The Impact of Ethical Leadership in Project Management

Background of the Problem

Ethical lapses are everywhere in this competitive economy, where the desire to succeed is overwhelming. Project managers should ensure that ethics permeates all parts of the corporate activities in our day to day business climate. While strategies are introduced via projects, a call for efficient and ethical management of such projects is now an integral part of our business environment. In the case of project professionals, for instance, the codes of ethics serve as a guide for moral action, these serve as a means to lead professionals to cultivate values and qualities, to aspire to achieve the excellence necessary to optimally meet the social needs, those of their union, those of the organization for which they work and those of the person (Hassan, Bashir & Abbas, 2017).In light of recent scandals mainly amongst multinational companies, ethics are slowly taking a more pivotal role in organizational frameworks. Many scholars and practitioners like Javed (2020), Littman, Mathien & Littman (2020) are attempting to propose a comprehensive approach for identifying the relationship between leadership and success of a project. Responsibility and duty are essential; respect for resources, the environment and the good of people; and equity, justice, and transparency in each of the decisions and acts (Jabeen, Al-Muaini & Al-Hosani, 2019).

In this sense, by being part of this professional organization, the project managers openly and willingly agree to comply with their code of ethics and professional conduct, which commits them to “act appropriately and honorably;” to set “a high level of expectation which they strive to achieve in all aspects of life; at work, at home and the service of a profession”; and to “instill confidence in the field of project management and helping people to be better professionals” (Littman & Littman, 2017). The code of ethics and professional conduct of the directors attached to the “PMI” is guided by the values of responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty. These values are the pillar on which the moral, ideal, and obligatory norms are structured, which determine the behavior of project managers in their actions. The scope of these ethical and conduct standards set the behavior that, from the director as leader of the projects, must be applied in the development and construction of the entrusted good, as well as in its relationship with every one of those involved (Littman, Mathien & Littman, 2020). Even though the available literature in this field has extensively studied ethics for project managers, the body of evidence lacks information about the impact of ethical leadership on project success. It has become important to look at the direct link between ethical leadership and the success of the project.

Problem Statement

In the project management world, ethics play a very critical role in daily interactions and behavior—project stakeholders, employers, employees, community, taxpayers, etc. Get to have peace when they know that the managers of the projects are bound to uphold high moral standards as they make decisions on their behalf. This feeling not only does it increase faith and trust, but also at large improves the general performance of all the stakeholders, consequently improving production. Similarly, the loss of ethics in Organizations poses a grave danger to the success of a project. The negative effects range from interpersonal issues like poor morale of workers to legal matters with dire consequences. Unethical leadership can indicate a violation of ethics, including safety violations and poor work conditions (Sull, Turconi and Sull, 2020). It has been identified by Jabeen, Al-Muaini, and Al Hosani (2019), that implementation of ethical practices imposed by leaders and managers in projects results in poor performance and compromised quality standards. The general business problem is that the non-conformity of ethical leadership and moral practices results in poor performance of the project. The specific business problem is that non-conformity and unethical leadership can influence projects’ overall success.

Methodology

Qualitative data collection methods will be employed in the study. The data collection tools to be utilized include; interviews, observation, and surveys. Both closed and open-end questionnaires will be employed. The different types of data collection techniques will be used depending on effectiveness and convenience.

Design

The study will apply a case study research design. The study will target the different stakeholders involved in different projects. This will include managers, subordinates, community members, and financiers.

Nature of the Study

The study will be qualitative in nature because it is majorly descriptive. This type of methodology is best suited to capture participant’s opinions, feelings, and experiences. Since the topic in question requires one to holistically understand the respondent’s experience, the qualitative method, is the best suited (Javed, 2020). The study will focus on evaluating the assumptions explaining the existence of a link between ethical leadership and successful project. The qualitative data collected via interview surveys will help in gathering desired knowledge and data regarding the ethical leadership and successful project.

A case study research design will be adopted for this research since it provides a larger pool of gathering information. Both senior and junior level management personnel will take undergo a structured interview so as to get their points and opinions. Closed and open questionnaires will be administered targeting the subordinate staff; this will allow the covering of a larger ground. Observation and note taking will be done at all levels of the organization

Research Question

Based on the problem statement and research topic, the main research questions for the study will include the following;

What is the concept and emergence of ethical leadership?
What is the impact of ethical leadership on a successful project in the US industry?

References

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