The Need for Effective Managerial Practice

Discuss about the Ethical Decision Making and Management for Emotional Intelligence.
 

As a result of stiff competition in contemporary organizations across the globe, there is high demand for effective managerial practice amongst managers in order to enhance prosperity in the respective organizations. There is deficiency of mangers that have effective managerial practices globally with exception of a few international organizations that have managers exhibiting effective managerial practices. Evidence shows that managers have got inadequate emotional intelligence and empathy and reason or experience and wisdom to calculate projected outcomes.   (Ford, & Richardson, 2013, p.374).

A midst this challenge numerous measures have been put in place to enhance effective managerial practice amongst managers in contemporary organizations in order to suit in the competitive world today.one of the measures is training managers on ethical decision making. In addition to self-evaluation using the three ethical perspectives that is to say; ethic of care, ethic of reason and ethic of obedience.  This can help managers tell whether they are ethical or not and also identify their weaknesses and strength and consequently improve where necessary.

The purpose of this essay is to assess my current, competencies and behavior, skills and managerial capabilities while demonstrating ethical decision making as a manager and to create a thorough plan for developing these skills and abilities in order to enable me become an ethical manager and ultimately an effective manager in future (Tenbrunsel, & Smith, 2008, p.600).

The second section reviews relevant literature concerning ethical decision making and effective managerial practices and the big five personality traits. Section three emphasizes my personal evaluation concerning my current managerial capabilities and personality in relation to ethical decision making. The next section gives a thorough for developing abilities and skills in effective management practice. Section five will include the conclusion. Then section six will be a list of references and lastly an appendix that will include; summary of results tables showing scores of three questionnaires selected, scanned or photographed copies of three questionnaire responses and results. 

Various scholars have defined concepts of ethical decision making and management practice in different ways but with a common view as highlighted below.

Ethical decision is defined as a process of assessing and selecting an option from many alternatives in a way that is consistent with ethical principles. In making ethical decisions it’s essential to observe and eliminate unethical alternatives and choose the best ethical option.

Measures for Enhancing Effective Managerial Practice

Ethical decision making can further be refer to a process of reviewing various alternatives while eliminating those with an un ethical perspective and selecting the best ethical alternative.

Ethical decision making may also mean critical examination of the three ethical stand points of ; ethic of care which engages emotional intelligence, ethic of reason which engages rational brain that is to say; experience and wisdom and the ethic of obedience.( Ingram, LaForge, & Schwepker 2007, p.310)

In this context ethical decision making shall mean critical evaluation of the three ethical perspectives of obedience, care and reason and choosing the best option from the many. Ethical decision-making aids people when challenged with tough choices in an ethical dilemma. This is a situation where is uncertainty concerning wrong or right answer. For effective management, there is need to incorporate ethical decision making, personality traits, skills and abilities (Ferrell, Johnston, & Ferrell, 2007, p.290)

Organizations should use ethical programs and compliance to demonstrate and reinforce their commitment to ethical practice in order to help guide decision making and conduct of workers. Positive decision making is required to maintain standards of business high. Compliance with supervisory requirements specific policies of a given organization are one of the serious constituents of effective risk management. Monitoring and maintaining compliance is not just to for to please supervisor but to it is one of the most essential ways an organization can keep its moral wellbeing, support long term success and reservation and stimulate its values. On a more concrete level ethics program and compliance support the objectives of an organization, identification of boundaries of legal and ethical conduct as well as instituting a structure to alert management when an organization is near to ethical or authorized limit. On this note management must be ready to respond quickly and correctly to diminish the impact on an organization. The presence of ethics programs and compliance shows commitment of an organization tom creating a work environment and corporate culture that values doing what is good, just and right keeping standards high. This calls for mangers to employ various strategies incorporating competences, personal skills, behaviors culture, and managerial abilities to be able to favorably compete across the globe (De et al., 2011) 

Skills refer to abilities that are acquired through the process of learning to enhance carrying out of precise responsibilities. Skills may also mean capabilities to perform certain things. There are numerous new approaches that companies should be thinking of in order to develop   capabilities and skills that are necessary for promotion of good ethical decision making. These approaches have been advanced in the following areas (Groves, Vance, & Paik, 2008, p.310).

