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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Integrity is much of a big deal as a virtue, and that entails transparency and accountability. We cannot rule out the fact that miscommunication also happened in this case study. Williams not carrying his teammates along, is a problem he needs to fix going forward.
This piece shows the complexity that usually comes with project management.
William failed to realize the gravity of due process and chose to skim over the work. In doing so, he: Failed to communicate with John and by proxy the firm he was working with.
He removed his focus from delivering value.
He failed to embed quality in his work.
John was left with a piece of work, coming over and hearing that the work had already been done, in such a way, no less. Still, he made his own failures by failing to proactively find a solution. If the coincidental meeting with Karen hadn’t happened, it would have being a disaster. So:
John was too passive.
He failed to communicate his worries with Williams.
Karen noted the discrepancies in the document given to her. She had the required techniques of a project manager, but she needs to develop her soft skills.
She noted an obvious flaw that could hinder and affect the project but she let fear keep her down.
She didn’t have an ownership mentality towards the project.
In this cases study
There are some ethical defaults
Williams wasn’t honest ,he just wanted a quicker and shorter way to carry out the research
John on the other got carried away by things that weren’t work related and still felt at ease after he heard Williams had done the research and was already making report
Kareen was more concerned about people’s feeling rather than the organization
However through teamwork they were able to figure out that there was a problem with the report and figured out a way to get it solved
The case study shows three professionals each facing a conflict between personal interest and professional duty.
William prioritized convenience and project momentum over integrity, bypassing the agreed engagement process and producing a suspiciously clean report. His assumption that he already knew the answers demonstrated a lack of transparency and respect for professional process.
John initially allowed the excitement of the contract and the overseas hospitality to cloud his judgement, but showed self-awareness and accountability when challenged. His willingness to listen to a junior colleague rather than dismiss her concern was the turning point that allowed the situation to be corrected.
Karen, despite being the most vulnerable of the three due to her probationary status, ultimately showed the most ethical courage. She found a tactful way to raise her concerns, helped reframe the decision around long-term reputation rather than short-term discomfort and came up with the practical solution that resolved the problem without unnecessary confrontation.
The key lesson is that ethics in professional practice is not just about knowing right from wrong, it requires specific skills including moral courage, honest communication, structured risk thinking and creative problem solving to actually act on that knowledge, especially when doing so carries personal risk.
Wonderful analysis
A critical look at the characters (John, Williams and Karen) in the scenario, there is some sort of ethical defects that can be observed.
John who was sent to oversee the project, was sort of nonchalant, negligent and carried away with non essentials which gave Williams the opportunity to engage in cutting corners.
Williams on the other hand lacks some vital moral values like patience and sincerity. He forgot the professional ethics that brought the firm to the spotlight to the extent of being recognised by a foreign company with a tangible contract.
Karen though new in the organisation was more concerned about personal interest rather than organizational success.
However, John and Karen demonstrated that through collaboration, teamwork, and setting personal interest aside with create room for inclusive innovation to identifying and solving any challenge(s) that may arise in an organisation or group.
A critical look at the characters (John, Williams and Karen) in the scenario, there is some sort of ethical defects that can be observed.
John who was sent to oversee the project, was sort of nonchalant, negligent and carried away with non essentials which gave Williams the opportunity to engage in cutting corners.
Williams on the other hand lacks some vital moral values like patience and sincerity. He forgot the professional ethics that brought the firm to the spotlight to the extent of being recognised by a foreign company with a tangible contract.
Karen though new in the organisation was more concerned about personal interest rather than organizational success.
However, Williams and Karen demonstrated that through collaboration, teamwork, and setting personal interest aside with create room for inclusive innovation to identifying and solving any challenge(s) that may arise in an organisation or group.
Williams was not honest and transparent with his team members. In general, there was a breakdown in communication between all the members if the group. Williams didn’t handle the report ethically; he didn’t go through the due process rather he looked for an easy solution to the task and this would have put the reputation of the company at a risk. Teamwork, honesty, negotiation and effective communication was able to save the organization from a high end risk.
The case study highlighted the importance of honesty, transparency, teamwork, and communicating issues. Williams lied when he said he conducted the survey, and by just getting the report from his friend at a research firm, he was not being transparent in his duties. He also neglected the importance of teamwork by not engaging his teammates and just doing things on his own. Karen on the other hand was scared to communicate her observations with John for fear of losing her job, but when she finally did, they were both able to work together to find a solution. Hence the non-negotiable importance of communication, honesty, transparency, and collaboration/teamwork.
In this case study, the scenario touches strongly on integrity, accountability, transparency, ethical leadership, and professional responsibility. Karen demonstrates strong personal integrity by recognizing that the research findings may not fully reflect reality and could affect the next project stage. The skills demonstrated are ethical reasoning, communication, courage, and stakeholder sensitivity.
In this case study, William made a report alone without carrying his teammates along which gave John some concerns
Karen went through the report and found out there where issues but was too scared to speak up due to fear of the teammates. She later communicated her findings to John who agreed with her with it and they immediately started checking out for solutions to correct the issues.
I believe carrying the teammates along and also communicating issues help the work move fast and accurately.