Download youth workshop – paper four

RIVERS STATE MINISTRY OF YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT
TWO-DAY WORKSHOP FOR YOUTH NGOs AND
ORGANIZATIONS IN RIVERS STATE
PAPER FOUR
TOPIC:
“ETHICS, VALUES AND
ACCOUNTABILITY”
DATE:
30 NOVEMBER, 2010.
VENUE:
JUANITA HOTEL, AMADI FLAT,
P/HARCOURT
SPEAKER: SOYE ASAWO PhD
 INTRODUCTION:
 Conflict Management and Resolution has become a
familiar theme in Youth Organization in Nigeria.
For, Supervisory Government MDAs, Community
leaders, social crusaders and activists and other
stakeholders have all been engaged in seeking
solutions to the incessant conflicts between
members of youth NGOs and Youth organizations.
 It
is evident that the climate for these
organizations to thrive especially in the Niger Delta
has largely been unfavourable due to incessant
conflicts.
 This study therefore examines the paradigmatic
shift that could be adopted by Youth NGOs and
Organizations in addressing this significantly
fundamental issue hampering the growth and
sustainability of these organizations.
 The nature of
conflict within Youth Groups is
discussed, conflict management outcomes is
examined, and the place of ethics, value and
accountability as pillars of corporate integrity in
effective conflict management is explored and
explicated.
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 NATURE OF CONFLICT:
 Before analyzing the place of corporate integrity
in the management of conflict, it is essential to
begin the analysis by examining the nature of
conflict and how it can be managed.
 It
is obvious that conflict has become a
phenomenon that is inevitable in human society
due to (1) the variegated nature of human
makeup,
(2)
insufficient
free
flow
of
communication, (3) insufficient interpersonal
relational processes, (4) lack of intrinsic
motivation in programme design, (5) alienation,
and (6) Conflict proneness.
 Darling and Fogliasso (1999, p.384) affirm that
“conflict arises due to a variety of factors” which
include “differences in goals, expectations,
values, proposed courses of action, and
suggestions about how to best handle a
situation”.
 Accordingly, Appelbaum et al (1999, p.63) state
that “conflict refers to a process of social
interaction involving a struggle over claims to
resources, power and status, beliefs, and other
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preferences and desires”.
 Thomas (1976) makes the definition
of conflict clearer by stating that it is
the process which starts when a
party perceives that another party
has frustrated, or is about to
frustrate, some concern of theirs.
 Pruitt and Rubin (1986) add that this
perceived divergence of interest, is
based on the belief that the parties’
current aspirations can not be
achieved simultaneously.
 Summing up these views, McKenna
(1995, p.22) argues that “conflict
situations arise when the needs,
wants and values of two parties
interfere with one another”.
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CONSEQUENCES OF CONFLICT

Frustrates goal attainment
 Increases operational cost
 Creates anxiety and tension
 Time wasting
 Bad Public Image
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 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
 Henkin
et al (2000) ague that conflict
management is a communicative behaviour.
Our view stems from the belief that one way
of changing peoples’ perceptions is through
effective communication (Ahiauzu, 2006).
 In their comprehensive definition of conflict
management Bloomfield and Reilly (1998,
p.18) therefore posit that it “is the positive
and constructive handling of difference and
divergence”. They argue that it addresses
how to deal with conflict “in a constructive
way, how to bring opposing sides together
in a cooperative process, how to design a
practical, achievable, cooperative system
for
the
constructive
management
of
difference”. This position emphasizes the
need for the establishment of a practical
communicative vehicle that will integrate
the parties involved and ensure that peace
reigns.
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 The major manifestation of the conflict in Youth
Organizations
appear
to
be
members’
disintegration.
Thus,
effective
conflict
management will in this context refer to the
attainment of members’ integration.
 Integration is however difficult to attain when
there is distrust. For, Susskind et al (2003)
argues that when stakeholders mistrust each
other, it will be important for conflicting parties
to first of all seek to understand each other’s
perspectives better with the purpose of
lessening fears and opening minds.
 For, Appelbaum et al (1999) posit that the
interplay of conflict and how it is managed will
give rise to either functional or dysfunctional
outcomes.
 Ethics, Values and Accountability as the pillars
of Corporate integrity, as an approach for
preventing such dysfunctional outcomes, which
include antagonism and hostility, is what the
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rest of this study sets out to examine.
 CORPORATE INTEGRITY CONCEPT:
 It is acknowledged that integrity has been a
central theme in ethics and organizational
behaviour literature, as well as other social
science disciplines (Trevinyo-Rodríguez, 2007).
But, most of the discussions have centred on
integrity as an individual attribute. For instance,
Kaptein and van Reenen (2001, p. 284) point out
that “discussions about the concept of integrity
often refer exclusively to a characteristic that
only human beings can have”.
 Nevertheless, Jones and Pollitt (1995) posit that
there are three dimensions of integrity in
business life and these include the personal, the
corporate and the macroeconomic. It is thus
appropriate to conceptualise integrity as an
organizational level concept.
 The definition of corporate integrity construct
is drawn from the general meaning of integrity.
Integrity refers to strength of character, which
involves a reputation for truthfulness, honesty
and conscientiousness (Ahiauzu, 2003).
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 Thus Werhane and Freeman (1997), in their
definition of integrity emphasize the quality of
moral self-governance at both the individual and
group level.
 Integrity is rooted in moral convictions (Ejiofor,
1987) and is very important for corporate
success.
Secretan
(2001)
posits
that
organizations that build their cultures around
integrity are likely to achieve a quantum leap in
effectiveness.
 The role of integrity-driven corporate culture in
corporate success cannot be overemphasised
and that is the reason such terms as ‘Moral
Ethos’, ‘Business Ethics’, ‘Moral Atmosphere’
and ‘Corporate Soul’ have become a constant in
organizational life.
 Drawing from the forgoing, corporate integrity
can
be
viewed
as
referring
to
an
institutionalised mindset that arises from a
complex
network
of
influences
on
the
organisation and its members, which gives rise
to
a
moral-driven
organization
that
is
characterised
by
corporate
truth-telling,
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honesty, discipline, loyalty and self control.
 To
attract goodwill from its publics, the
organisation needs to enhance its corporate
integrity capacity. Similarly, the organization
needs to develop its competency for projecting
its corporate integrity in order to present a
good corporate image to its publics.
 Organizations as open systems are social entities




