Leadership and Ethics

Introduction
 The presentation will address fundamental
sections of “Ethics” and analyze leadership
in combination to ethics by scrutinizing
different mediums where leaders actions to a
situation displayed questionable ethics, and
same time good ethical actions brought
questions of legalities.

Assignment 8.1-Amarasinghe 2

Introduction Cont.
 Key points addressed in the presentation
 What is ethics
 What are morals
 What is legal
 Business Ethics
 Governmental Ethics
 Military Ethics


What are Ethics
 According to Peter Northouse (2010), “The word
ethics has its roots in Greek word Ethos, which
means “customs,” “conduct,” or “character.” Ethics
is concerned with the kinds of values and morals an
individual or society finds desirable or
appropriate” (p. 342).


What are Ethics Cont.
 Additionally according to Peter Northouse
(2010), “Furthermore, ethics is concerned
with virtuousness of individuals and their
motives” (p. 342)


What is Unethical
 Being unethical is going against the
customs, values and morals of a
society.
 For example eating with your mouth
open or eating with your hands in USA
is unethical as it disgust people here. It
is unethical to eat with fork and spoon
in Sri Lanka among locals.


Is there a universal Ethical
standpoint?
 Based on the definition of ethics, what is
considered as ethical, differ from one group
to another. Therefore there no universal
ethics which everyone agree on, and practice
as one.
 Example : Cannibalism is not something
practiced in the US, however, in Papua New
Guinea islands among the head hunters
Cannibalism is not abnormal.


What is Morality
 Definition of immorality like
ethics derive from the term moral,
according to Jeffrie G. Murphy
(1970), “For morality, as defined
thus far, is a description of the
activity of a fully, free fully
rational noumenal being in a
community of peers-an ideal of
pure reason” (p. 69).


Moral Relativism
 According to James Kellenberger (2001):
 Moral relativism, as relativism regarding morality, may
have yet one of several foci. Morality-the phenomenon of
human morality, which is not less than our moral lives, is
complex. True, if we take our guidance from philosophical
reflection on “theories of obligations,” we might get the
idea that morality is essentially a matter of right (and
wrong) action. (p. 22)


Moral Absolutes
 According to Peg O’Conner (2008),
 “Moral absolutism involves objectively
absolute rightness, goodness, and justice.
Moral absolutism is the thesis that there are
basic demands that apply to all moral agents
(p. 149).

 Therefore, in conclusion, moral absolutes
are the foundational moralities, which
many will argue as the basic moral
principles

What is Legal

 Definitions of legal according to
Merriam Webster dictionary (2011),
“Recognized or made effective by a
court of law as distinguished from a
court of equity ” (p. n.p)


Can being Legal always be Moral
or ethical?
 No, legality falls under a set of rules written
one a piece of paper, and holds the followers
of the law accountable to what is written
 But morality and Ethics are not written
everywhere, instead it is based on the
actions of an individual and the impact of
the action faced by another or others.


Can being Legal always be Moral
or ethical? Cont..
 During the third Reich, it was
legal to have death camps,
concentration camps and
Inhuman torture methods in
questioning suspects (Edouard,
1982). But based on the executors
of that law legal, ethical and
moral aspects spoke differently.

 According to Rudolf Hoess (1959),
“The blood bath is still before my
eyes. I find it incredible that human
beings could ever turn into such
beasts” (p. 135).

Do Ethics Depend on Morality?
 Yes, morality based on Jeffrie G. Murphy
(1970), “is a description of the activity of a
fully, free fully rational noumenal being in a
community of peers-an ideal of pure
reason” (p. 69).
 Therefore, if one does not care about their
surrounding nor has a sense of the best
interest of others in their mind they cannot
be ethical.


Can Law avoid Religion?
 The 10 commandments, or the 5
disciplines for the laity being done so
perfect in serving as an executive
summary as well as a detail report.
Creating any law avoiding it
completely would render impossible.
 The foundation of any religion, covers
the basis of any law, shall not kill,
steal, lie etc. (Smith, 1876).


Question of Ethics in Real Life
My Lai Massacre


My Lai Massacre
 On March 16 1968, during the height of the Vietnam
War Charlie Company 200 infantry battalion 1st platoon
under the command of 2nd LT William L Calley, was
called to orders in eliminating the retreated members of
the 48th battalion of the NLF (National Front for the
Liberation of South Vietnam) (Oliver, 2006).

