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.
As a professional in the telecommunication industry, project management ethics is very pivotal to the discharge of my day to day duties.My company’s code of conduct and values are sacrosanct such that any violation is tantamount to disengament.These values, rules, regulations, code of conduct, over time made me to imbibe and inculturate a good sense of moral uprightness in project implementation.
From my understanding each organisation has its own values, expected to be upheld by its staffs or representatives. While rules are just basic dos and don’ts. For example in the organisation I used to work with the values are i.hope. I for innovation, H for honesty, O for optimistic, P for passionate and E for empathetic. Whereas one of their rules is that you provide a daily report of job carried out in the day.
My understanding of ethics and values is as follows: Ethics provides a framework for determining what is morally right or wrong, while values are the underlying beliefs and principles that guide individuals or groups in making decisions aligned with their moral framework. Both ethics and values play crucial roles in shaping individual and societal behaviour. For any organization to survive, they should uphold good ethics and values.
Moral values is core for teachers as they are models to the students the teach. All teachers are to be patience and understanding and kind. In addition to dressing decent at all times
As a teacher morals and values are very important because you are the mirror that the pupils are looking at. All teachers are to be patient and understanding knowing that everyone is different in their own way also knowing a good manner of approach towards the way parents and pupils react to things or issues.
The values of the organisation I am associated with are Excellence, Leadership, Integrity and Teamwork. These are quite easy to resonate with, and it is intended by the organisation that all team members (as we usually prefer to call ourselves) carry these values into every design we work on, and make them excellent, and in consideration of the contribution of other members. Nobody carries out a design individually. And we believe that makes us leaders in the industry.
Ethics in project management are certain beliefs about what is morally acceptable or appropriate. It comprises the values of responsibility, honesty, respect and fairness. These four core values are central to the project management profession and must be adhered to by project management professionals.
As a lawyer, my values include integrity, impartiality and seeing that justice is served at all times. These values guide me in my day to day activities and I have the responsibility of upholding same.
As an engineer and an environmentalist. I am committed to providing high quality environmental and social services, geo-informatics, resettlement planning, management systems and engineering services to the satisfaction to my customers, while addressing he needs my stakeholders.
Our values include safety,sustainability, and support.
These values create a sense of belonging and can act as motivators for the project team.
They make sure we are all seeing the same vision.
I work as a salesman in a bottling organization and our core value is data integrity.
it encompasses principles of honesty, transparency, fairness, accountability, and responsibility. It includes considerations related to stakeholder interests, compliance with laws, environmental and social responsibility, privacy, and informed consent. Ethical project management promotes the well-being of all stakeholders and long-term sustainability.
As an Estate Surveyor, I have seen in practice that code of practice of the noble profession is always intact.
Estate Surveyors and Valuers strives at all cost in ensuring that the professional code of practice is always functional.
I have come to realize that in the field of Agency, quakes are used by some professionals to carry out agency task. So the code of practice should be effective in agency department.
Inorder to achieve transparency and commitment in projects,certain ethics needs to be implemented in managing projects . This will enable projects Teams to work with honesty, consistency, punctuality, hard working, clear communication etc. These moral values will set standards and guide professional development in projects.
To deliver value with integrity and honesty are core values that has been imbibed by the employee. Transparency and accountability are required in the services rendered to the community