Chapter 14 professional & social resp 5th ed

Name

Linda Mohamed Balboul

14– Professional & Social
Chapter
Responsibility
Credentials

Ph.D. Sociology
MBA Human Resources
PMP Project Management

Chapter 14

PROFESSIONAL & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
''The gunfire around us makes it hard to hear.''...''But the
human voice is different from other sounds.''... ''lt can be
heard over noises that bury everything else.'' ….''Even when
it's not shouting.''...''Even if it's just a whisper.''...''Even the
lowest whisper can be heard over armies...”
''When... - .. ''when it's telling the truth. '‘
The Interpreter (2005)

Persons to Whom the Code Applies
 All PMI members
 Individuals who are not members of PMI but meet

one or more of the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.

Non-members who hold a PMI certification
Non-members who apply to commence a PMI
certification process
Non-members who serve PMI in a volunteer capacity

Structure of the Code
 The aspirational standards describe the conduct

that we strive to uphold as practitioners. Although
adherence to the aspirational standards is not easily
measured, conducting ourselves in accordance with
these is an expectation that we have of ourselves as
professionals
 The

mandatory
standards
establish
firm
requirements, and in some cases, limit or prohibit
practitioner behavior. Practitioners who do not
conduct themselves in accordance with these
standards will be subject to disciplinary procedures
before PMI’s Ethics Review Committee

THE ETHICAL APPLICATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
1. Have you ever started work on a project without

being reasonably sure the end date can be met?

2. Did you realize that it is unethical to manage a

project if you have not been trained in project
management?

3. Have you ever started a project without a project

charter or a WBS?

4. Have you ever started a project without obtaining

the necessary authority to manage it?

5. Given an unrealistic project completion deadlines or

milestones. Do you have the attitude necessary to
say?

“I request you assign the project to someone else” or
“You have requested that the project be completed
within six months. Our analysis makes us very certain that
we can meet that due date only if we adjust the scope,
cost, or quality on this project. If we cannot make any
changes, the project will be completed in eight months”

ARE YOU AN ETHICAL PROJECT MANAGER?
1. You will not get involved with PMI to promote your own business
2. You have a duty of loyalty to PMI. You will keep the best interest of PMI in
mind, not your own best interest
3. When contracting for services, you will provide equal access for all who
submit proposals and not keep the work for your own company or your
friends
4. You will not let anyone cheat on the application for the PMP exam
5. You will not let anyone copy PMP exam prep materials or perform other
illegal behavior
6. You will not disclose questions on the PMP exam
7. You will promote PMI and the PMP exam within your organization

VALUES: 1. RESPONSIBILITY
“Ownership of Decisions and Actions”
Aspirational Standards
1.

2.

Honesty

Fairness

3.

Fulfill the commitments that you undertake – do what
you say you will do
Acknowledge your own errors and report them

5.

Respect

Accept only those assignments that are consistent
with your background, experience, skills, and
qualifications

4.

Responsibility

Make decisions and take actions based on the best
interests of society, public safety, and the
environment, the company and the team (duty of
loyalty)

Protect proprietary or confidential information that has
been entrusted to you

Mandatory Standards
1.

Uphold the policies, rules, regulations and laws that
govern our work, professional, and volunteer activities

2.

Report violations to the code when you have factual
proof of violations to appropriate management & to
those affected by the conduct

3.

Pursue disciplinary action against an individual who
retaliates against a person raising ethical concerns

VALUES: 2. RESPECT
“The Appropriate Treatment of People and Resource”




Respect

Honesty

Fairness

Listen to others’ points of view, seeking to understand
them



Responsibility

Inform yourself about the norms and customs of
others and avoid engaging in behaviors they might
consider disrespectful (cultural differences)

Approach directly those persons with whom you
have a conflict or disagreement



Conduct yourself in a professional manner, even
when it is not reciprocated

Mandatory Standards


You negotiate in good faith



You do not exercise the power of your expertise or
position to influence the decisions or actions of others
in order to benefit personally at their expense