 These members of the NLF known by the GI’s as the
VC’s were suspected to have carried out the Tet
offensive in January 1968, and according to the
information received by US military Intelligence they
have taken shelter in the village of May Lai (Oliver,
2006).

My Lai Massacre Cont
 The platoon under the command of
2nd LT William L Calley went into
the village and created a reign of
terror by killing civilians and
animals alike with grenades,
machine guns as well as burning
the villages residences (Oliver,
2006).


Ethics of My Lai Massacre
 Are the soldiers who committed the My Lai
Massacre guilty of a planned execution or was it a
mistake among many?

 Therefore the Situation has so many gray areas,
which needs to be analyzed before a judgment
could be presented.
 Who is accountable for the Massacre?
 Why did they do what they did?
 What is illegal to kill during the war?


Points of Observation for finding ethics
for the My Lai Massacre
 First being the mentality of the soldiers facing an
unseen enemy day and night.
 the event occurred after the US soldiers and high
command has had observed the devastating
impact of the VC war machine during the Tet
offensive of January 1968.

 Additionally the knowledge of these VC during
the day being just friendly farmer and by night
the feared unseen guerilla soldiers also haunted
these young soldiers (Karnow, 1983, p. 545).


Points of Observations for finding
ethics for the My Lai Massacre
 The nature of the soldiers physical condition
and social conditions, the soldiers were over
worked most times and were living a
monotonies life in the bushes day and night,
the soldiers were also was observing many
hardships and bureaucracies of military life.

 In addition, some being in Nam for more than
a week had many a bad news received from
their loved once back home of deaths,
separations, misses etc. moreover, as the
nature of any war, many social knowledge
that these young soldiers have observed back
home were put to test


 According to Phillip Davidson (1988):
 The enemy refused contact, and evaded
American search Parties. Frustration set in
as the Allied units redoubled their efforts to
get at the elusive enemy. Still, United states
casualties continued, produced mostly by
ubiquitous mines and booby traps. So
American soldiers were being injured and
killed by a seemingly invisible, but ever-
present, enemy. Soon Vietnamese civilians,
who could be seen, became suspects, and in
such angry frustration, My Lai
occurred. (p. 617)


Points of Observations for finding ethics
for the My Lai Massacre
 According to Phillip Davidson (1988):
 The decrease in intensity of combats produced inaction,
boredom, and lethargy in many American units. Boredom and
inaction are breeding grounds for lowered morale and discipline,
and with low morale, increased problems with drugs, alcohol,
civilian relations and discipline.

 A system of Justice which provided for a prompt trial, and where
appropriate, swift punishment, might have contained these
disciplinary problems. No such system existed in Vietnam. The
caseload was staggering. Key witnesses either rotated back to
the United States or were unavailable due to death or operational
requirements. (Davidson, 1988, p. 617)


 A white private is called to take orders from an
African American Sergeant but outside Vietnam,
the Sergeant cannot eat, socialize or drink at the
same locations and was considered lower than the
private was.

 The constant challenging of the authorities which
was another being a big part of the sixties
mentality created a problems in discipline
(Davidson, 1988, p. 616


 High command also exercised whatever it
takes methodologies to end the VC
retaliations.
 Operation Rolling Thunder the American bombing
campaign against North Vietnam which started from March
2nd 1965 to November 1st 1968, and devastated and cause
many equal damages to the VC and civilians alike on the
ground.

 Moreover within the years through the
campaign close to 640,000 tons of bombs
were dropped (Gifford, 2011, p. 21).


Conclusion on Ethics of My Lai
 During the same Era in US history a boy named
Emmett Till was brutally beaten and drowned for
touching and or making a comment to a white
lady, and the judicial system found the guilty
party to be innocent (Whitfield, 1988).

 Furthermore, African Americans were considered
lower humans and were punished by lynching or
beatings in regular basis, in comparison what is
the difference. Why was May Lai a big deal when
Lynching was legal in one human life greater
than another was?


Conclusion on Ethics of My Lai
 In observing all these aspects surrounding the
massacre of My Lai, and observing the event
from the mentality of the time, and the events
that led to the attack it may seem another
mistake than a deliberate and Planned
massacre.

 Was killing by Air through Bombs and
Napalm ethical than killing with grenades and
machine guns?

 Hence, the ethics of the May Lai massacre
again falls under the situation.


Question of Ethics in Real Life
The Donner Party


The Donner Party
 The Donner party consisted of eighty-seven
members male and female from several families
who embarked on a journey to California in
1846.

