Competence, confidentiality, integrity, and creditability are essential aspects of ethical conflict resolution. As a society, we are faced with situations and issues that need to be resolved. How we chose to resolve those issues determines how effective we are. Resolving our issues and conflicts in an ethically manner is essential to both our personal and professional lives. Will examine the resolution of ethical conflict by looking at purpose of the standards and polices for ethical conflict resolution set forth by the Institute of Management Accountants, Inc.
Ethical resolution is essential in the military. The military prides itself on the diversity of the people that serve their country. We come from different backgrounds and cultures; we have different beliefs, and values. All of these differences make it important for the military to have a set standard of conducting and resolving conflict which mimics polices of the IMA. Our core values of honor, courage, and commitment set us apart from the rest.
From the moment you enter boot camp these core values are drilled into your head. You are suppose to have honor in yourself to do what is right no matter what the consequences might me, the courage to stand up for what is right, and the commitment to support your fellow co-workers and country. The IMA uses competence, confidentiality, integrity, and creditability as their set standards of conducting business. These set standards in both cases involve each individual to have a sense of honesty, fairness, objectivity, and responsibility that everyone is accountable for and encouraged to adhere to in their organization
These standards help guide young sailors/employees on how to conduct themselves both personally and professionally. They are taught to take pride in their job and learn their skills, to obey rules and regulations, provide recommendations and complete tasks on time, and to exercise sound judgment (honor/competence). Adhering and knowing the expectations of your employer can alleviate any unnecessary conflict and help you ethical resolve others. Confidentiality and integrity go hand in hand with the militaries core value of courage. Doing what is right is something that everyone struggles with and at times can seem a little cloudy or unclear. The standards set forth in confidentiality, integrity, and courage gives us set guidelines to follow which makes those situations that seem unclear more manageable and certain.
A few years ago I had a young sailor who worked with me. I noticed that he was going through some rough times and that his quality of work was slowly decreasing. I had to sit down with him and discuss my observations of what was transpiring. After further discussion, he had stated that his life was not worth living and sometimes he felt like putting an ended to everything. Even though he told me this in private, I had to let someone know. I had to have the courage to do what was right and face potential conflict. The sailor at first was angry that I had divulge what he told me in private, but in the end he respected me more for looking out for his wellbeing. After this situation, I had to sit my fellow shipmates down and explained to them what had happened. I told them that there are many things that I keep to myself but when it involves their safety and the safety of others that I have no other choice but to report it. I explained that each and every one of them has an obligation to one another and to our organization; that even though we might not get along with each other, we all have to respect each other’s decisions and situations.
The final standard that is mention in the IAM’s statement of ethical professional practices is credibility. Each member as the responsibility to communicate information fairly, disclose any relevant information, delays, or deficiencies in formation, timelines, and to disclose any information that can be used to influence and intended users understanding of reports, analyses, or recommendations
The three polices that IAM has put out in case the set standards of resolution of ethical conflict does not work are: 1) Discuss the issue with your immediate supervisor, if still not resolved, take it to the next level in your chain of command, 2) Clarify relevant ethical issues by discussing the situation with the ethics counselor or an impartial advisor, 3) Consult your attorney on legal obligations and rights
I am a firm believer that any issue or conflict should first be resolved at the lowest level first. It should be resolved between you and whoever is involved. A good way in resolving a conflict at the lowest level is to take a look at the other person’s side. We need to listen to what they have to say. Allow them to communication their own feelings, beliefs, and desires and than in turn express your own without infringing on their rights (assertive communication)
If no ethical resolution is in sight or if there is no one around to help resolve the issue, you need to determine which communication option is best for the situation at hand. One method in determining what type of communication option to utilize is to first determine whether or not an assertive or nonassertive communication approach is appropriate. You can do this by first considering the location and time. For example, if you disagree with what your boss or fellow co-work is saying, you need to examine whether or not it is the appropriate time to voice your opinions or concerns. Sometimes it is best to wait until you are able to speak to that individual in private or when there are less people around. You can do more harm than good if you decide to be assertive at the wrong time. This can look as if you are trying to make yourself look better than the other person. It also might look like you are trying to undermine that individual. Not only do you want to make sure the time and place is appropriate, you also want to take into account the other person.
If you decide that the time and place is appropriate, you need to take into account the other person. “We treat our parents, grandparents, significant others, siblings, children, employees, and friends differently because of who they are and what they mean to us
I saved this one for last because I feel that the first two take precedence over our own needs. In most situations involving others, you should always look at the situation and take into consideration the needs and feels of others before your own. The only time your needs should take precedence is if the conflict is important to you, when you hate yourself for not speaking up, when the relationship is important to you, or when the person is cooperative with you and it is a win-win situation
It is hard to keep control of our feelings and emotions when faced with conflict; it is even harder to come up with an ethical resolution. One of the hardest things for any of us to do when faced with conflict is to stop, think, and listen to what is being said. By having set standards and policies in place, we are able to resolve our conflicts ethically and in a logical manner which is essential in both our personal and professional lives.
References
(Institute of Management Accountants, 1997-2008). (Institute of Management Accountants, 1997-2008). This is what the military calls commitment. You have to be committed to your job and do what is right in the face adversity. We have a commitment to our organization to report anything that seems out of place and to report all information in an unbiased way; this in turn leads to our creditability. The standard set forth by the IAM is a good foundation for resolving conflict ethically in any organization, but policies are also an important factor.(Institute of Management Accountants, 1997-2008). All these policies relate to one another and can be handled/covered by the first policy, using your chain of command.(Chan & Abigail, 2007, p. 67). Doing this, can open communication and can lead to conflict resolution. If for some reason the conflict still remains, than your chain of command should be utilized. Both parties should be aware that if the situation is handled between them, nine times out of ten, the outcome could benefit them both. If the situation is resolved by a third party, someone is not going to like the outcome and why take that chance.(Chan & Abigail, 2007, p. 71).” Are our actions going hamper our possible relationship with that person we are in conflict with? We need to determine whether or not we should use an assertive or nonassertive way of expressing our selves based on the value of the situation and the relationships involved. Finally we need to take into consideration our own needs.(Chan & Abigail, 2007, pp. 71-72). Putting others before our selves will enable us to truly see their point of view and allow us to come up with an ethical resolution.Chan, D. D., & Abigail, R. A. (2007). Managing Conflict Through Communication. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Institute of Management Accountants, I. (1997-2008). 2. Retrieved 09 05, 2009, from imanet:
http://www.imanet.org/about_ethics_statement.asp
