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2018 | Buch

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Ethics for Social Impact

Ethical Decision-Making in Nonprofit Organizations

verfasst von: Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book outlines the various elements involved in ethical decision-making for nonprofit leaders, and whose rights to prioritize when facing complex situations. Nonprofit board members and employees are often placed in difficult situations, with no single stakeholder and an allegiance to mission statements whose outcomes can be difficult to measure. While nonprofit charitable organizations are generally considered more trustworthy than their counterparts in the public or for-profit sector, when scandals and wrongdoings are uncovered, they must be dealt with in ethical ways.

Through a case study approach, this book delivers clear ethical decision-making frameworks and promotes robust reflection on how to arrive at different decision points and throw light on elements that are often ignored or assumed. Ultimately, it offers students, researchers, and managers a practical approach to the ambiguous question, what is the ethical way?

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Ethics and Decision-Making

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction: Why Ethics?

Abstract

What is ethics? Ethics is a discipline that deals with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. It encompasses the principles and rules governing the standards of conduct of an individual or group, such as a community or a profession. Sometimes referred to as moral philosophy, it is the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person or group.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 2. Multiple Stakeholders and Multiple Bottom Lines

Abstract

Why the nonprofit sector over the private or public sectors? Nonprofit organizations differ from both for-profit and public-sector organizations in several ways. Whether you can articulate these differences easily from reading textbooks and research articles, or whether you have learned them implicitly through your own work as a nonprofit practitioner, you will no doubt agree with this claim. These differences may in fact be part of what has sparked your interest in the sector. In this chapter, we talk about two characteristics of nonprofit organizations—multiple stakeholders and multiple bottom lines—that not only distinguish them from other types of organizations but also reveal ethical questions that we must consider when studying and working in the sector.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 3. Theoretical Foundations and Frameworks for Decision-Making

Abstract

So far, we have talked about recent nonprofit scandals and considered why ethics should be an important part of decision-making in the nonprofit sector. You may be convinced that ethics belongs in every profession and especially even in a sector that relies so much on the trust of the public and its stakeholders. But given the complexities of nonprofits—their multiple stakeholders, multiple bottom lines, and sometimes intangible social missions—how can we begin to approach, understand, and apply ethical decision-making in this context?

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 4. Making Ethics Part of Practice: Developing a Code of Ethics

Abstract

Now that we have discussed several different ethical frameworks, the question arises: How do we integrate these theories into practice? The thinkers’ ideas may seem very abstract, or perhaps like “ideal” cases for living when, in actuality, real life is much messier and more complex. For example, most of our students point out that it is all well and good for Kant to write about the “categorical imperative,” but they are reluctant to apply his logic to real-world dilemmas since this ethical framework results in impractical solutions they feel uncomfortable pursuing. You may feel similarly. How, then, do we make this leap from the very conceptual, idealized world of ethical theory to the very real, difficult situations that we face in our work as nonprofit students and practitioners?

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 5. A Road Map for Ethical Decision-Making

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors also introduce a case study to demonstrate one way the road map can be applied to aid decision-making in the face of ethical dilemmas. The case introduces the issue of donor intent and asks whether or not it is appropriate to acquiesce to donor demands, even if it means compromising organizational policies. Handy and Russell follow the road map for ethical decision-making introduced in this chapter to weigh the alternative courses of action in this hypothetical case, tying it back to ethical frameworks introduced in preceding chapters.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Cases

Frontmatter

Chapter 6. Case 1: Tainted Money

Abstract

Set in a nonprofit university, this case example asks the question, “Should a nonprofit take a donor’s money if it was made through questionable means?” Through this case, Handy and Russell push readers to tackle the age-old question of whether charities can clean dirty money, or whether they should avoid donations of money made through potentially unethical means. Discussion questions challenge readers to look at this question from new perspectives and justify their opinions by applying ethical frameworks introduced in Chapter 3.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 7. Case 2: Strings Attached

Abstract

The chief development officer of a private, religiously affiliated liberal arts college must balance the demands of potential donors and zealous board members in this case, which deals with how to prioritize competing interests of different stakeholders. Handy and Russell directly address the fundamental nature of nonprofit organizations—multiple stakeholders, multiple bottom lines—that they first introduced in Chapter 2. They ask readers to think through different options and approaches when weighing the best course of action for the college.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 8. Case 3: Sugarcoating

Abstract

An executive director running a US-based nonprofit must decide how to address an ethical breach that occurred in India, where the organization does its fieldwork. This case introduces ethical dilemmas that arise when nonprofits operate in multiple sites around the world, and when executive leadership is unable to directly oversee the fieldwork of the organization’s employees. Also, it discusses ethical issues around reporting requirements, which become even more complicated in international contexts. Handy and Russell ask readers to think across international and cultural lines in this case.