 Due their delayed start the Donner party was
stuck in Truckee Lake, the major obstacle for
them was the constant snowing on top of Sierra
Nevada Mountains, which ranged from five to
six feet (Colbert, 1998, p. 192)


The Donner Party Cont
 In December 1846 the party dispatched seventeen
members to complete the passage and bring help, but
when the party reached the Truckee camp many had
died and the other had opt to cannibalism as means of
survival (Colbert, 1998, p. 192).


 Patrick Breen according to Colbert (1998),
 “Marthas Jaw swelled with the toothache; hungry
times in camp, plenty hides but folks will not eat
them we eat them with tolerable good appetite” (p.
195). Therefore, it is evident that in camp Truckee
there was another option for food, which was the
hides, but those who ate their dead relatives decided
the action based on personal preference (Colbert,
1998, pp. 194-195).


 What should the Donner party have done?
Let their loved once who are living die, in
preserving an ethical standpoint?
 Should they have been condemned for
eating dead human flesh for the survival of
the living?


Business Ethics


Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
 With dot com collapsing and, companies as the
Enron Cooperation and WorldCom due to bad
business practices becoming bankrupt and
investors who invested in them having to lose
their life savings, called to analyze the way
cooperation’s addressed business
 As a response to these types of disasters,
fraudulent situations and bad business practices,
the US congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002 (De Vay, 2006, p. 1)


Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Cont.
 Sox has five sections, all designed to make
the organization accountable to their
statements, as well as provide valid
information to the investors.
○ For example, Act Section 401 in summary address,
that the financial statements of any cooperation or
business are published by issuers are required to be
accurate and presented in a manner that does not
contain incorrect statements or admit to state material
information (Associates, 2003, p. n.p).


Can there be a Ethical
Businessman?
 Yes, any business leader can be successful and ethical at the
same time, business leaders in observing their obligations
to any organization is the ability to negotiate, negotiate with
the employees, and the customers with the product.

 In both of the key aspects where a business leaders
negotiate they deal with humans in both ends, thus beyond
the norm, an ethical business leader will be graduated
success to himself as well as the organization


Challenges in Ethics


Henry Ford’s Negotiation With the
Germans
 Henry Ford began negotiating with the Germans
in 1920, which led to GM taking over the German
Opel Company, and Ford also establishing a
branch in Germany enabling exchanging
technologies that benefited both nations
(Appleby, 2010, p. 298).

 Findings of a U.S Army investigator, indicated to
Ford cooperation supplying the Germans with
essential materials as Rubber in 1945.


Germans
 According to CNN U.S (1998):
○ Spelich said between 1936 and 1939, Fords German unit,
Ford Werke AG, did in fact participate in a barter program
sanctioned by the German government that brought in raw
materials and generated hard currency for the cash strapped
nation. But he said the Army report misrepresented the
situation. Before the outbreak of war, local managers at the
Ford Werke medium duty truck plant in Cologne, Germany,
also refused to share certain information with Ford officials
back at the companies headquarters in Dearborn. (p. n.p)


Germans
 In observing the scenario of Ford and the
German relation, in depth it can be assessed as a
business deal, which Ford started in expanding
his organization, and continued to maintain some
relations despite the war situation between the
nations.
 Hence, In observing this based on the
information obtained, Fords relations with
Germany was a deal made with a strong business
ambition, which would profit himself as well as
the US, thus it cannot be observed as an
unethical act by Henry Ford.


President Truman and the A-Bomb
 President Truman’s individual
observations through his written
works, according to Steven Mintz
(2003), “I have to decide Japanese
strategy,” he wrote in his diary- shall
we invade Japan or shall we bomb
the blockade”(p. 240).


President Truman and the A-Bomb
Cont.
 President Truman According to Steven
Mintz (2003):
 It is my responsibility as commander-in-chief
of the armed forces to see that our country is
able to defend itself against any possible
aggressor. I have directed the Atomic Energy
Commission to continue its work on all forms
of atomic weapons, including the so-called
hydrogen or super-bomb.(p. 240)


Conclusion
 In observing the vital aspects of Ethics, Morals and
Law, Ethics and Morals standout as the most
important segments in dealing with humanism.
However, despite sounding easy in coming to a
conclusion on ethics and morals, they are never black
and white. Like any philosophy, Ethics and Morals
have many shades, thus in taking action to an ethical
or moral dilemma, one must observed all the facts
pertaining to the dilemma.


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