Overview
Apply ethical leadership theories and concepts to real-world workplace scenarios.
• Analyze power dynamics within the context of ethical leadership. • Develop critical thinking skills in identifying and addressing workplace conflicts. • Communicate effectively through a well-structured and organized report. • Demonstrate the ability to propose feasible and creative solutions to ethical leadership challenges. Assignment Task: Select a real-world workplace issue that has been reported in the media or documented in case studies, and provide references to ensure credibility and context for your analysis. Write a report addressing the following criteria: 1. Case Summary & Problem Definition (15%) Purpose: Provide context for the selected case while identifying the problems related to ethical leadership, power dynamics, and conflict resolution. Describe the organization, key stakeholders, and the nature of the issue. Provide specific events that highlight ethical lapses, misuse of power, and workplace conflicts. Case Summary: Select a real-world workplace issue that demonstrates problems in all three areas (ethical leadership, power, and conflict resolution). Examples include: Case 1: The 2017 Uber workplace scandal involving toxic leadership, power abuse, and unresolved conflicts.
Case 2: Boeing’s handling of the 737 Max crisis, highlighting ethical lapses, leadership power struggles, and internal conflicts. Case 3: The Google employee walkout in 2018 due to power dynamics and conflicts over handling harassment claims. Problem Definition: • Clearly define the problems, explaining how ethical leadership, power, and conflict are central to the case. • Describe the impact of these problems on the organization, employees, and stakeholders. Example: "Uber’s culture in 2017 demonstrated systemic failures in ethical leadership as senior executives ignored harassment allegations. Power was misused, with leaders prioritizing performance over accountability, leading to an environment rife with employee conflicts and a tarnished public image." 2. Application of Theory (20%) Purpose: Apply theoretical frameworks to analyze the problems in ethical leadership, power dynamics, and conflict resolution. • Use theories like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or ethical decision- making frameworks to evaluate the ethical failures of leadership in the case. • Assess whether leaders acted in alignment with ethical principles such as integrity, fairness, and responsibility. • Apply French and Raven’s Five Bases of Power to identify how power was used or misused in the case (e.g., coercive, legitimate, expert power). • Use conflict resolution theories (e.g., Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument or interest-based relational approach) to evaluate how conflicts were addressed (or ignored). • Assess the effectiveness of the methods used to resolve the conflict and propose alternative strategies based on theory. Example: "In Uber’s case, leaders relied heavily on coercive power to suppress dissent, neglecting ethical leadership principles such as fairness and empathy. This
exacerbated workplace conflicts, which could have been mitigated through interest- based conflict resolution strategies." 3. Critical Analysis (25%) Purpose: Critically evaluate the organization’s handling of ethical leadership, power, and conflict resolution challenges. Strengths and Weaknesses: • Identify areas where the organization demonstrated ethical decision-making and effective conflict resolution, if any. • Highlight weaknesses in leadership actions, power structures, and conflict management. Impact Analysis: Assess the short-term and long-term effects of the leadership decisions on: • Organizational performance (e.g., reputation, financial outcomes). • Employee morale and retention. • Stakeholder trust (e.g., customers, partners). Example: "Uber’s response to the scandals—firing key executives and introducing leadership training—was a step forward. However, it failed to address systemic cultural issues, suggesting a lack of long-term commitment to ethical leadership." 4. Recommendations (25%) Purpose: Propose actionable, ethical, and practical solutions for addressing the issues in the case. Short-Term Recommendations: Outline immediate actions the organization should take, such as: • Conducting leadership training on ethical behavior. • Implementing transparent power structures. • Establishing clear conflict resolution protocols. Long-Term Recommendations: Suggest strategies for sustained improvement, such as: • Creating an ethical organizational culture through leadership accountability. • Balancing power dynamics by empowering employees at all levels.
• Introducing robust conflict resolution mechanisms, such as mediation programs or grievance committees. Example: "To rebuild trust, Uber should establish an independent ethics board, adopt a whistleblower policy, and provide regular training on conflict resolution for managers and employees." Important: Please do not use Uber’s case for your own report. 5. Overall Writing and Structure (15%) Purpose: Ensure the assignment is professionally presented and logically organized. ➢ Structure: • Divide the report into clearly defined sections: Introduction, Case Summary, Problem Definition, Application of Theory, Critical Analysis, Recommendations, and Conclusion. ➢ Writing Style: • Maintain a formal, professional tone throughout the assignment. • Ensure clarity and coherence by logically connecting ideas. ➢ Citations: • Use APA style for in-text citations and references. • Include at least 10 credible sources to support your analysis.
Word Count: 1500 – 2000 words (excluding cover page, tables, figures, appendices, and references). • The individual assignment should be typed, 1.5 line-spaced, using 12-point size font. • APA Style should be followed in the references. • Use at least 10 references. • Similarity index: The threshold applied to the similarity index is less than 20%. • Plagiarism will not be tolerated [100% penalty + referral to the OAI]. Note that plagiarizing, copying material from a publication, website, or person without proper attribution, is a serious academic offense. Please read the university's policies on plagiarism for more details.