and every social entity has the following
characteristics:
Exists in an ecological system
Boundary-spans in a symbiotic relationship
Competes for Scares Resources to Survive
Works towards Negative Entropy
 To survive in perpetuity, organizations must create
high social impact
organizations.
in
the
community
of
 However, no organization can create a high social
impact without a culture of integrity founded on
the tripod of ethics, value and accountability.
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ETHICS
 Ethics is defined as “the discipline dealing with
what is good and bad and with moral duty and
obligation” – Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate
Dictionary.
 Ethics is “the science of morals in human conduct”
– The Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
 It is Concerned with truth and justice – Weihrich et
al (2008).
 “Ethics is the study of moral values of principles
that guide our behaviour, and inform us whether
actions are right or wrong. Ethical principles help
us do the ‘right thing’” – Robins and Langton (2003)
 Metz has argued that (1) “an action is right just
insofar as it respects a person's dignity; an act is
wrong to the extent that it degrades humanity”; (2)
“an action is right just insofar as it promotes the
well-being of others (without violating their rights);
an act is wrong to the extent that it violates rights
or fails to enhance the welfare of one's fellows”.
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 “Ethics is concerned with the study of morality:






practices and activities that are considered
importantly right or wrong, together with the rules
that govern those activities and the values to
which those activities relate” – Mullins (2007).
Ethics is “the science of morals in human conduct”
– The Canadian Oxford Dictionary
It is Concerned with truth and justice – Weihrich et
al (2008).
“Ethics is the study of moral values of principles
that guide our behaviour, and inform us whether
actions are right or wrong. Ethical principles help
us do the ‘right thing’” – Robins and Langton (2003)
These definitions are generic views about ethics
but our focus is on business ethics which is
applied ethics. We have our focus on business
ethics because Youth NGOs and Organizations are
in the business (not-for-profit) of social reengineering.
Business Ethics seeks to explore the implications
of general ethics for the conduct of business.
The
ethical question is all pervasive
in
organizational life. Nevertheless, two key areas
where ethics must be expressly captured are in (1)
the Purpose Statement, and (2) the Organizational
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Strategy.
 “Ethics is distinct from behaviours governed by law” – Daft
(2001). While law gives rise to codified principles, Daft
(2001) posits that Ethics is birthed through the following:
Organizational
Culture –
Rituals,
Ceremonies,
Slogans,
Symbols,
History etc.
Personal
Ethics –
Beliefs, moral
development,
ethical
framework etc.
Is Decision or
Behaviour
Ethical?
Organizational
System –
Structure,
Policies, Rules,
Reward
System, Code
of Ethics etc.
External
Stakeholders –
Government
Regulations,
Donor Agency
Standards, etc.
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VALUES
 Values
are “Basic Convictions about what is
important, right and good to the individual”.
 “Values are concerned with what should be and
what is desirable” – Mullins (2007).
 Hofstede – defines Values as a broad tendency to
prefer certain states of affairs over others.
 To remain relevant, every organization must have
corporate values referred to as core or shared
values in business. These values are both implicit
and espoused.
 Values are so crucial for organizational success
that Rion (1997) wrote: “Values drive business
results”.
 Some of the world’s best organizations ride on
such values as professionalism, efficient/effective
use of resources, transparency etc.
 Values are both implicit and explicit. They are
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made explicit through norms and artifacts.
 Value systems in organizations does not come
by legislation but by influence. Daft (2001) thus
argues that “the underlying value system of an
organization cannot be managed in the
traditional way”. Rather he advocates a VALUEBASED LEADERSHIP.
 Weihrich et al has discovered from research
that in many successful organizations, valuedriven leaders serve as role models… and are a
symbol to the external environment.
 Daft
(2001) proposes the following tips for
Value-based Leadership include:
 Articulate
values.
a
 Communicate
organization.
clear
the
vision
vision
for
organizational
throughout
the
 Institutionalize
the vision through everyday
behaviour, rituals, ceremonies, and symbols.
 Institutionalize
the vision through
organizational systems and policies.
formal
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ACCOUNTABILITY
 Accountability is the “ultimate responsibility” –
Mullins (2007), thus it can not be delegated.
 It is taking responsibility for control and ultimate
performance.
 Accountability
means the buck stops at the
leader’s table and he/she takes the blame or the
praise for bad or good outcomes.
 According to Mullins (2007), while leaders may
delegate authority, they remain accountable for
the actions of subordinates.
 Because
the leader is accountable, he/she
maintains control when tasks are assigned and
demands accounts from subordinates.
 Thus in delegating, leaders must communicate
effectively.
 Corporate Accountability is key to progress in any
organization.
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 The
Following steps are crucial for
Corporate Accountability:
 Minutes Keeping;
 Adequate Filling System – Manual or
Electronic;
 Official Reporting System – Written
reports;
 Comprehensive Accounting books with
appropriate accompanying documents;
 Planned succession and proper handover and take-over.
 Corporate
Accountability ensures that
there is reduced incidence of personal
squabble, misinformation, and inability
to retrieve information for future
reference.
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THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
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