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.
Ethics in project management is about upholding principles of honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle. By integrating ethical considerations into decision-making processes and project practices, project managers can enhance stakeholder trust, mitigate risks, and contribute to sustainable project success.
Integrity
Professionalism
Transparency
Respect
Empathy
Commitment.
The above and much more have always been my guidelines in projects. I try to ensure clear communications to avoid misconceptions.
Stay on the goals to ensure professionalism. Treat my team members with empathy but strict rules and ensure that everyone is treated with respect.
Integrity
As a project manager integrity is a core value, to help your team, organization, and client trust your word and your work.
Also a project manager must be able to adhere to rules and regulations, not bypass or try to cut conners for an ethical work flow.
A project manager must keep to his words, follow his words as they proceed from his mouth to ensure trust and more commitment and reliability.
A project manager must learn how to adhere to rules and regulations that governs the environment and should know how to work ethically while working on any project
Our values as an organisation is to ensure an easy flow of consulting to our clients.
project managers often have to deal with difficult decisions and must find a balance that is guided by ethics, values and norms.
One must adhere to policies around the organisations and the values of the company.
Also the values of the company
In our company we are always embracing collaboration across different functions which helps in delivering high quality projects and achieving our company goals.
One of the core values in my organization is to ensure that work is done adequately and at the right time . Workers must be able to account for all relief materials and goods received and all goods distributed. Also respect for principal authorities and the people environment also . Ensure that we are available whenever there’s an emergency in the environment
The core values in my organization are quality and consistency in our product. We share responsibility in making sure our product does not deviate from what it is known to be .
As an accountant in my organization, my values are integrity, accountability and detailed oriented