AA

Comprehensive Notes on Teamwork, Skills, Ethics, and Case Studies

Key Skills for Getting Things Done

  • Specific skills often required in professional settings include: accounting, finance, HTM (hospitality or related technical management context), coding, and engineering. These are examples of role-specific competencies you may need to perform tasks.
  • Core capabilities across contexts: decision making and problem solving. Teams (whether in business, academia, or other settings) must identify problems and determine solutions to reach goals.
  • Interpersonal skills are essential and increasingly sought after by recruiters, especially in contexts like Business Horizons. These include the ability to communicate effectively, lead, and carry on conversations that go beyond surface-level topics.
  • StrengthFinders is used not just as a research tool but to better understand oneself and to inform how individuals interact within teams.

StrengthFinders and Team Dynamics

  • StrengthFinders exercises help reveal how team members’ strengths fit together to achieve objectives.
  • Over the next few weeks, you will complete a team grid: 5 members × 5 areas, totaling 5 \times 5 = 25{{"equation": "5 \times 5 = 25"}} different areas. Some areas will overlap, some will be unique, and there will be gaps.
  • The team must collaboratively address gaps by planning mitigation strategies as work progresses.

Team Grid, Roles, and Mitigation of Gaps

  • Team member roles include:
    • Task Facilitating Roles: who identifies what needs to be done, estimates duration, assigns responsibility, sets deadlines, and ensures accountability.
    • Relationship Building: who maintains consistent consensus, facilitates conversations, and reads body language; aware of and addresses friction or frustration.
  • Practical example: a meeting left relationships damaged; post-meeting relationship-building is sometimes necessary to repair trust.
  • Blocking Roles: some individuals may try to block, stall, or delay progress. These are usually unhealthy and motivated by the individual's personality rather than the team’s goals.
  • Healthy dialogue is crucial: teams should engage in rigorous discussion and respectful challenge without resorting to personal attacks or deliberate roadblocks.
  • Morale and progress can be damaged if blocking persists; problems must be addressed quickly to protect team success.

Preparation and Materials

  • Slide decks linked and posted for reference; students should review them to understand why teams struggle and how to improve team performance.

In-Class Quiz: Chapter Two Concepts (Pestle Model)

  • Quick quiz activity to prepare for exams and reveal the types of questions you’ll encounter.

  • Chapter two focus; questions come from Pestle framework and related business environment concepts.

  • Question 1: Which external force includes unemployment rates, inflation, GDP growth, and oil prices?

    • Answer: Economic, part of the Pestle framework; these are economic factors.

  • Question 2: Which of the following is not considered a stakeholder in a business enterprise?

    • Answer: key competitor. Other options like banks, outside investors, and the local community are stakeholders; a competitor is typically not a stakeholder in the firm’s governance.

  • Question 3: As major car manufacturers announce production changes (increase SUVs/trucks, discontinue some car models) in response to external factors, this decision is most likely a change in which external factor?

    • Answer given in session: sociocultural. Note from instructor: socioeconomic is not considered an external factor in this framing.

  • Question 4: People with legitimate interest in a business’s success or failure and its policies are known as stakeholders$$.

  • Instructor remarks: these quiz questions illustrate critical thinking and strategic decision-making; similar questions exist in the textbook and online version; a formal quiz will be administered later (handed out on paper).

Ethics: Core Concepts and Personal Reflections

  • Ethics definition: knowing what is right and applying it appropriately in real situations.
  • Ethics also encompasses honesty, fair competition, and doing no harm to others (including mental or emotional harm).
  • Related example: high-profile cheating scandal in sports (Astros) used to illustrate “competing fairly” as a component of ethics.
  • Integrity in business includes resisting measures that put personal gain before the organization’s interests and respecting human life.
  • WorldCom case introduction: Betty Benson (and CEO Bernie Ebbers) involved in unethical accounting; the unraveling demonstrated the consequences of ethical lapses.
  • WorldCom narrative highlights how a single decision to fudge numbers can cascade into massive personal and organizational consequences, including legal action and reputational damage for families and employees.
  • SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act): legislative response to corporate fraud; established regulatory requirements for publicly held companies; compliance becomes a central responsibility for accounting professionals.
  • Volkswagen emissions scandal case: collaboration among multiple groups to misrepresent vehicle emissions; illustrates regulatory risk and consequences of ethical breaches on a global scale.
  • Wells Fargo scandal: incentive programs led employees to open fake accounts; demonstrates how misaligned incentives and performance targets can drive unethical behavior.
  • EpiPen anecdote: stabilizes the body during an allergic reaction; used here to illustrate life-saving interventions and the gravity of ethical choices when patient safety is at stake.
  • Subtleties of “profit first” behavior: debates around corporate priorities (profit maximization vs. social responsibility) and the role of government regulation in safeguarding public welfare.
  • The tension between business goals and community impact is highlighted by examples where profit motives conflicted with safety, environmental, or social considerations.

