Mark as Unread Ethical Issues in the 21st Century Jean Perdue Email this Author 3/1/2016 6:22:05 PM

Find an article relating to a 21st century ethical issue

Describe how the issue affects you at a personal level and how you might handle the issue from a managerial perspective.

Ethical leadership,

How important is it for leaders to operate business functions and transactions with ethical practices?

I think about this because in the 21st century those leaders who are operating business transactions unethically are in turn teaching the upcoming leaders the same standard of practice. Business leaders and even leaders in general need to conduct business transactions with integrity and ethical standard practices, demonstrating moral business conduct in order to teach those that come after us. Thinking beyond today and how decisions and action today will affect tomorrow is vital. With so many businesses going international/global, it is vital that today’s leaders think about what they are teaching those younger leaders coming after us and who are watching all over the world now. I like how the Atlanta Journal article ‘Developing Ethical Leaders” (2005) state…”Ethical leaders practice critical framing.” Which mean they understand the issues and reconsider the assumptions and values that motivate standard or conventional methods to controversial issues (Atlanta journal 2005). Furthermore, ethical leaders in the 21st century- go beyond just caring, they know and they do what is right when leading others, they willing to conduct business with integrity, and care from the heart about issues but are also willing to act with ethical innovation solutions. Walter Flukeranexecutive director of the leadership Center at Morehouse College, wrote in the Atlanta Journal article “Developing Ethical Leaders (2005) ….”Ethical leadership in the 21st century means to ‘stay awake!’ Leaders of the new century must not only be aware of the environmental realities that shape public life and practices, sophisticated public awareness must be wedded to critical analysis of complex, multiple social circumstances that impede human development and moral flourishing.”

This affects me at a personal level because people look up to me in many situations in different areas. I am a leader in many areas of my life, and have a responsibility to set an example. A managerial perspective is really no different, because in order to create greater leaders the present leaders need to be the example, and set the stage. There are many decisions in business that can be hard to deal with, but making right choices no matter what definitely speaks louder that choosing to be dishonest, or shady in kind of business transactions. Planned Parenthood comes to mind and the scandal that has taken place because of unethical practices. The unethical practices are now being exposed, and these horrific practices hurt millions of people not just the organization. That is far reaching when it is affecting so many all over the U.S. That truly is a very sad case of unethical practices in the 21st century.

References

DEVELOPING ETHICAL LEADERS. (2005, Nov 02). The Atlanta Journal – Constitution Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/337213570?accountid=32521

Mattes, B. (2015). Life Issues Institute. Inc.The leaders in Pro-Life Education.Deception & Unethical Practices. Received from: http://www.lifeissues.org/2015/07/deceptive-and-unethical-practices/