Literature Review

Training workers on ethics in order to help them address the moral dimension of business decision. This may include; guest lectures, workshops and employee or administrative deliberations.

Focus on action deliberations should be made on role playing exercise to stimulate real decision-making situation and provision of rehearsal in how to think through ethical deliberations.

Development of ethical conduct is one of the key elements in improving risk management.

Defining, encouraging and monitoring ethical conduct one of the most challenging things related to risk. Research proves that major corporate failures of the past decades were direct linked to ethical behavior or absence of it. Ethical conduct is central but often an over looked component risk evidence shows that the challenge most firms face is that ethics covers numerous areas of activity yet it lacks an accurate set of methods (Loviscky, Treviño, & Jacobs, 2007, p.50)

The concept of corporate culture has been expanded to include customer relationships, accountability, and use of customer data, diversity, and fair-trade market conduct unlike in the past when it was limited to governance matters.

Today the human resource department assists to develop worker at all levels with skills and to abilities to embed a   company’s values. New staff and senior employees should be identified and sustained through clear model conduct that demonstrates ways through which company’s values will be implemented in governance and client opposite roles.

This is another capability that can help promote good ethical decision making. This requires better management information and analysis can help identify possible an un ethical conduct in different kinds of organizations whether in larger scale in several parts of an organization or small localized ones. Firms are combining quantity information from communication investigation with quantitative behaviour risk matrix. For example, capturing soft information concerning tone and culture throughout accompany (Dane, & Pratt, 2007, p.50).

Behavioral change is another skill needed to promote good ethical decision making. This can be conducted in thirty days to help attain the take-up of desired conduct through minor incremental transformation within a team. Positive results have been observed in some companies that added innovative technologies for example peer-peer rewards.

Defining the conduct desired and then adapt the correct technologies and tools to impart and stimulate the conduct.one of the most essential tools is the accurate measurement of specific key indicators of performance. For example, this can be by use of sales data, as indicators for fair treatment, track complaints, in relation to precise communication as an indicator for success in supporting its objectives, customer satisfaction index among others (Knapp, & VandeCreek, 2012).

Personal Evaluation and Ethical Decision Making

Technology is in bringing fourth new ethical concerns for companies ranging from use of client data and proper safeguarding to the impact of robotics and automation upon employees to monitoring of workers’ skills of communication. For example, social media and e-mail. Technology is further providing solutions and tools for holding companies to high ethical standard. Numerous studies assert that conducting business ethically can improve performance and cost-effectiveness companies that employ innovative technologies to measure progress and reach determined goals often inaugurate a vital competitive benefit to stakeholders and themselves.

Personality traits refer to differentiating potentials that are personification of an individual. This can also mean typical, designs of nature and passions.

A number of studies contend that there is a significant relationship between personality traits and ethical decision making. A research study on psychology of doing nothing:  forms of decision avoidance, reason and emotion proves that personality is a predictor of ethical decision making. For example, qualities like narcissism and cynicism among students training for career in science. Research findings show that narcissism among individuals’ differences determines self-perception and also other peoples’ perceptions. Still the study demonstrates a consistently negative relationships aspect of ethical decision making whereas basing on personality qualities for example qualities like agreeableness, conscientiousness was feebler and less reliable. The study further examined the relationship personality to metacognitive reasoning approaches and public interactive response designs assumed to trigger ethical decision making. Findings show that personality was linked to many of these social-cognitive instruments which in past explain the relationship between ethical choices and personality Craft, 2013, 250).

Meanwhile in another study extraversion, agreeableness openness to experience and conscientiousness were assumed to forecast ethical decision making. Results revealed that neuroticism have negative effects on ethical decision making in addition, there was no significant relationship between ethical decision making and extraversion and on the other as earlier on suggested agreeableness, openness to experience and conscientiousness are found to essential precursor of ethical decision making.

In general research proves that there is a significant relationship between personality traits and ethical decision making. 

In conclusion, from the past studies evidence shows that there is a relationship between ethical decision making and effective management practice in that managers who uphold ethical decision making is likely to prosperous unlike those who do not uphold ethical decision making. The study still reveals that there is a significant link between personality  and ethical decision making but with neuroticism having negative impacts on ethical decision making and there was no significant relationship found between extraversion and ethical decision making (McDevitt, Giapponi, & Tromley, 2007, p.250).                                             

Plan for Developing Managerial Skills and Abilities

Personality traits refer to qualities that are the embodiments used to distinguish individuals.

