Module 4 Ethical and Unethical Themes in Culture
Reflection Blog: Ethical and Unethical Themes in Culture
Prompt
In the article, What Ethical Leadership Means to Me: Asian, American, and European Perspectives (EBSCO/Hunt Library), the authors identify several ethical and unethical themes that are part of each culture. Review the article, paying particular attention to the themes for each culture.
Address the following prompts:
- Discuss what ethical and unethical themes are present in your culture.
- Discuss these themes in relation to you and your value system.
Ethical and Unethical Themes in Culture
My culture at large is largely United States-based in terms of country-based culture, but my mother is German-born and much of my family lives there still. My father’s side of the family is Hispanic, and I even have a part-Japanese family on my mom’s side. This diverse family and background, along with my world travels, help me understand that cultures are so varied and different, while also sharing many commonalities on a human level.
According to Resick et al. (2011), “the U.S. [is] among the most individualistic of cultures,” and the U.S. tends to believe there is a “‘right’ way to lead” in such a way that places “a strong emphasis on enhancing performance” (p. 439). Additionally, Hoppe and Bhagat (2007) contend that American cultures have a “tendency to view their leaders as heroic warriors and have unrealistically high expectations for their leaders to be men and women of exceptionally high character.” Moreover, Hoppe and Bhagat (2007) also illuminate in their study that the dominant themes of unethical leadership among U.S. respondents are “Deception and Dishonesty (76.9%) and Acting in Self-Interest and Misusing Power (56.4%).” Other findings are that the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, and Germany emphasize “social relationships and responsibility toward others, such as Consideration and Respect for Others, Collective Orientation, and Fairness,” while “Character and Accountability [are] the dominant themes in the U.S., Ireland, and Taiwan” (Resick et al., 2011, p. 451).
These findings are quite interesting for my dominant culture (the U.S.), but not surprising. In my own experience, I find that success in the professional world, regardless of sector, favors individual achievements over team effectiveness. The cutthroat nature of the culture in the U.S. seems to open the door to people being willing to tear down others, put others down, deceive, lie, manipulate, and misuse power – some people are willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ladder. Common sentiments are that ‘it is not what you know, but who you know’ and ‘networking is everything.’ Beyond individual achievements, these refer to the relationships an individual has with others in a sense that a ‘good old boys club’ does actually exist. Within the military, I see that charisma is often what gets the attention necessary for promotion, even over the relationships an individual has or their individual achievements.
A major problem here is that this U.S.-type culture does not focus on team effectiveness, collective orientation, or fairness. This is very contrary to what I see in German and Japanese cultures within my family as they seem to feel a sort of collectivism and responsibility toward others. For example, on subway systems in Japan people are very polite where they wait their turn in the queue, do not talk while on the tram, and wear masks for the well-being of others. In the U.S., such as in New York City, queues seem like a foreign concept and personal space and peace is infringed upon. Essentially, the U.S. is a very individualistic culture, and the country has somewhat always been rooted in that way all the way back to early settlers, the wild west, and even the country staying out of international affairs until forcefully brought in.
Personally, my values align across many cultures, but my strongest are U.S.-based, which makes sense. I am very team-oriented and humane-oriented as I recognize that it does ‘take a village’ to be successful in life. However, where I part ways is the cutthroat, individualistic mentality that dominates U.S. culture. I believe that the best leaders are the ones who actually can lead people well and not just get results at whatever cost. Trevino (2006) writes, "Perspectives on the meaning of ethical leadership have emphasized leader character, integrity, ethical awareness, and a collective orientation which promotes team or organizational interests over self-serving interests." Trevino (2006) does a fantastic job at blending ethical perspectives that span multiple cultures. Moreover, this highlights that there is no perfect way of leading in terms of ethical leadership, and that there is something for leaders to learn regarding cross-culture convergence of ethics. “When faced with a cultural or ethical dilemma, members of one culture will frequently use their own cultural and ethical value systems as an absolute standard against which to measure the behavior of members of the other culture or they adopt the norms of the other culture,” particularly in the U.S. as it is a universalistic culture (Resick et al., 2011, p. 452).
I recognize now
that I need to be more open-minded when it comes to cultural and ethical norms
that are different than my own. Rather than imposing my immediate values on a
diverse group, as a leader, it is important that I aim to understand how to
approach situations involving multiple different cultures. I believe that part
of the reason I am more collectively oriented is largely in part due to this M.S.
in Leadership program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Prior to
beginning, I was very individualistic and bought into the cutthroat nature of
the professional world. I figured there was nothing that could be done about it
(i.e., ‘do not hate the player, hate the game’). But now I feel that I can be
better than those that came before me. I can be a better leader even if it is
in a different way opposed to ‘the right way.’ Ultimately, “understanding these
cultural contingencies provides a basis for identifying the competences which
might equip leaders to deal more effectively with the challenges of leading
ethically across cultural borders” (Resick et al., 2011, p. 453). I charge
myself with leading in an ethical manner in such a way that factors in other
cultural and ethical norms and views in my decision-making calculus while keeping my own cultural and ethical biases in check. I will lead with "Character, Consideration and Respect for Others," and without "Acting in Self-Interest [or] Misusing Power" (Resick et al., 2011, p. 453). With this understanding in mind, I will be more prepared when facing cultural and ethical dilemmas as a leader.
-Chad
References:
Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2006).
Ethical leadership: A review and Future Directions. The Leadership Quarterly,
17(6), 595–616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2006.10.004
Hoppe, M., & Bhagat, R. (2007).
Leadership in the United States of America: The Leader as Culture Hero. Culture
and Leadership Across the World: The GLOBE Book of In-Depth Studies of 25
Societies 1(1), 475–541.
Resick, C., Martin, G., Keating, M., Dickson, M., Kwan, H., & Peng, C. (2011). What Ethical Leadership Means to Me: Asian, American, and European Perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 101(3), 435–457. https://doi-org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s10551-010-0730-8
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