Overview
Discussion: Utilitarian Theory ETH301
Response 1- David
Being in the Army for 15 years I have strong personal opinions on this topic. I completely understand the need for immunity and why it is so important to get as many people vaccinated. As the more of the population that gets vaccinated the better chance to achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity means that enough people in group have achieved immunity against a virus or other infectious agents to make it difficult for the infection to spread. Cleveland clinic (2022). However, requiring people to get vaccinated to keep their jobs does raises ethical questions.
Utilitarian ethic which focusses on the greatest good for the greatest amount of people tries to help stakeholders answer the tough questions like forcing people to get vaccinated. Howitt & McManus (2012). Forcing people with mandates can increase overall immunity and help reduce the spread of the infection. The use of mandates helps society by preventing outbreaks and maintaining a healthy workforce.
There are drawbacks to mandated vaccination. Forcing people to get vaccinated infringes on people’s rights. Service members and company employees may have medical, religious, or personal reasons for not getting vaccinated. Mandating people to get vaccinated could lead to job losses which could lead the economy to slip into a recession. Stieb (2009).
Mandated vaccination can help society as a whole and I understand the need to achieve herd immunity is important for stakeholders. It is also important to balance the benefits along with respect for individual rights and circumstances. Do The rights of the many outweigh the rights of the few. I am very torn and conflicted; I do not want to be forced into something but at the same time I have children and elderly family members with health conditions to think about. Overall, I would prefer to be given the option, but I understand why we have mandates to get the vaccinations.
References
Cleveland Clinic Health Library
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/225...
Howitt, M., & McManus, J. (2012). Stakeholder management: An instrument for decision making. Management Services, 56, 29-34
Stieb, J. A. (2009). Assessing Freeman's stakeholder theory. Journal of Business Ethics, 87, 401-414.
Response 2- Jarrod
While looking for an ethical issue that occurred in a business setting, one that I experienced comes to mind. While serving with my unit during the Covid pandemic, unit members were given the choice of receiving a Covid vaccine or not. A discussion occurred among a few of us and we decided to go ahead and get the vaccine. We felt the military would eventually require vaccination. That is exactly what happened!
In this case, the military most definitely used utilitarian theory. The chance of spreading the virus, especially among soldiers who live and work in close quarters to each other, would be so detrimental to the mission that the negative results for the few were worth the good for the majority. Whether it is the flu shot or Covid vaccine, or military policies in general - it is always about the good of the unit not the individual soldier.
In military culture, this train of thought is and can be useful in that everyone is looked at in the same way across the board. The theory is that all soldiers are treated equally. What the military does not look at is the difference in culture that the individual soldier might bring to the table. This was particularly true with the Covid vaccine. Many of my fellow soldiers challenged the vaccine requirement. Some did so out of fear, some due to their religious beliefs, and some just because they felt that the military did not have the right to make them put medicines into their bodies. Considering the cultural beliefs of stakeholders plays an important role in ethical decision making. “Research has demonstrated that cultural factors do have an impact on perceptions of ethical and moral dilemmas, perceptions related to both them and their peers” (Beekun, 2010, p. 357). However, the military chose to stay the course with utilitarian theory and did what was best for the majority. They continue to do so today.
Beekun, R. (2010). Effects of justice and utilitarianism on ethical decision making: A cross‐cultural examination of gender similarities and differences. Journal of Business Ethics, 19(4), 309-325.
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SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP DISCUSSION Responses-MGT401
Responses 1: Bill
Greetings to all,
There are leaders who are not aware of situational leadership. It affects the workplace such as the environment and its employees. Although there are different perspectives of situational leadership, it is crucial to comprehend two stages of the style which are recognizing a problem and allowing subordinates to be accountable for their own actions.
In 2015, there was a business owner who had five employees who worked for them. Each employee was respectful, responsible, and professional at all times. However, there was one employee who was married with three children and had been undergoing medical issues for several months. The business had a critical inspection coming up soon, and the owner had recognized their overall readiness to be 95 percent ready. However, they wanted to ensure they reached 100 percent for bragging purposes.
Considering the amount of time, it required to being in compliance for the inspection, the owner and supervisor of the business notified the employees that they were going to work every day for the next few months to achieve their goal. Each employee besides the supervisor and owner were salary based and do not have the benefit of earning money for overtime. Both leaders did not recognize that working this much would become a problem in the workplace. The employee, who was married had his wife come to pick him up one night during the week as it was already 11:30 p.m. The owner did not care and told the employee that his work was not completed and that his wife had to wait. The family ended up sleeping in the car within the parking lot for about six hours. The employee the next day, filed a complaint for both leaders, but nothing come out of it.
According to Hersey et al. (2017), effective leaders must be aware of their team members situations and readiness, because negative outcomes may result from neglect. If I were placed as the owner of the business, I would inform my employees that an inspection is work. Therefore, a plan would be created for priorities throughout the week. Additionally, I would encourage my subordinates to voice their opinions from time to time on any issues there may be within the workplace, so it could be address immediately.
Reference
Hersey, P. H., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2017). Management of Organizational Behavior. (10th ed.) Pearson.
Response 2: Lakeith
Good Evening all,
A colleague of mine faced a challenging situation when they noticed performance inconsistencies among new recruits. Drawing from their extensive experience in leading high-standard teams, they quickly realized that recent recruits were struggling with foundational training protocols. This was affecting overall team morale and the high-performance expectations essential to the program.
The phased training system improved performance and morale, with recruits steadily progressing through each stage and building confidence along the way. The structured approach of the Telling style proved effective for recruits with low competence but high commitment, a dynamic Hersey and Blanchard (1982) describe as suitable for directive leadership.
The success stemmed from the accurate problem diagnosis and the choice of a leadership approach that fit the developmental level of the recruits. Hersey and Blanchard (1982) suggest that the Telling style is best for followers at a “low development” level (D1), where clear directions are needed.
Although not a misdiagnosis, the early challenges underscored the importance of adapting leadership styles to follower readiness.
In the situation both the leader (the Program Manager) and the appointed follower (the senior instructor) demonstrated maturity, but in slightly diverse ways aligned with their roles and capacities within Hersey and Blanchard’s (1982) Situational Leadership Model.
If I were in my colleague’s position, I would:
1. Apply a Telling (Directing) Style early on, providing clear, specific instructions to create a solid foundational understanding for new recruits (Hersey & Blanchard, 1982).
2. Implement Regular Feedback Loops: Gathering recruits’ feedback weekly would ensure any issues with comprehension or skill gaps could be addressed immediately, enhancing their confidence.
3. Maintain Consistent Oversight with the Implementing Team: Just as Hersey and Blanchard (1982) advocate for in Telling, I would continue regular check-ins with the lead instructor to ensure any implementation challenges were promptly addressed, keeping recruits on track.
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1982). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources (4th ed.). Prentice-Hall.