The Big Five Personality Model as advanced by Goldberg is still relevant even today’s prevailing the as the most accepted model with its prevailing theory of personality traits. This model does not necessarily explain the traits but explains the five primary factors of personality that in which numerous traits fit. Though there is relevant literature concerning the Big Five Personality Trait that most researchers agree with there are slight divergences. Goldberg proposes that this theory has been of validity for decades.  These five traits include; conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness to experience, neuroticism, and extroversion. the traits that fall under openness to experience include; creative, curious, perceptive, love for learning, insightful, imaginative, enjoys arts, likes meeting new people, intellectual and engages in in creative career. A person who is open to experience experiences depth and complex mental life, traits of conscientiousness these people tend to control impulses and act in socially acceptable ways that facilitate goal directed conduct; these people delay gratification work with in rules and plan and organize effectively (Thiel et al., 2012, p.64). Traits of conscientiousness traits include; thorough self-disciplined, persistent, consistent, controlled, reliable, persevering, energetic resourceful, hardworking, planners and ambitious.

Generally, people with these traits can hold leadership positions and perform very well; extroversion has got two usual ends of the spectrum. That is to say; introversion and extroversion gain energy from the “external world “or interaction with others while introverts gain energy from internal world with solitude with the self. Research demonstrates that this is still extremely prevalent today since findings prove that it is a useful differentiator between the two relatively distinct types of people. However, this is not permanently planted as suggested by psychologists. The traits of extroversion are; assertive, fun-loving, confident, friendly, affectionate, sociable, out-going, happy socially confident, articulate, out-going, energetic and talkative agreeableness elaborates how well people can accommodate others. Traits that fall under agreeableness include; modest, polite, amiable, cheerful, considerate, unselfish, loyal, patient, sensitive, trusting, humble, moderate, and kindness. Extroverts interact with others confidently (Oliveira, 2007, p.13).

And finally, neuroticism that exhibits a high score of more negative traits. Individuals with this personality are comfortable in their own skin and are confident. This incorporates one’s expressive permanency and general anger. The traits of this factor include; pessimistic, general anger, sadness, nervous, moody, jealous, low-self-esteem, anxiety, worry, self-conscious, unsure of themselves, easily angered, unstable, self-critical, awkward, testy, oversensitive, unconfident, insecure and fearful ( Husted, & Allen, 2008, .300)

Conclusion

In pursuing my profession in management, it very significant to develop personality traits that will have positive impact in this very career so as to be able to manage those around me and my self.

Findings of the study reveal that personality traits such as conscientiousness and agreeableness were weaker and less consistent further the study asserts that personality was closely linked to social-cognitive instruments. Still study findings proved that there was no significant relationship between ethical decision making and extraversion while agreeableness, openness to experience and conscientiousness have an important link with ethical decision making. Therefore, there is a connection between ethical decision making and personality traits.

In my view, from this theory my score was high on conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience as compared to extroversion and neuroticism as demonstrated in the relevant literature. This means I am a person is resourceful, a persevering, planner, consistent, disciplined, hard-working, loving, curious among others. This makes me a good manager however these qualities should be used wisely to avoid negative impacts on management (Fritzsche, & Oz, 2007, p.340)

As a manager I should not be too friendly to avoid being undermined and disrespected by subordinates. Having this factor of agreeableness can work well as long as I use it wisely since being too generous can ruin an organization. On the other hand my score was low on neuroticism as this may have negative impacts but really serious ones.                               

This part will include my current skills or abilities in managerial practice as well as my future plans and goals based on the SMART framework. Goals help in achieving success of an organization when followed as planned.

Plan using SMART goal framework

I have ability to analyze different aspects of life, meet new challenges in life as they arise, assertiveness, communication skills, development of ethical conduct which is a crucial component in improving risk management and emergency decision making        

I need to improve on my interpersonal communication skills and emergency decision making because I have a slight challenge in this areas which are critical in management practice   .

Ethical decision making is very critical in setting standards high and effective management is equally essential driving an organization to achieving success. I intend to advance my interpersonal communication abilities through socialization with comrades within and outside the university. I will join different associations within the university so as help me advance my abilities. I will attend short courses on ethical decision making.