You do not act in an abusive manner toward others



You respect the property rights of others

VALUES: 3. FAIRNESS
“Being Objective and Making Impartial Decisions”



Constantly reexamine our impartiality and objectivity, taking
corrective action as appropriate



Provide equal access to information to those who are authorized
to have that information



Responsibility

Demonstrate transparency in our decision-making process

Make opportunities equally available to qualified candidates

Mandatory Standards
Honesty

Proactively and fully disclose any real or potential conflicts of
interest to the appropriate stakeholders



Respect



When you realize that you have a real or potential conflict of
interest, refrain from engaging in the decision-making process or
otherwise attempting to influence outcomes, unless or until: you
have made full disclosure to the affected stakeholders; have an
approved mitigation plan; and have obtained the consent of the
stakeholders to proceed



Do not hire or fire, reward or punish, or award or deny contracts
based on personal considerations, including but not limited to,
favoritism, nepotism, or bribery



Do not discriminate against others based on, but not limited to,
gender, race, age, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual
orientation



Apply the rules of the organization (employer, Project
Management Institute, or other group) without favoritism or
prejudice

Fairness

VALUES: 4. HONESTY
“Understanding the Truth and Taking Action Based on Truth”



Honesty

Provide accurate information in a timely manner


Respect

We are truthful in our communications and in our
conduct



Responsibility

Earnestly seek to understand the truth

Make commitments and promises, implied or
explicit, in good faith



Strive to create an environment in which others
feel safe to tell the truth

Mandatory Standards


Do not engage in or overlook behavior that is
designed to deceive others, including but not
limited to, making misleading or false statements,
stating half-truths, providing information out of
context or withholding information that, if known,
would render our statements as misleading or
incomplete



Do not engage in dishonest behavior with the
intention of personal gain or at the expense of
another

Fairness

1. Responsibility
Rule # 1: Put the project’s needs before your own
Example
You discover that the project is suffering because you have
not created a project management plan and you feel that if
you tell management the problem, you will look bad or lose
your job?

Rule # 2: Only accept assignments you
are qualified for?
Example
Can you imagine saying to your boss “I cannot
take this assignment because it requires the control
of cost on the project and I am not qualified to
manage costs”. Do you think your boss will accept
that? Probably not.

Rule # 3: Protect propriety information
Example
When was the last time you made a copy of an article
or made a copy of a CD and gave that copy to
others?
How about taking excerpts from a book and putting
them in a report?
Ask yourself
1. If you need a copy of a software, does the license

permit you to copy or does it require purchasing
another copy?

2. If you’re a vendor asked to create a design, who

owns the copyright – you or the company that
hired you to create it?

3. If you’re an employee and create a report/work,

do you own the copyright or does your employer?

Rule # 4: Report unethical behavior
Example
What would you do if someone in your company told you that they
do not follow a certain company procedure?
The correct answer is to report them to those responsible for the policy

Do you Agree? Do you want to do that to a friend? A relative?

2. Respect
Rule # 1: Maintain an attitude of mutual cooperation
Example
Think about your interactions with resource managers on a project.
 Are you in the habit of going to them and asking for the immediate
assignment of needed resources for your project?
 Do you treat them as if they exist only to serve your project?

Rule # 2: Respect cultural differences
One

major cause of cultural differences is
‘ethnocentrism’ . It is the tendency to look at the
world primarily from the perspective of their own
culture – their own group is the centre of everything.
These differences also occur
from different regions or areas

between people

Rule # 3: Engage in good faith
Example
 Have you seen someone negotiating without ever
intending to enter a contract or negotiating a

provision in a contract they have no intention of
honoring?
 What about someone presenting info as a fact
when the person knows at the time the info is
untrue?

Rule # 4: Be direct in dealing with conflict
-In

dealing
with
conflict,
it’s
inappropriate/unproductive to complain or talk about
the conflict or about other behind their backs (Human
Resources Chapter)
-It’s the PM professional responsibility to deal directly

& openly with other party and say to the person “What
you have done has caused a problem. Can we
discuss it?”
- What if that person is your boss? Or a powerful
person?

