Leadership
ETHICAL TEAMS
E
thics is often associated with the abstract realm of philosophers. But there’s
for expensive new drugs, such as is there an exceptional need? And does the expected benefit justify an exception? In one case study that we observed, decision-makers had to determine whether a teenage patient had exceptional needs that would unlock funding for a new drug. At first glance, the patient’s needs appeared unique. He suffered from a severe, rare genetic disorder for which the requested drug was licensed. However, upon closer examination of the available information, decision-makers sensed the patient would likely benefit more from psychological support than the requested drug. Moreover, after several careful readings of scientific reports, they noted that the quantifiable clinical benefit of the drug would be much smaller than initially thought. The lesson here is that decision-makers need to develop a nuanced narrative by iteratively interpreting and synthesising diverse sources of information. Sense-giving Sense-making is not enough when people face complex ‘right versus right’ dilemmas. We found that decision-makers address such ethical ambiguity through sense-giving. This is a process in which each person takes a position on how the guidelines apply to the case at hand and, through open debate, tries to persuade others to side with them. This is a perfect recipe for surfacing disagreements. Group members leverage collective wisdom to generate diverse viewpoints and navigate ethical ambiguity. Consider the following example involving a request for a
TO THE CORE
1. Leaders can use three tools – sense-making, sense-giving and sense-breaking – to help them apply ethical guidelines to a range of challenging scenarios. 2. Develop ethical expertise that blends analytical skills with emotional intuition and openness to other viewpoints. Set up shadowing programmes and teaching groups to share this expertise. 3. Train employees to use critical thinking and emotional intelligence rather than blindly adhering to guidelines. Hone this with simulations and case studies involving ambiguous scenarios. 4. Create an environment
nothing abstract about the
risks for business leaders. Missteps can expose companies to a host of reputational, regulatory, and legal risks. In response, companies develop ethical guidelines or codes for decision-makers and set up boards to govern guideline usage. However, a significant challenge arises when leaders need to apply abstract ethical guidelines to concrete, pressing dilemmas. This requires skill, not merely noble intentions. We spent several months observing how healthcare leaders used ethical guidelines to make life-or-death decisions in ambiguous situations with limited resources. Their experiences provide valuable lessons on how to address ethical dilemmas, which leaders in other sectors can apply to high-stakes, everyday decisions. Our research shows that three practices – sense-making, sense-giving, and sense-breaking – enable decision-makers to apply ethical guidelines skilfully across multiple complex scenarios. Sense-making Sense-making uses the language of the ethical guidelines to create a narrative of what’s going on in a specific situation. For example, the healthcare managers and doctors we studied asked pertinent questions driven by the ethical guidelines when examining patients’ requests
where staff feel safe to share their views without judgement. Ensure there is a clear escalation process for unresolved issues.
RIGHT TURN Equip your team with a moral compass
by Jacky Swan , Hari Tsoukas & Davide Nicolini
Warwick Business School | wbs.ac.uk
wbs.ac.uk | Warwick Business School
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