Femida Handy, Allison R Russell

Chapter 9. Case 4: Volunteer Insurgence

Abstract

When data collection for a research study undertaken at a nonprofit think tank goes awry, a senior researcher must decide whether to come clean about misreported results and risk losing valuable grant funding. In this case, Handy and Russell introduce ethical dilemmas that arise when workers at different levels of an organization—part-time, volunteer, and senior staff—are not on the same page. Likewise, this case asks the question of whether or not personal integrity should be compromised for the greater good, inviting readers to contemplate how personal and professional ethics coincide or clash in their own workplaces.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 10. Case 5: Clashing Cultures

Abstract

The vice principal of a nonprofit school in India must decide whether to compel her teaching staff to change their approach to conform to the expectations of international funders. This case deals with questions of how to reconcile cultural differences between NGO staff, who carry out the day-to-day work of the organization, and international funders, who may impose standards and norms from their own countries without consideration of the values of the home country. How should organizations navigate cultural clashes between different countries, or even between different communities within the same country? Handy and Russell suggest that readers consider what is ethical, using the tools provided in earlier chapters of the book.

Femida Handy, Allison R Russell

Chapter 11. Case 6: Vexed Volunteers

Abstract

On the eve of the biggest volunteering day of the year, an over-stretched volunteer administrator must balance the sudden demands of a high-profile community sponsor with the established organizational norms and policies she worked hard to develop. In this case, Handy and Russell focus on the difficulties of balancing multiple stakeholders against the backdrop of one of the most difficult tasks of nonprofit organizations, volunteer coordination. Questions of whether donors, of time and money, can or should be treated equally in the eyes of the organization are introduced.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 12. Case 7: Values and Services

Abstract

The CEO of a local community foundation seeks to reconcile her personal views with a new funding initiative in the community. This case asks readers to consider the extent to which personal views should impact professional decisions and how to navigate the difficulties that arise when nonprofit employees must balance the dual roles of advocate and analyst. Do nonprofits have an obligation to support underserved groups in their communities, even if it means ruffling the feathers of other stakeholders? In this case, Handy and Russell encourage readers to contemplate the inherent moral positioning of nonprofits in their communities and the obligations of nonprofit leaders to maintain this position.

Femida Handy, Allison R Russell

Chapter 13. Case 8: To Tell or Not to Tell

Abstract

The employee of a nonprofit community hospital is put in a tough spot when her personal connections get in the way of her professional ethics. This case deals with the ethical dilemma that arises when individuals must determine whether to disclose privileged or private information to protect the organization’s integrity, even if it means compromising personal loyalties. Handy and Russell urge readers to consider the ethical challenges that arise when employees allow personal entanglements to get too close to their professional life, and how to navigate, mitigate, and—hopefully—avoid such situations, using ethical frameworks and the road map to ethical decision-making as a guide.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 14. Case 9: Rare Diseases, Common Dilemmas

Abstract

The President of a nonprofit that supports research for rare diseases faces the following funding dilemmas: contested bequests, board member pressures around funding decisions, collaboration with both nonprofit and government partners, and restricted versus unrestricted donations. This case highlights the many different paths that nonprofit leaders must navigate to secure and maintain the funding they need to carry out their mission. The authors push readers to step into the President’s shoes and figure out how to address these dilemmas to keep the doors open, all the while maintaining ethical rigor and transparency.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 15. Case 10: A Tail of Two Employees

Abstract

An executive director must make a difficult decision about personnel management that may necessitate the disclosure of sensitive employee information. This case pushes readers to determine whether it is appropriate or ethical to share closed HR documents, when on the one hand, to not disclose means protecting an employee’s reputation and career, but on the other hand, to disclose means preventing a perceived breach of organizational integrity and transparency. Handy and Russell also highlight dimensions of executive-board relations and how this relationship impacts ethical decision-making in nonprofits.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Chapter 16. Case 11: Cutting Calories or Cutting Costs?

Abstract

A nonprofit charter school focused on providing healthy, affordable meals to its students must decide between competing interests when a local food company offers to make a significant donation in exchange for the opportunity to install unhealthy vending machines on school grounds. School employees clash over the right solution to their financial difficulties in this case that deals with mission drift and conflicts of interest, two common ethical issues faced by nonprofits. Handy and Russell ask readers to step into the shoes of each of the key players and assess the best course of action, given limited time, information, and ethical considerations.

Femida Handy, Allison R. Russell

Backmatter

Titel: Ethics for Social Impact
verfasst von: Femida Handy
Allison R. Russell
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-75040-8
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75039-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75040-8