As we talked about before in this module, it’s important for project managers to work ethically. This means doing the right thing, not just following rules. There are written rules and laws, but there are also moral rules and values.
What are these moral rules and values? Let’s break it down with some explanations and examples.
Moral rules are like a list of dos and don’ts for how a person should behave. For instance, one moral rule is “don’t steal.”
Values are strong beliefs that guide how we act in different situations. They show what we think is good behavior. Values can be personal, but they can also be shared in groups like companies. When a bunch of people in the same group share these values, they shape how everyone acts in that group.
In companies, these shared values are super important. They make up the core of what the company’s culture is all about. These values are a small set of important beliefs that don’t change much, and they really influence how people act at work.
For example, The Open University (2019) has some values they believe in:
In our work, we stick to The Open University values of being inclusive, innovative, and responsive.
The value of being inclusive and innovative is a big part of what people do at The Open University. They use this value to make sure everyone can access knowledge through new and creative solutions.
Values and moral rules help everyone know how to behave in a group or at work. It’s good to think about them to understand how they affect the decisions we make when working on projects.
Think about the values your workplace or a group you’re in follows. Can you name some of these values? How do these values affect how you work on projects? Share your thoughts with other learners in the discussion below.
Some values in a company I worked for are responsiveness,honesty, attention to details, reliability and confidentiality
These values will help me as a project manager in handling the project at hand, my team members and the owner of the project
The core values I have learnt from my course of study is data privacy, team work and attention to detail. These should be strictly adhered to by all members of the organization.
Working in the production department of a construction company, values such as punctuality, teamwork, attention to details, regard for co-worker and co-creativity drives our daily operations and every new project we handle. These as in no doubt improved work efficiency and increased productivity.
At my work place the values are innovative thinking, delivering excellence to our clients. This has put me in the mindset that all i do including my thinking pattern needs to be excellent. Also at the Society Of Petroleum Engineer, we are the solutions people energy. We come up with solutions to energy issues and now i can do that with the touch of excellence.
The core values of my current company are execution, initiative and result-drivenness.
The core values of my school are mostly outlined in the institutional documentation. These values reflect how students behave in school and how they dress.
The core values of the company where I work reflect its mission. These are Sustainability, Innovation, Reliability, and Quality, Customer impact & Empowerment.
Taking my School (Delta State University Abraka) as a case study. Our core values, as outlined in the institutional documentation, are designed to foster a culture of academic and moral excellence. Base on this value, any project that is to be carried out in the school must reflect the above values. Otherwise it will not be approved.
Some values in the hospital institution where I do my clinicals involves, empathy, respect, teamwork and collaboration, excellence, advocacy and may more
Some organizational values in the company i worked for were, Honesty, Transparency, and Accountability & Responsibility. These values has also impacted me, as an individual.