6 Ethical Communities Worksheet 9

OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:
PCA-Ethical Communities Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the four ethical communities
2. Apply the ethical communities to your personal case situation
Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.
1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.
The situation that I discussed in Module 1 was my past employment need to change the
curriculum to qualify for the new branch of governmental funding for mental health and
behavioral health in child needs. This was a compliancy issue that changed the entire
structure of the framework that was built years prior. My role was working closely with
the program director to develop the new curriculum and implement it directly with the
children in my class.
2) Describe how the ethics of the organization influenced the situation.
Our organization's ethics were complex due to the deep connections we had with the
families of the children we worked with, as well as our employees who were primarily
parents involved in the court system or with children with behavioral health needs. As a
family-owned nonprofit, it was important that everyone had a certain history and
background of family involvement with the Parents Assistance Center or through
programs that helped their children. The individuals in our organization were strongly
connected to our cause, whether it was working with the children or with the parents, and
helping them regain ownership of their rights. Ultimately, we all wanted to help everyone
in our organization succeed, and ensure that the children could be confident in their
decisions and have a stable place to call home amidst their chaotic lives.
The recent changes made to the curriculum and funding of our program caused a great
deal of fear and panic among all parties involved. The employees were deeply concerned
about the well-being of the children and wanted to see immediate results to alleviate their
situation, while management was more focused on ensuring compliance and maintaining
coordination to secure funding. This created a difficult environment where decision-
making was disconnected from the needs and concerns of those who were directly
affected. Despite the difference in priorities, both sides were motivated by a sense of
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morality and ethics, but struggled to find a common ground to effectively address the
issue at hand.
3) Recommend how you would apply one of the ethical communities for an alternative
course of action regarding your case.
I have gained a lot of new knowledge about the four communities of ethics after reading
this week's text. It has helped me understand how the management and employees of my
organization utilize two of these communities. However, it is crucial to acknowledge all
four communities and their impact on our decision-making and leadership.The first
community is the factory that emphasizes authority and excellence. Although we were
not directly involved with it, I learned that this is where leaders establish most of their
power and influence decision-making. The second community is the extended family,
which we utilized in our mental health organization. Employees who worked with
families and children showed genuine care and desire to help continue their growth and
teach them valuable skills.The third community is the jungle, which our organization
implemented to avoid risk and ensure that our purpose is achieved through every
decision. This mostly falls under the administrative management side when trying to
provide funding. The final community is the temple, which is not directly correlated to
our organization but serves as a background factor in the ethics we utilize.Overall,
learning about the four communities of ethics has helped me understand the importance
of acknowledging all the communities and their impact on decision-making and
leadership.
In my case, utilizing the factory approach as one of the ethical communities could be the
best alternative course of action. As the text stated, “Authorship turns the classic
organizational pyramid on its side and provides space within boundaries. Leaders
increase their influence and build more productive organizations. Workers experience the
satisfaction of creativity, craftsmanship, and well-done job.” (Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T.
E., 2017, Pg. 416). I believe this approach combines the extended family and jungle
approach, creating a more defined role that considers the heart of the case while utilizing
decision-making power to make more effective choices. Working with children in mental
health organizations and being at risk of losing funding meant that the administration and
employees needed to be on the same page and not looked down upon for either having
their heart in the program or having their brains in the operation of receiving funding.
The factory approach allows both to work concurrently, providing boundaries and room
for creativity and personalization.
4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about ethics.
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Looking back at the situation, I believe I would have approached it differently from both
a management and individual perspective. There seemed to be a lack of urgency and
coordination, and more efforts should have been made to ensure everyone was on the
same page and motivated in the same direction. This led to a divide in the ethical
community style, with some individuals having their hearts in the organization while
others had their brains in the organization. While there is no right or wrong approach, a
combined effort with both parties feeling secure could have been utilized and
strategically implemented.
With the benefit of hindsight, I think the outcome could have been successful if there was
more collaboration and a pause in instant decision-making. Direct stakeholders working
with the children and families could have worked together with those in charge of
funding. Despite the added stress of the pandemic and uncertainty surrounding
government funding, holding an organizational meeting that introduced the factory
ethical community approach could have set boundaries and led to better decision-making.
It is unfortunate that the organization was unable to solve the issue and had to close our
program down.
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Reference or References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and
leadership (7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

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OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Ethical Communities Worksheet

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

2) Describe how the ethics of the organization influenced the situation.

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