ETHICAL PROBLEMS OF MANAGERS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why is employee engagement important, and what is its relationship to ethics?
2. How does employee engagement relate to organizational culture? How do managers contribute to the ethical culture?
3. In addition to identifying and training good managers, what else could an organization do to increase levels of employee engagement?
4. What specific action could a manager take to help move employees up the
employee engagement continuum—for example, from not engaged to actively
engaged?
5. Why should performance be measured as an ongoing process, and not just as a
once-a-year event?
6. Should high performers be allowed to work by rules that are different from
those that apply to other workers? Why or why not?
7. Imagine that you’re the manager of a facility where 200 layoffs are scheduled.
Design an action plan for how the layoffs would occur. How would you handle
both those being laid off and the survivors?
8. Are there ways in which managers can avoid harassment issues among employees who report to them? What would your strategy be?
9. Imagine that someone who reports to you is on a prescription medication that
makes his breath smell like alcohol. How would you handle this situation?
10. Imagine that one of your employees complained about being harassed by a
coworker. Also imagine that you suspect the motives of the person who is complaining to you. How would you handle this situation? Is there a way you could
discern motivation, or does it matter? When would you involve your company’s
human resources department?
11. As a manager, how would you respond when a worker’s performance has declined and you suspect a problem at home is the cause?
12. List some ways you can communicate your ethical standards to your employees
and to your peers.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why is employee engagement important, and what is its relationship to ethics?
2. How does employee engagement relate to organizational culture? How do managers contribute to the ethical culture?
3. In addition to identifying and training good managers, what else could an organization do to increase levels of employee engagement?
4. What specific action could a manager take to help move employees up the
employee engagement continuum—for example, from not engaged to actively
engaged?
5. Why should performance be measured as an ongoing process, and not just as a
once-a-year event?
6. Should high performers be allowed to work by rules that are different from
those that apply to other workers? Why or why not?
7. Imagine that you’re the manager of a facility where 200 layoffs are scheduled.
Design an action plan for how the layoffs would occur. How would you handle
both those being laid off and the survivors?
8. Are there ways in which managers can avoid harassment issues among employees who report to them? What would your strategy be?
9. Imagine that someone who reports to you is on a prescription medication that
makes his breath smell like alcohol. How would you handle this situation?
10. Imagine that one of your employees complained about being harassed by a
coworker. Also imagine that you suspect the motives of the person who is complaining to you. How would you handle this situation? Is there a way you could
discern motivation, or does it matter? When would you involve your company’s
human resources department?
11. As a manager, how would you respond when a worker’s performance has declined and you suspect a problem at home is the cause?
12. List some ways you can communicate your ethical standards to your employees
and to your peers.