Rule # 5: Do not use your power/position to influence
others for your own benefit
Example

Have you ever said to yourself. “How do I get this person to do what I
want?”
This is a violation of Code of Ethics
To try to get people to do what you want instead of what is right or most
appropriate in a given situation

3. Fairness
Rule # 1: Act impartially without bribery
Example
 If you answer “No” to these 2 questions, then it’s NOT a bribe:
 Is it permissible to conduct business successfully in the host country without

undertaking the practice?
 Is the practice a clear violation of a fundamental international right? (Food,
a fair trial, non-discriminating treatment, minimal education, physical safety
and freedom of speech)
Thomas Donaldson “The Ethics of International Business” (1991)

Rule # 2: Continuously look for conflicts
of interest
Example
If I help a friend, I hurt my company
 If I help this organization, I hurt my company

Action
Disclose it to those affected and let them decide
how to proceed

4. Honesty
Rule # 1: Try to understand the truth
Example
 Someone may tell you something that they perceive to be the truth, but

there might be more to what is really going on
 We often accept what people tell us and do not spend time seeking the
whole truth
 When you think of the many activities on a project and the different
people involved, you can see how important it is to accurately
understand the truth of the situation

Rule # 2: Be truthful in all
communications and create a truthful
environment
Example
Do you ever hide that the project is in trouble?
Do you say that you can accomplish a piece of
work when you are not sure you can?

Result
If we stretch the truth or lie, our team will start to do it. Ultimately,
the PM, the team and the whole project will suffer

Q. A PM is being considered for a particular project that will deal
exclusively with global virtual teams. He only has experience with local
teams. What should he do when discussing the opportunity with the
sponsor?
Since he has led projects and teams, it does not make any
difference that these are all global virtual teams, so he does not
need to bring it up
B. He should avoid any conversation regarding the types of teams
involved so the sponsor does not know he lacks experience in this
area
C. The PM should point out to the sponsor that he had not had
experience with global virtual teams, but discuss why he thinks he
is a good fit for the project
D. The PM should point out to the sponsor that he had not had
experience with global virtual teams and therefore must decline
the assignment
A.

Q. You are in the middle of a new product development for your publicly
traded company when you discover that the previous PM made a $ 3Mn
payment that was not approved in accordance with your company
policies. Luckily, the project CPI is (1.2). What should you do?

A.

Contact your manager

B.

Put the payment in an escrow account

C.

Bury the cost in the largest cost center available

D.

Ignore the payment

Q. A manager has responsibility for a project that has the support of a senior
manager. From the beginning, you have disagreed with the manager as to
how the project should proceed and what the deliverable should be. You
and she have disagreed over many issue in the past. Your department has
been tasked with providing some key work packages for the project. What
should you do?

A.

Provide the manager with what she needs

B.

Inform your manager of your concerns to get her support

C.

Sit down with the manager at the beginning of the project and
attempt to describe why you object to the project and discover a
way to solve the problem

D.

Ask to be removed from the project

Q. A large, complex construction project in a foreign country requires
coordination to move the required equipment through crowded city streets.
To ensure the equipment is transported successfully, your contact in that
country informs you that you will have to pay the local police a fee for
coordinating traffic. What should you do?

A.

Do not pay the fee because it is a bribe

B.

Eliminate the work

C.

Pay the fee

D.

Do not pay the fee if it is not part of the project estimate

Q. You are halfway through a major network rollout. There are 300 locations.
A software seller has just released a major software upgrade for some of the
equipment being installed. The upgrade would provide the customer with
functionality they requested that was not available at the time the project
began. What is the BEST course of action under these circumstance?

Continue as planned, your customer has not requested a change
B. Inform the customer of the upgrade and the impacts to the
project's timeline and functionality if the upgrade is implemented
C. Implement the change and adjust the schedule as necessary
because this supports the customer’s original request
D. Implement the change to the remaining sites and continue with the
schedule
A.

Q. You are the project manager of the JKN Project. The project customer has
requested that you inflate your cost estimates by 25 percent. He reports that
his Management always reduces the cost of the estimates so this is the only
method to get the monies needed to complete the project. Which of the
following is the best response to this situation?

