On Ethics, Diversity, and Conflict: The Graduate Years and Beyond, Vol. I

By James Triplett

The purpose of this book is to provide readers with an understanding of how ethics, diversity, and conflict are interwoven as well as a practical means with which to view situations from these angles. If one is looking for a “How to be ethical … in x easy steps” such as what one would find on the New York Times Business Best Sellers list, complete with the shallowness and laughable bases of the assertions, this is not for you. Rather than providing superficial and ineffective ways to find one’s cheese or be a leader in twelve easy steps I provide some frameworks with which to view the situations. What you do with them is up to you. Frameworks, much like microscopes or the five-step hypothesis model, allow one to analyze and better understand a situation before deciding what to do. Models do not make decisions, people ultimately do. Anyone interested in sparking a heated debate need look no further than the topics of ethics and diversity to spark lively debate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781105394560

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On Ethics, Diversity, and Conflict: The Graduate Years and Beyond, Vol. I

On Ethics, Diversity, and Conflict: The Graduate Years and Beyond, Vol. I

James M. Triplett

Copyright 2011

ISBN:  978-1-105-39456-0

Published by:  Lulu

Raleigh, NC 27607-5436

www.lulu.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author

Other books by James M Triplett

On leadership, salad, and the American Revolution

Organizational Design:  A holistic view

Acknowledgements

Many miles of travel have left me with time to ponder the topics of ethics and diversity and the inevitable impact on conflict.  Large sections of this text originate from the graduate years, with this, the first volume.  I thought of thanking my professors; however, they did not always agree with my views as they held to the conventional views of ethics and diversity.  Then again, they challenged me, which promoted additional thoughts (thank you Ms. DiCarlo, Dr. Frew, Dr. Lees, and Dr. Wallace).  I have no love for Capella University so I would like to specifically not thank the administration of a school for which I have many regrets of ever stepping into it.  Dr. Martin Lees, my comps and dissertation mentor, and the work I completed there are the exceptions.  To my many learners over the past few years who have helped me refine the topics that follow – I cannot thank you enough.  Finally, I wish to thank Dr. David Frew, who at first irritated me until I understood where he was coming from, when he said the problem you have with me is your problem, not mine.  Dr. Frew, I get it.  So much of the last eleven years since I last worked with you can be framed in this simple yet powerful statement.  It has also become one of my most frequently used ethical frameworks.

Preface

The idea for this text originated with my loving wife Michelle.  As I routinely challenged my professors’ views of ethics and diversity I began to depart from traditional views as they were politically correct but rarely practical.  Many of the theories sound good but are difficult to consistently apply in one’s personal or professional life.  The view I held of the doctoral program was one of extreme conservatism and a no-boat-rocking mentality.  In fact, I was told outright that if I held diverging views I should save them until after I graduated and then write a book. Seriously?  How does one advance knowledge without occasionally disrupting the status quo.  Michelle encouraged me to advance knowledge.

How is higher learning to be advanced when the status quo is supported?  Is it not the role of the doctoral program to advance new knowledge rather than prop up it with dissertation after dissertation that begins with an existing survey or psychometric, applies it to a new situation, regurgitates the same tired views followed by a pat on the back and here is your degree?  Ethics is an ambiguous topic much like leadership and love, neither of which develops in a conservative and – at times – stifling environment.  One is not really sure what it is but one knows it when one sees it.  Try to put that in an academic box and have learners feel that it is practical and worth their time.

Lively debate ensures ideas are considered from multiple perspectives and that, related to this project, are not offered superficially.  I am convinced I am not the only one who has struggled with the notions of what ethics really are and how they can be practical given the routine dilemmas and crises that emerge, many of which have an ethical lapse at the heart of their origins.  Ethics should explain how we make decisions and how we live our lives as well as how we judge ourselves and others. 

