Solved! Evaluate the role of organizational development in ethical decision-making during change processes, from a Christian worldview
Evaluate the role of organizational development in ethical decision-making during change processes, from a Christian worldview
Evaluate the role of organizational development in ethical decision-making during change processes, from a Christian worldview. Provide an example, either real or hypothetical, where development tools facilitated navigating ethical dilemmas while promoting ethical leadership. Relate your evaluation to principles from “Moral Complexity in Leadership: Loyalty and the Cost of Excellence,” located in topic Resources.
Sample Expert Answer
Organizational Development (OD) is a planned, systematic approach to improving an organization’s effectiveness, adaptability, and culture. It uses behavioral science, change management, and leadership development tools to align people, processes, and structures (Azeem et al., 2021). OD emphasizes continuous learning, ethical practices, collaboration, and innovation to achieve sustainable growth and positive transformation. OD plays a critical role in guiding ethical decision-making during the change process.
The first role it plays is to guide the process towards a higher purpose, which does not solely focus on profit-making, but one that also ensures value to the community. OD also provides a framework that promotes transparency through feedback loops and communication strategies, which ensure openness and honesty during the change process (Lacey, 2021). Most importantly, OD plays a critical role in enhancing ethical leadership during change management, where leaders are guided to be fair and stewards of positive change that will benefit all stakeholders.
One hypothetical scenario is for a hospital that plans to cut costs by outsourcing its cleaning and catering services. While financially sound, this decision raises ethical concerns: many long-term staff risk losing jobs, and patient care quality could be compromised due to differences in quality standards. Some of the OD interventions could include implementing open dialogue sessions between the concerned parties and the leadership to ensure transparency and fairness, introducing a proper change management plan that will ensure the entire process is smoothly implemented, and conducting an ethical impact assessment on the pros and cons of the decision.
From the process, instead of outsourcing, the hospital may opt to implement efficiency improvements and retraining programs with the intention of retaining the current staff. This will help build loyalty, enhance patient care standards, and ensure that financial goals are still met.
In connection with the article, I would consider my principles to be ideal first in helping the leadership navigate the tension by providing a structured framework of dialogue to help in collaborative decision-making that respects all parties involved while achieving organizational goals (Vuckovic & Talbot, 2023). By retaining the employees instead of letting them go, leaders show loyalty to their workforce, while still embracing organizational excellence that advances healthcare delivery. This is in line with the Christian worldview, where Christ modeled loyalty to His disciples and mission while pursuing the higher call of God’s Kingdom, showing leaders how to uphold both care for people and the pursuit of a higher purpose.
References
Azeem, M., Ahmed, M., Haider, S., & Sajjad, M. (2021). Expanding competitive advantage through organizational culture, knowledge sharing, and organizational innovation. Technology in Society, 66, 101635.
Lacey, G. A. (2023). The Role of Transparency in Times of Change. Organization Development Journal, 41(2).
Vuckovic, B., & Talbot, R. (2023). Moral Complexity in Leadership: Loyalty and the Cost of Excellence. The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Kellogg School of Management Cases, 1–7.