A.

Do as the customer asked to ensure the project requirements can
be met by adding the increase as a contingency reserve.

B.

Do as the customer asked to ensure the project requirements can
be met by adding the increase across each task.

C.

Do as the customer asked by creating an estimate for the
customer’s management and another for the actual project
implementation.

D.

Complete an accurate estimate of the project. In addition, create
a risk assessment on why the project budget would be inadequate.

Q. A PM discovers an urgent need for outsourced resources on the
project. He knows he has the money to cover the cost of these
resources. He goes to the procurement manager and explains the
situation, insisting a contract be drawn up today so he can obtain
resources and get around the standard procedure. Is this the correct
process to follow?

A.

Yes, of course. For urgent needs, it is not necessary to follow
the organization's procedure regarding procurement

B.

Yes. Urgent needs from projects should always be dealt with
immediately as directed by the PM

C.

No. The procurement manager has a process to follow when
creating contracts that helps protect the company and its
projects

D.

No. The procurement manager should be checking in with the
PM to see if he is in need of a contract, rather than making the
PM come and ask for one

Q. You are a project manager within an organization that completes
technical projects for other entities. You have plans to leave your company
within the next month to launch your own consulting business—which will
compete with your current employer. Your company is currently working on
a large proposal for a government contract that your new company could
also benefit from. What should you do?

A. Resign from your current job and bid against your employer

to get the contract.

B.

Decline to participate due to a conflict of interest.

C. Help your employer prepare the proposal.
D. Inform your employer that you will be leaving their company

within a month and it would be inappropriate for you to work
on the current proposal.

Q. You have a project team member who is sabotaging your project
because he does not agree with it. Which of the following should you do?

A. Fire the project team member.
B. Present the problem to management.
C. Present the problem to management with a solution to
remove the team member from the project.
D. Present the problem to management with a demand to fire
the project team member.

Q. While studying for your PMP exam, you are invited to participate in a
study group. At your first meeting another attendee announces that he has
“real,
live
questions”
from
the
PMP
exam. What should you do?
A. Examine the questions.
B.

Report the study group to PMI.

C. Leave the study group.
D. Ask where the person got the questions so you can report

the testing center to PMI.

Q. You are the PM of the AAA Project. Due to the nature of the project, much
of the work will require overtime between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Many of the project team members, however, have requested vacation
during that week. What is the best way to continue?

A. Refuse all vacation requests and require all team members
to work.
B. Only allow vacation requests for those team members who
are not needed during that week.
C. Divide tasks equally among the team members so each
works the same amount of time.
D. Allow team members to volunteer for the overtime work.

Q. You are completing a project for a customer in another country. One of
the customs in this company is to honor the PM of a successful project with a
gift. Your company, however, does not allow project managers to accept
gifts from any entity worth more than 50 dollars. At the completion of the
project the customer presents to you, in a public ceremony, a new car.
Which of the following should you do?

A. Accept the car since it is a custom of the country; to refuse

it would be an insult to your hosts.

B.

Refuse to accept the car, since it would result in a conflict
with your organization to accept it.

C. Accept the car and then return it, in private, to the

customer.

D. Accept the car and then donate the car to a charity in the

customer’s name.

Q. Your company does not allow project managers to accept gifts from
vendors of any kind. A friend that you have known for years now works for a
vendor
that
your
company
may
be
doing
business
with. Your friend from the vendor asks you to lunch to discuss an upcoming
project and you accept. When the check arrives at the lunch table your
friend insists on paying. You should:
A. Allow the friend to buy because you’ve been friends for years.
B. Allow the friend to buy because lunch isn’t really a gift.
C. Don’t allow the friend to buy because your company does not
allow any gifts from vendors.
D. Insist that you purchase your friend’s lunch and your friend buys
yours.

Chapter 14 professional & social resp 5th ed

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (17)

Similar to Chapter 14 professional & social resp 5th ed

Similar to Chapter 14 professional & social resp 5th ed (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Chapter 14 professional & social resp 5th ed