Media provides us a constant stream of apologies for things said to offended others, real or perceived, and should prompt many to wonder what does it mean to be ethical and where does the burden of what is considered ethical lie?  With the offender?  With the one offended? A former professor of mine, Dr. David Frew, once offended me by saying the problem you have with me is your problem, not mine.  I recall that day I thought he was an arrogant person with a good deal to learn about social interaction, particularly since he was teaching a graduate course on organizational behavior, theory and practice.  As the years passed I found him to be correct; the burden lies on the one offended in all but situations where laws, rules, and regulations apply such as in workplaces.  The mantra of my professor forms a primary basis of the beginning of this book – thank you Dr. Frew - and serves as the objective behind this effort to demonstrate that ethics can be practical if it is framed in a way that makes it understandable as well as practical.

September 11 brought to mind the notion of what is and is not ethical when it comes to assessing a situation and whether or not participants are or are not ethical.  Indeed, I wrote a graduate paper on why bin Laden was an effective leader and it was widely criticized (I never agreed with his ideology; I just noted why he was effective).  While I am not an apologist for any terrorist action – please read the last clause again, as necessary - this type of situation presents a unique opportunity to study what it means to be ethical and how a practical application can be derived from it.  This, and other controversial issues, form the basis for latter section of the book – how does one apply the notions advanced in the first section of the book.

The final consideration of ethics is how does one assess or measure ethics in society given that humans do not always say what they think?  Research in Organizational Behavior (OB) reminds us that the study of humans is very difficult because they tend to have the ability to know when they are being observed; thus, one has to, what I call, 'hide in the bushes' to observe them when they do not know they are being observed.  Professional standards, an accepted view of ethics, require that OB researcher such as myself, adhere to standards like the Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements in graduate research programs to ensure the protection of those involved.  This, and time / resources, led me to search for one or more methodologies to hide in the bush.  I offer cartoons, specifically adult cartoons like South Park, Family Guy, and Futurama as means to indirectly observe society with them not knowing it. 

My first book was intended for undergraduate and graduate learners as well as organizational practitioners and was written in the formal language of the American Psychological Association (APA).    My second book was purely academic as I advanced a new view on leadership.  It was also written in APA.  Those who have endeavoured to write in APA can attest to how it takes a good deal of the enjoyment out of the process.  I approached this book with the idea of advancing a novel view but one in which my enjoyment for writing would not be impacted.  Thus, it is written in first person at times yet it also reflects empirical observation and peer-review where applicable.  The effort is rigourous yet I wanted the book to be readable by anyone so the academic theme has been relaxed.  Those concerned with this approach should see the first part of this Preface, the part where I discuss Dr. Few.

As with any effort such as this there are those who contribute, knowingly or not, to the output.  First and foremost, my wife Michelle has endured the burden of many of my views and offered insight sufficient to make me think twice about anything I have to say.  My sister Kristina (Sis) and brother Edwin have provided many opportunities to confirm or refute my views.  Edwin represents the contract view of ethics on the continuum while Sis represents the universal ethics view; I am somewhere in between. 

My children (Crystal, Josh, Marcus, and Jailyn) have contributed more than they know as I have tried to explain appropriate behavior and responded to their questions derived from how they see the world.  Aunt Kathy and Uncle Charlie provided a window into my background that has explained some things and left me to wonder in others.  My students have provided me with many instances of ethical situations to consider, ones that I could not possibly have experienced in one lifetime.  Tom Nemenz always figures out how to find his way into any of my endeavours and this effort is no exception.  Thank you Tom for the twisted yet objective views on ethics.  Finally, my sister Candy, who served this country for many years preparing Navy recruits for service, thank you for the reflections before and after your passing.  Your contributions will be with me the remainder of my life.

What follows, then, is derived from my educational and practical experiences, observations, and conjecture.  As noted previously, it is written with some adherence to APA – mostly citations; however, I have intentionally backed away from the formality of it to make the book readable and perhaps enjoyable.  I make no claim to the definitive view of ethics and diversity; rather I ask the read to simply think about how he or she applies his or her notion of ethics to see if this may do a better job of explaining its role in decision-making.  If anything, I ask the reader to simply be aware.

