Before attempting to respond to this post, refer back to “The Competing Forces of Ethics” Learning Activity. There are several competing ethical forces mentioned in the reading. Select and comment on the two that have the greatest impact on you. How do these forces manifest themselves in how you make decisions in the workplace? Please explain. Then, provide an example of when one of these forces led you to make an ethical decision.

The Competing Forces of Ethics

As you read about the competing forces of ethics, consider the codes of ethics at your organization and at Brandman, as well as your own codes of ethics. How do they compete against and/or reinforce each other?

It is important to recognize the many competing forces of ethics. For example, many organizations have codes of ethics; certain industries, such as accounting, also have codes of ethics and we each have our own personal codes of ethics. The model shown in Figure 1.3, developed by Joan Poliner Shapiro and Jacqueline Stefkovich (2010), indicates the types of ethical codes we may deal with in our organizations. The number of ethical standards can create a balancing act when understanding the ethical environment we engage within.

Figure 1.3 Types of Ethical Codes in Our Organizations

An adaption of Shapiro and Stefkovich’s model, this model shows some of the various environments in which ethical leaders must operate.

Note. Adapted from “The Ethical Leader,” by Portolese Dias, L., 2014, Leadership and Supervision, Chapter 9. Copyright 2014 Flat World Knowledge, Inc.