OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Ethical Communities Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Understand the four ethical communities
2. Apply an ethical community to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

The organization that I am researching in this assignment is the United Auto

Workers (UAW). I work for an automotive supplier as a sales analyst. The company I
work for was impacted by the automotive strikes that happened in the Fall of 2023 by the
(UAW). My role would be considered external since I do not work directly with the
UAW, but decisions made by the UAW can directly affect the company that I work for.
Every four years, the automotive union contracts end for General Motors (GM),
Stellantis, and Ford. The contracts have to be agreed upon by all parties involved,
otherwise a strike happens. This leads to businesses temporarily shutting down and a loss
in business for other companies. Since I work in the sales department, we have lost
business due to these strikes and the automotive companies deciding not to move forward
with certain projects.

2) Describe how the ethics of the organization influenced the situation.

There are many things from the ethical frame that could have influenced the
situation with the UAW and the UAW members. The UAW and the UAW members
seemed to care more about themselves than the people around them. “The jungle is a
politically charged environment of conflict and pursuit of self-interest” (Bolman & Deal,
2021). The strikes caused many issues with other organizations, such as automotive
suppliers. This situation caused many layoffs with the company that I work for, but the
UAW members seemed to only care about what they got in return.

The issue is that these automotive companies, such as GM, Ford, and Stellantis all
need automotive suppliers. These companies also need to be able to afford their projects.
This has since led to UAW members being laid off and automotive companies pulling out
of projects that they originally intended to do. They had to decide on how to go about
future projects since their costs are limited as a result of the strikes.

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3) Recommend how you would apply one of the ethical community metaphors (see
Exhibit 20.1 in Bolman and Deal) for an alternative course of action regarding your
case.

The ethical community metaphors that I would recommend as an alternative

course of action would be the temple metaphor. It is very important for an organization to
create a good culture and good work environment. These strikes could have been avoided
if the automotive companies provided a better working environment. These automotive
companies could host events and create an environment where they celebrate shared
traditions.

If the companies show they care about their employees, it can make a huge
difference and they may have more loyalty among their employees. “Offers the gift of
significance, rooted in confidence that the work is precious, that devolution and loyalty to
a beloved institution can offer hard to emulate intangible rewards” (Bolman & Deal,
2021). Employees are what make a company and it is important to recognize the work
they are doing. In the case of these UAW members, they are typically assembling the
automobiles. Without these workers, the automotive companies would not be able to get
the end result of a built car and be able to sell to their customers.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about ethics.

One thing that I would do differently if I was in a place of leadership is I would

encourage an environment where everyone feels valued. This would include putting
training in place for the managers and leaders that would train them in how to create an
environment where everyone feels valued. These employees are essential to the business
that they have created. These employees need to feel valued by the company if they want
to continue to be successful and so the employees do not retaliate against them, such as
starting a strike against them.

I am a firm believer that if a company treats its employees well, then the business
will take care of itself. A company needs to create a sense of community and trust among
their employees. This does take time and effort, but it is well worth it in the long run. I
truly believe that this can lead to the satisfaction of the employees while also seeing
positive results in the company.

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 References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership
(7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass