Ethical & Legal Issues in A Public Organization

Cynthia Cooper, Coleen Rowley, and Sherron Watkins risked their jobs, health, privacy, and sanity to uncover ethical and legal violations occurring within WorldCom, Enron, and the FBI, respectively (Lacayo & Ripley, 2002). Each of these women was extraordinary in her efforts to do the right thing in the face of adversity. Though it may appear easy, many public and nonprofit leaders and managers have difficulty recognizing and adequately addressing ethical and legal issues within their organizations.

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In this Discussion, you analyze ethical and legal issues related to a public or nonprofit organization. Then, you consider how you might address these issues as a leader or manager within a public or nonprofit organization.

For this Discussion, review this week’s Learning Resources. Search the Walden Library or the Internet for an article related to ethical or legal issues applicable to a public or nonprofit organization of your choosing. Consider approaches leaders and followers or employees used to address these ethical or legal issues and whether you agree with their approaches.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3 a description of the ethical and/or legal issues discussed in the article. Finally, explain what approaches you might take to address these issues as a manager or leader within the public or nonprofit organization and why you chose these approaches. Be specific.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources and other current literature

READINGS

• Alahmad, A. (2010). To be ethical or not to be: An international code of ethics for leadership. Journal of Diversity Management, 5(1), 31–35.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Cooper, T. L. (1987). Hierarchy, virtue, and the practice of public administration: A perspective for normative ethics. Public Administration Review, 47(4), 320–328.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• De Graaf, G. (2011). The loyalties of top public administrators. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 21(2), 285–306.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Menzel, D. C. (2009). In pursuit of ethical governance. Public Manager, 38(2), 30–35.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Tyler, T., Dienhart, J., & Thomas, T. (2008). The ethical commitment to compliance: Building value-based cultures. California Management Review, 50(2), 31–51.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Van Wart, M. (1996). The sources of ethical decision making for individuals in the public sector. Public Administration Review, 56(6), 525–533.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Vigoda-Gadot, E. (2007). Citizens’ perceptions of politics and ethics in public administration: A five-year national study of their relationship to satisfaction with services, trust in governance, and voice orientations. Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, 17(2), 285–305.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.