ETHICAL COMPETENCE

ESSENTIAL WHEN DISSONANCE ESCALATES AND PEOPLE FEEL THREATENED IN THEIR MOST DEEPLY-HELD CONVICTIONS AND PERSONAL INTEGRITY

The following example is the first of two courses designed as part of an ethical transformation programme for a multinational organisation, based in Switzerland. The 45-year-old company designs and produces automated technology solutions for the automotive and aviation industries.

Triggered partly by the dire economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also by political developments in certain countries and changes within the ownership and Supervisory Board, the company’s vision and strategy have been radically revised. Certain departments are to be significantly downsized, major investments are to be made in the field of artificial intelligence and strategic alliances have been established by the newly constituted Supervisory Board with automated technology organisations in China and Nigeria.

The running of an ethical transformation programme for the top- and middle-management was not originally planned, but has been necessitated by an increasing number of resignations received from key staff and by escalating tensions and conflicts inside the organisation. Most of the resignations and tensions are due to conflicting deep-rooted values and what employees feel to be threats to their most deeply-held convictions.

Participation in this course is restricted to a maximum of 8 attendees.

The objectives agreed with senior management for this particular part of the transformation programme are:

  1. to deepen the participants’ understanding of how and why the roots of most entrenched and debilitating dissonance in business, private life, just as in politics, are ethical in nature;
  2. to attain a level of ethical competence which will enable them to transform seemingly irreconcilable positions and conflict between themselves and others into constructive outcomes as well as anticipate and prevent such situations in future.

The course will comprise a first module of two days and, after two weeks, a second one-day module.

The methodology will be empathetic, challenging and fundamental: it will use case-studies, ethical theory, first-hand experience and interactive discussions. Each person will gain a better understanding of their own ethical profile.

Between the two modules, the participants will work on reading- and implementation-tasks. Personal reflections and follow-up support are also provided as an option.

Tutors

  • Stuart D.G. Robinson
  • Dr Alan Ettlin

A cooperation between


Ethical Health Management

“Ethics can make people, relationships and organisations seriously ill.”

Applying ethical competence to recognise the potentially valuable, yet often crippling nature of ethical differences in politics, business and private life.

Ethics in Business

“The fact that few managers have received adequate training in ethical competence has immensely costly consequences, but this deficit is generally unrecognised and the responsibility for causing serious damage is very often assigned to the wrong people for the wrong reasons.”

Applying ethical competence in strategic and operational matters – to include interactions within the organisation and externally with partners, clients and others.

Ethics in Private Life

“Some of the fiercest and costliest battles are fought between siblings, between generations, between partners and between very good friends – even though, deep down, they actually love each other. They just don’t understand how the battles really arose and how they can be resolved.”

Applying ethical competence to maintain and restore close relationships.


We ask for your understanding that, for reasons concerning confidentiality and contextuality, we only run these courses as part of in-house programmes.

For enquiries about about the ethical competence course, please contact us through info@bbv-consultancy.com or +41 44 512 1660.