This week, you will be reviewing current ethics, democracy and leadership headlines, both domestic and international. You will be writing and submitting a 3 to 5 page paper on a current event where ethics, leadership and/or democracy are intertwined. It has been said that “Recognizing the existence of an ethical problem is the first step in resolving it” (Rest, J. R., 1994). Your goal will be to identify and offer analysis on a current event from the headlines, then evaluate and synthesize your thoughts on the situation, culminating in thoughtful, theory based recommendations. IDENTIFY & ANALYZE: Examine the ethical dimensions of the topic, clearly identifying the challenges and conflicts the issue presents. You should identify some of the opposing viewpoints discussed in the headlines regarding your topic. What ethical theories support various positions taken by key stakeholders? Make sure you are addressing the ethical dimensions of your topic not the legal aspects. EVALUATE: Explain why this issue has interest and concern to stakeholders and the community at-large. Why do decisions made about this topic have implications for society as a whole? What responsibility does the organization or stakeholders involved have to the community as a whole? What responsibilities does the public have regarding the issue? SYNTHESIZE: What challenges are presented to individuals and/or organizations around this topic? Why is this a topic of concern? How might others in leadership from today’s organizations be affected by this? RECOMMENDATION: Finally, what do you recommend in terms of best practices or action steps that may be taken by those involved? What have you learned from exploring this topic? What might some recommended future actions be for those facing similar circumstances?
