Assessment 2: Ethics in the Workplace

Create a six-slide, 12-minute presentation briefing a team on how they might address potential ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

Introduction

One setting in which ethics play a significant role is in the workplace. Successful businesses and organizations depend on the trust of everyone involved: managers, employees, and customers. Strong ethical expectations within a business results in positive outcomes: an optimistic, productive work environment, enhanced accountability of all stakeholders, and an affirmative public image. You may be able to think of many businesses that have not demonstrated sound ethical practice. But can you think of a business that has a solid reputation because of its ethics? Are you more likely to engage with that business as a result?

We also rely on ethical practice from professionals that serve others, such as social workers, doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Consequently, most professions have codes of ethics that establish ethical and professional standards for conduct. In preparation for this assessment, you will investigate professional codes of ethics and consider how they provide guidance to business and service professionals in the workplace.

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:

• Competency 1: Explain the nature of ethical issues.
  • Apply a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.
• Competency 2: Critically examine the contributions of key thinkers from the history of ethics.
  • ​Assess the advantages and disadvantages of a professional code of ethics.
• Competency 3: Engage in ethical debate.
  • Explain methods for discussing ethical disagreements productively.
• Competency 4: Develop a position on a contemporary ethical issue.
  • Describe areas of one’s personal disagreement with professional standards.
• Competency 5: Communicate effectively in the context of personal and professional moral discourse.
  • Create an audio-visual presentation that applies a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Overview

Imagine management at your future workplace tasks you with making a formal presentation to your team, discussing a workplace ethical dilemma they might face. You consider an appropriate professional code of conduct, but only to the extent that it might offer useful guidance in this situation. The central task is to help everyone work together productively in resolving tricky issues.

The following resources may help:

• Using Kaltura [PDF].
• Capella University Library: PowerPoint Presentations.

Instructions

Include the following in your narrated visual presentation:

• Apply a professional code of ethics to this workplace situation.
• Assess the advantages and disadvantages of the selected professional code of ethics.
• Explain methods for resolving ethical disagreements productively.
• Describe areas of personal disagreement with professional standards.

Note: Include in your presentation slides or annotations a full APA-style citation of any quotation or paraphrase from the professional code or other sources you choose to employ.

Your instructor may provide video feedback on your work, in addition to completing the official scoring guide for the assignment.

Additional Requirements

• Communication: Create an audiovisual format that applies a professional code of ethics to common workplace situations.
• Media presentation: Create a minimum of 6 slides, 12 minutes total in length, with notes or a transcript to ensure accessibility to everyone. Upload the presentation.
• Resources: There is no minimum number of resources required; however, use your judgment to ensure your topic is thoroughly researched.
• APA guidelines: Ensure resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and format. When appropriate, use APA-formatted headings.
• Font and font size: Use a font of appropriate size and weight for presentation, generally 24-28 points for headings and no smaller than 18 points for bullet-point text.

Ethics in the Workplace Scoring Guide

CRITERIANON-PERFORMANCEBASICPROFICIENTDISTINGUISHEDApply a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Does not apply a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Explains a workplace situation in the context of a professional code of ethics.

Applies a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Assesses an appropriate professional code of ethics as applied to a workplace situation.

Assess the advantages and disadvantages of a professional code of ethics.

Does not describe the advantages and disadvantages of a professional code of ethics.

Describes the advantages or disadvantages of a professional code of ethics, but not both.

Assesses the advantages and disadvantages of a professional code of ethics.

Analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of a professional code of ethics.

Explain methods for resolving ethical disagreements productively.

Does not mention methods for resolving ethical disagreements productively.

Mentions methods for resolving ethical disagreements productively.

Explains methods for resolving ethical disagreements productively.

Assesses methods for resolving ethical disagreements productively.

Describe areas of one’s personal disagreement with professional standards.

Does not describe areas of one’s personal disagreement with professional standards.

Lists areas of one’s personal disagreement with professional standards.

Describes areas of one’s personal disagreement with professional standards.

Explains areas of one’s personal disagreement with professional standards.

Create an audiovisual presentation that applies a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Does not create an audiovisual presentation that applies a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Creates an audiovisual presentation that applies a professional code of ethics, but the presentation lacks detail or does not reflect a workplace situation.

Creates an audiovisual presentation that applies a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation.

Creates an audiovisual presentation that applies a professional code of ethics to a workplace situation, and the presentation is engaging and detailed.

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. Be sure to return to the course learning resources in u01r2 to help with the work on your assessment.

Workplace Ethics

• Koehn, D. (2006). The ground of professional ethics. London, England: Routledge.
• Schoeman, C. (2014). Ethics can: Managing ethics in the workplace. Johannesburg, South Africa: Knowres.
• Skillsoft. (n.d.). Developing your business ethics [Tutorial].
  • Effective application of ethical principles in the workplace requires a sound foundation. You may use this Skillsoft video to sharpen your sense of where to begin on this task.
  • Running time: 26:00.
• Skillsoft. (n.d.). Navigating challenging situations with diplomacy and tact [Tutorial].
  • Since resolving workplace disagreements is one of the issues about which you will be presenting in this theme’s assignment, consider the suggestions detailed in this Skillsoft tutorial.
  • Running time: 30:00.
• Skillsoft. (n.d.). Your role in workplace diversity [Tutorial].
  • Cultural competence is another of the Essential Undergraduate Learning Outcomes. This Skillsoft tutorial offers some guidance on the importance of that skill for workplace relationships.
  • Running time: 30:00.

Multimedia

View the following multimedia pieces for a better understanding of workplace ethical dilemmas. This understanding will help you complete this assessment:

• Social Responsibility Disagreement.
• Ethics in the Workplace.

Professional Codes

The following are professional codes of ethics from which you may wish to choose for this assessment, but you are welcome to use another, if it would be more fitting for your career:

• Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). (n.d.). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.acjs.org/page/Code_Of_Ethics
• American College of Healthcare Executives. (2017). ACHE code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.ache.org/abt_ache/code.cfm
• American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics [PDF]. Available from https://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
• American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Ethics and human rights. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/
• American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. (n.d.). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.cimaglobal.com/Professional-ethics/Ethics/CIMA-code-of-ethics-for-professional-accountants/
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (n.d.). Bylaws and code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/pages/bylaws–code-of-ethics.aspx