Whether in banking, the press, the police, the NHS or government, issues of ethical leadership are high on the public and corporate agenda. Ethical leadership, the ethics of leaders and their organisations, has rarely been more in the public eye than now. And yet there’s a lack of clarity in the debate around what exactly is meant by ‘ethical’, and who decides. How an organisation behaves towards its customers, suppliers and workforce is driven by its ethics, whether they are explicit or implicit. And the reputational risk for organisations can’t be over stated.

1. HR and OD’s influence on ethical leadership
HR AND BUSINESS ETHICS
Steve Hearsum and Alex Swarbrick
1 May 2014

2. Educational trust established in 1946 to
‘enable individuals to achieve their best
both at work and in their wider lives’

3. Roffey Park today
Developing people who develop organisations

4. This taster
 Ethical landscape
 Ethical leadership
 Challenges and
opportunities for OD,
L&D and HR
 Top 5 questions
 Discussion

5. Ethical landscape
 What do we mean by that?
 Why does it matter?

6. Ethical dynamics at work
External
Internal Individual

7. Ethical landscape
 What do we mean by that?
“moral principles that govern a person’s
behaviour”
“principles of right and wrong
behaviour” …“concerned with, based
on, or adhering to the code of behaviour
that is considered right or acceptable in
a particular society rather than legal
rights or duties”
 Why does it matter?

8. Management Agenda research
 Annual survey of managers;
in its 17th year
 Barometer of manager views
 This year, over 1,800
managers surveyed
 Some findings about ethical
conduct

9. Key Themes
 Two stories

10. Ethical dynamics at work
External – imposed measures and targets
Internal – constrained
resources; budget, staff,
time
Individual – leadership
choices with ethical
implications

11. Key Themes
 Two stories
 Talent on the move
 Change
 Leadership development

12. Other ethical themes
 Misconduct is widespread
 Much goes unreported
 People don't trust that leaders
will act
 Rather than report, they are
more likely to walk

13. Rather than report, they are more likely
to walk

14. Ethical dilemmas
 Truth v loyalty
 Shareholders v customers
v employees v regulators
v suppliers v society?...
 Short term v long term
 Individual v organisation

15. Fairness, trust and engagement

16. Ethical leadership
 What it is
 Why it matters

17. The challenge for OD, L&D & HR

18. The challenge for OD, L&D & HR
 It has to come from the top
 The ‘hard ‘ stuff and the ‘soft’
stuff

19. Top 5 Questions
1. How far reaching are the terms by which your
organisation defines its purpose?
2. What are the main ethical challenges facing
your organisation currently?
3. How clear are you about (HR / OD / L&D)
scope and sphere of influence on this?
4. What’s your success currently?
5. What is your most significant next available
step?

20. Questions

21. STEVE HEARSUM
Development Consultant
Steve.hearsum@roffeypark.com
T : +44 (0)1293 854008
M: +44 (0)7917130409
www.roffeypark.com
ALEX SWARBRICK
Senior Consultant
alex.swarbrick@roffeypark.com
T : +44 (0)1293 854035
M: +44 (0)7801 616115
Contact us
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alex-swarbrick/5/ab2/501
http://www.linkedin.com/company/roffey-park-institute
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/stevehearsum
http://www.linkedin.com/company/roffey-park-institute