The Value of Integrity in the Workplace and its Influence in Decision-Making

Engineering Project Management Fall 2021 Ethics Paper Project management could be called the art of making things happen. However, making these “things happen” with pressure from time, quality, and cost constraints often puts project managers in challenging positions where issues with integrity, corruption, ethics, and politics must be addressed. While using your best judgment or following your conscience may work with some cases, there are strategies within the discipline of project management to address these questions in a systematic and deliberate way. The purpose of this assignment is to have you read some project management insights in ethics and integrity and then reflect on your personal experience with one of these issues. Assignment – Select one blog or article on that page to look further into (there are six to choose from). Provide a one-half to one page summary of the article or blog and then spend an additional one to two pages exploring your experience with this concept. Reflect on a situation you were involved in, explain the ethical problem or challenge you encountered, how you dealt with it, and if you would alter your actions/solution if you could do it over again. This assignment is not about how you would have managed things differently, but how you would have handled an ethical situation better or how you think you handled it well. Also, the article you read and the ethical situation you reflect on do not need to be the same ethical issue. This 2-3 page double-spaced paper.The main site, as well as the blog entries, are listed below and posted as PDF’s on Canvas. This assignment and the associated blogs were found at – http://projectmanagement.atwork-network.com/2010/10/29/weekly-project-management-newsroundup-the-project-managers-ethical-dilemma-integrity-in-project-management-dealing-withcorruption-and-other-interesting-posts/ Project Management noteworthy news and commentary (October 29, 2010) This week we are featuring several articles and posts regarding the importance of ethics and integrity in project management. Engineering Project Management Fall 2021 As a project manager you own a lot of responsibilities (i.e. which vendor to choose, how to present data to stakeholders, evaluating employee performance, and much more). All of this decision-making carries a great deal of ethical weight. If a member of your team, a stakeholder, or anyone else for that matter believes that you are not performing your job in earnest, the ramifications can be particularly damaging to your career. We hope that the articles below help frame many of the ethical issues you will run into working in the field of project management; that they help you reflect upon your behaviors and whether or not you are performing tasks with integrity; and provide you with tips and advice to overcome common ethical issues that arise for project managers. We hope you enjoy these readings and if you know of an article you think would enhance our list, please let us know in our comments section! 1. “Integrity in Project Management” - Kelly’s Contemplation As Project Managers, we encounter opportunities around every corner to be men and women of integrity. Depending on your organization and/or the project you are working on, you may have a tremendous amount of authority and latitude to make decisions…which idea to use, which vendor to leverage, how to present the data and so on. While this post is not a ‘how-to’ (creating a WBS) or a emotional take on some leadership technique (conflict management), it is one post that I feel every project manager, leader….well everyone, should read and reflect on whether or not they are leading with integrity. http://kellycrew.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/integrity-in-project-management/ 2. “The Project Manager’s Ethical Dilemma” - PM Hut Often, the project manager is faced with an issue that is not easily resolved by theory or the knowledge acquired from formal training. These types of problems are usually not of a technical nature and more often tend to be ethical or human resource issues. The satisfactory answer is often debatable and may suit one set of circumstances and yet not another. It is these difficult issues where the PM must draw from their practical experiences, moral and ethical obligations, and sometimes the rule of law. http://www.pmhut.com/the-project-managers-ethical-dilemma 3. “Ethical Issues in Project Management” - Bright Hub When it comes to project management, ethics are extremely important in gaining the support of the project team. Ethics are defined as the moral values, beliefs, and rules that one upholds in their life on the job and personally to ensure right from wrong. Click here to continue reading http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/53025-ethical-issues-in-project-management/ Engineering Project Management Fall 2021 4. “Honest, Fair, & Ethical” - ProjectConnections As I mentioned in a previous article, you have to treat every project as if it will end up in court. If you are unfortunate enough to be there, then you want to be on the winning side. Click here to continue reading Available in Canvas….no longer online.. 5. “The Ethical Project Manager” - Fear No Project The Free Dictionary defines ethics as “The branch of philosophy that defines what is good for the individual and for society and establishes the nature of obligations, or duties, that people owe themselves and one another. In modern society, ethics define how individuals, professionals, and corporations choose to interact with one another.” http://fearnoproject.com/2010/04/18/the-ethical-project-manager/ 6. “Excuse Me, Your Pants are on Fire: 5 Tips On Dealing with Liars” - Papercut Edge So you’ve kicked off your project, and things are well underway. You followed all the best practices; you did everything you learned in the project management manuals. Everyone knows their roles, responsibilities, and how they’re expected to interact with one another. There’s just one small problem. Click here to continue reading http://edge.papercutpm.com/five-tips-on-dealing-with-liars/