Ethical Issues vs Ethical Dilemmas

  • Ethical issues: situations where there may be arguments on both sides; often no clear right answer, but they require careful weighing of principles.
  • Ethical dilemmas: frequent, real-world situations where choices involve conflicting values or consequences; e.g., safety, environmental concerns, or conflicts of interest.
  • Conflict of Interest: when someone prioritizes personal gain over the organization's interests; examples include nepotism or using company resources to benefit family-owned businesses; many organizations require disclosure to prevent conflicts with publicly held entities.
  • Personal decision framework: before acting, consider whether family or personal gains would cause embarrassment or harm if made public; these reflections help avoid unethical choices.
  • Notable real-world failures illustrate the consequences of ignoring conflicts of interest and ethical guidelines (WorldCom, VW, Wells Fargo).
  • Government regulation and corporate compliance (e.g., SOX) are responses to such failures, aiming to deter misconduct and protect stakeholders.

Integrity, Courage, and Rationalization

  • Integrity involves doing the right thing, even when it is difficult or costly.
  • Examples include deciding to prioritize safety or community welfare over short-term profits.
  • Rationalization: the process by which individuals justify questionable actions (e.g., “my behavior isn’t illegal,” or “it’s for the shareholders’ benefit”).
  • Illustrative cases show how rationalization can derail ethical decision-making and lead to systemic problems.
  • Betty Benson’s case demonstrates how rationalization can entrench unethical behavior and result in severe consequences for individuals and organizations.
  • The role of whistleblowers: individuals who report misconduct (e.g., Cynthia Lawrence at WorldCom) are often targets of backlash, including job loss and reputational harm; yet they are essential for accountability.

Ethical Tests and Decision-Making Tools

  • Golden rule test: treat others as you would want to be treated. If you wouldn’t want to be cheated or harmed, don’t engage in those behaviors.
  • Do the right thing even if no one is looking: a military discipline example used to emphasize personal integrity during moments of fatigue or isolation.
  • Gift policies and conflicts of interest: accepting gifts or trips from suppliers can create leverage or perception of favoritism; many corporations impose strict gift policies to mitigate risk.
  • Historical cautionary tales show the dangers of overlooking ethics for personal or corporate gain; these underscore the importance of not pushing boundaries when it comes to integrity.

Practical Exercise: Reflective Team Action Plan

  • Instructor prompts students to close notebooks and reflect on teamwork from Monday’s discussion.
  • Task: list four to five concrete actions you will take to make your team successful (not just aspirational statements). Emphasis on doers over talkers.
  • Submission details: provide your name and keep the list visible for quick grading.
  • Time allowance: roughly six minutes for individual reflection; then facilitated discussion and feedback during the session.
  • Reminder: Monday focus remains on working with your teams; this exercise is designed to translate discussion into actionable steps.

AI and Ethics in Modern Practice

  • With AI tools like ChatGPT, use for ideation and assistance, but avoid copy-pasting generated content as-is.
  • Ethical use of AI involves originality and avoiding plagiarism, while leveraging AI to enhance understanding and productivity.

Quick Takeaways

  • Effective teamwork requires blending technical skills with strong interpersonal and ethical foundations.
  • Clearly defined team roles (task facilitation vs relationship building) and awareness of unhealthy blocking behaviors help maintain momentum.
  • Ethical decision-making is contextual and involves balancing individual and organizational interests with broader societal impact.
  • Real-world cases (WorldCom, Wells Fargo, Volkswagen) illustrate consequences of ethical lapse and the importance of governance, compliance, and whistleblowing.
  • Reflective practice and concrete action plans can translate ethics and teamwork concepts into tangible improvements.