At a master’s degree, I will specialize in communication skills which will greatly improve on my communication skills. Communication skills are a very vital component in everyday life in every organization whether small or big, local, national or international for success of organizational objectives and goals.  

For me realize that I have improved on goals I should be able to make good presentations as well as interact confidently with people from different walks of the world and taking up  a leadership role in the university where backed by my ability to make emergency decisions where necessary. Feedback from colleagues will serve as an indicator of standard measure of my productivity as s well as self-evaluation.

Due to the fact that communication does not end, it means it will be a continuous process in life. Then decision making will as well not have a limit as long as I still hold the leadership role and even after there will be other decisions that may always be made. 

Conclusion

With clear understanding of what management involves, assessing organizational processes, critically analyzing the relationship between management thinking and practice of management in modern organizations. I identify my weaknesses and be able to improve and also get to know my strength and use then to take advantage of available opportunities in the field of management. This will enable acquire necessary skills, knowledge and abilities and required of a manager in the competitive world today. Following this assay, I will be able to adjust by adopting some traits essential in managerial practice. Through strategies like; workshops, empowerment on ethical decision making, training on better communication skills that value culture will help in comprehending the different dimensions of ethical decision making that are sensitive to culture. I intend to build on my goals as cited in this assay so as to achieve the required skills and capabilities for effective managerial practice world over.   

Reference lists 

Craft, J. L. (2013). A review of the empirical ethical decision-making literature: 2004–2011. Journal of business ethics, 117(2), 221-259.

Dane, E., & Pratt, M. G. (2007). Exploring intuition and its role in managerial decision making. Academy of management review, 32(1), 33-54.

De Cremer, D., Van Dick, R., Tenbrunsel, A., Pillutla, M., & Murnighan, J. K. (2011). Understanding ethical behavior and decision making in management: A behavioural business ethics approach. British Journal of Management, 22(s1).

Detert, J. R., Treviño, L. K., & Sweitzer, V. L. (2008). Moral disengagement in ethical decision making: a study of antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 374.

Ferrell, O. C., Johnston, M. W., & Ferrell, L. (2007). A framework for personal selling and sales management ethical decision making. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 27(4), 291-299.

Ford, R. C., & Richardson, W. D. (2013). Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical literature. In Citation classics from the Journal of Business Ethics (pp. 19-44). Springer, Dordrecht.

Fritzsche, D., & Oz, E. (2007). Personal values’ influence on the ethical dimension of decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 75(4), 335-343.

Groves, K., Vance, C., & Paik, Y. (2008). Linking linear/nonlinear thinking style balance and managerial ethical decision-making. Journal of Business Ethics, 80(2), 305-325.

Husted, B. W., & Allen, D. B. (2008). Toward a model of cross-cultural business ethics: The impact of individualism and collectivism on the ethical decision-making process. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(2), 293-305.

Ingram, T. N., LaForge, R. W., & Schwepker Jr, C. H. (2007). Salesperson ethical decision making: The impact of sales leadership and sales management control strategy. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 27(4), 301-315.

Knapp, S. J., & VandeCreek, L. D. (2012). Practical ethics for psychologists: A positive approach. American Psychological Association.

Loviscky, G. E., Treviño, L. K., & Jacobs, R. R. (2007). Assessing managers’ ethical decision-making: An objective measure of managerial moral judgment. Journal of Business Ethics, 73(3), 263-285.

McDevitt, R., Giapponi, C., & Tromley, C. (2007). A model of ethical decision making: The integration of process and content. Journal of Business ethics, 73(2), 219-229.

Oliveira, A. (2007). A discussion of rational and psychological decision-making theories and models: The search for a cultural-ethical decision-making model. Electronic journal of business ethics and organization studies, 12(2), 12-13.

Tenbrunsel, A. E., & Smith?Crowe, K. (2008). 13 ethical decision making: Where we’ve been and where we’re going. Academy of management Annals, 2(1), 545-607.

Thiel, C. E., Bagdasarov, Z., Harkrider, L., Johnson, J. F., & Mumford, M. D. (2012). Leader ethical decision-making in organizations: Strategies for sensemaking. Journal of Business Ethics, 107(1), 49-64.