflict to prevent upsetting the others. If effective communication had been established from the beginning, they could have addressed the issues promptly and conserved their energy.
ANSWERS:
Professional Conduct Issues
#Conflict of Interest
#Lack of Transparency
#Unfair Treatment
#Miscommunication
#Unethical Time Management
Skills for Ethical Decision-Making
#Critical Thinking
#Effective Communication
#Emotional Intelligence
#Empathy
#Problem-Solving
#Integrity
#Accountability
#Adaptability
From the scenario, John, William, and Karen didn’t plan ahead, leading to the communication gap. On his part, William carried out a task without consulting with his colleagues. This indicates a lack of cooperation among them which is an essential aspect of project management.
Karen was scared to share her opinion for fear of losing her job and also considering John’s feelings rather than focusing on the project.
John was carried away by the scenery rather than focusing on the project and all the intricacies involved. Karen was able to save the day by applying ethical principles by researching and relaying or communicating her findings with John which helped them to move to the next stage of the project
Akinwale Shukuroh
Cohort 19, Team 09
From this case study we can find out there is lack of team work, transparency and proper communication from Williams side.
Lack of accountability and ethical practices from John’s side. Even though he was a bit concerned about the rush, he did nothing about it.
Karen on the other hand was afraid to call john out for his lack of competence, but later on teamed up with him to find a possible solution to problem encountered.
From the scenerio, it’s obvious that firstly there was no project plan among this key individuals: John , William and Karen. William on his part went ahead and carried out a task without consultation with his colleagues. This indicates a lack of coperation and communication among them which is an essential aspect of project management. Also there was Karen who has her own opinion but couldn’t share it for sentimental reasons or Fear of hurting John’s feelings_a pointer to clear communication problems.
John on his part seems to lack focus and got distracted earlier. In the end Karen was able to apply ethical principles by carrying out an individual research and communicating her results with John. Her actions allows them to address the hurdles and move on to the next phase of their projects.
In the APM case study, three individuals were chosen to engage a key stakeholder and provide feedback to identify potential hurdles for the project’s next phase. However, they failed to collaborate, work together as a team and communicate effectively. John did not question William’s overly positive report. John lacked focus, critical thinking, and accountability, as he got distracted and accepted the report without scrutiny. Karen initially hesitated to raise concerns due to personal sentiments, indicating a lack of honesty and confidence.
However, Karen later demonstrated critical thinking, effective communication, and proactiveness by tactfully engaging John, discussing the report’s pros and cons, and conducting independent research. Her efforts fostered collaboration, ultimately helping to uncover the hurdles for the next stage of the project.
From the case study, a team of 3 was appointed to engage a client in a different country.
The PM(John): Didnt address the team on its agenda or how to go about the work at hand immediately after they arrived, but he went on a tour of the area.
The agent(William): Went about with his findings without consulting with the PM on What, Who, where, and How, and he didn’t involve the team until he was done with his findings.
The Team member (Karen): Wanted to go with the flow without airing her opinion in order not to ruin the mood and wanted to go with whatever was brought to the table.
John possessed the skill of leadership by relating with the team and averting conflict. He accepted William’s report even though he didn’t do it individually with the team’s effort. He also managed the team without conflicts.
Karen was able to go back to the report and focus on the details, this helped them find the problems and also fix them in other to go ahead with the project.
Cohort 19, Team 3.
Deborah Smart.