Introduction

The book is organized around four essays I completed as part of the doctoral program in Organization and Management at Capella University.  They form the academically reviewed products of my perspective and thus provide the rigor necessary to assert my statements.  Chapter I outlines the knowledge creation process as it relates to ethics.  Subsequent chapters are actual course papers on ethics, diversity and conflict.  The final chapter pulls the information together and offers a framework of ethics that is practical when coupled with conflict.  Each chapter can stand on its own or the book may be read in its entirety.  The format is well-suited for academia.

The purpose of this book is to provide readers with an understanding of how ethics, diversity, and conflict are interwoven as well as a practical means with which to view situations from these angles.  If one is looking for a How to be ethical … in x easy steps such as what one would find on the New York Times Business Best Sellers list, complete with the shallowness and laughable bases of the assertions, this is not for you.  Rather than providing superficial and ineffective ways to find one’s cheese or be a leader in twelve easy steps I provide some frameworks with which to view the situations.  What you do with them is up to you.  Frameworks, much like microscopes or the five-step hypothesis model, allow one to analyze and better understand a situation before deciding what to do.  Models do not make decisions, people ultimately do.

Anyone interested in sparking a heated debate need look no further than the topics of ethics and diversity to spark lively debate and the occasional shouting match.  My experience suggests a strong link between one’s personality and the ethical framework which, in turn, provide the user one or more lenses with which to view diversity as well as how intense or how readily a conflict may be resolved (either internally or in conjunction with others).  As such, some of the topics discussed in this book may cause some level of discomfort for others.  I assure each and every one of you that I intend no offense in the volatile areas including, but not limited to, religion, political ideology, sexual orientation, abortion, global warming, the role of government, gun rights, etc.  There exists, in quite a few instances, as many perspectives with which to view these as there are frameworks. 

Chapter I – What is (and is not) ethics

only a Sith deals in absolutes (Obi-wan Kenobi, in Lucas, 2005)

Every class I teach on ethics has students who invariably arrive at the questions so what is ethics and how do I apply this notion to my daily life?  These are questions many have wrestled with over the history of the modern human.  Maybe the problem with ethics is that the definition is as varied and elusive as those associated with love or leadership.  Then again, there is a possibility it is too closely defined as something that is good when so many situations where an understanding of ethics suggests that an ethical framework may be not-so-good.  I will define ethics in the absence of good or bad; rather it is simply a decision-making framework humans use to manage their activities and to minimize cognitive dissonance between what one thinks and what one does.  Perhaps it is what led Hume (in Copleston, 1959) to state morality, therefore, is more properly felt than judged of (p. 331).

The literature on ethics has bases ranging from culture to diversity, leadership, management, law, social psychological, and philosophy among others.  This most likely contributes to the confusion over just what ethics means.  My learners struggle with what ethics is and, given such variety of explanations, how a certain framework can be applied.  I suspect the general population finds itself in a similar view, that is, if they even take the time to truly consider this to the degree college students do.

I have developed a model of ethics that certainly follows in the trend of multiple perspectives; however, I ask that the reader consider how this view may be better than what is available as it provides the practitioner and the curious with an understanding grounded in empiricism, explores the view using controversial instances (as these are where models are tested), and provides some means to study it in novel or emerging situations. 

My approach is grounded in education and empiricism.  I have purposely studied ethics by itself or as part of my formal undergraduate and graduate education in business management, including in subjects such as accounting, marketing, culture, diversity, finance, government, history, law, leadership, etc.  Before, during, and after the education process I had a  number of instances to observe and reflect on what I was learning particularly as a senior manager of Plastikos, Inc., a small plastics manufacturer and tool shop through its affiliated Micro Mold, Inc. and most significantly as part of the workforce development system where I witnessed so many instances of questionable or outright unethical activity by local, county, Commonwealth of PA, and U.S. Department of Labor employees that it is very difficult to view most parts of government in any favorable light.  I am also a keen observer of my environment at a micro and macro level such that the lens of ethics is continually adjusted and reinforced.

I will begin with some of the theoretical bases