One of the most important skills in every manager's activity is decision making. Peter Drucker wrote: "Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level"
I have been managing projects outside my Country and my culture, and I felt ethical decision making to be influenced by culture, age, gender, and so forth.
What is your experience? Do you reach PMI's Ethical Decision Making Framework to support your process when facing challenges? Saving Changes...
Hi Fabio,
I think we are in the same boat, I had projects in challenging countries, and walking on eggs shell is not easy. I strive always to the do best I can.
Walking on eggs shell is not easy, however, understanding the culture and analysing the stakeholders within the concept of their culture is an essential tool for success. Ethnocentrism is your worst enemy, and this is the reason many PM fail in international projects.
Hi Fabio, I have managed projects overseas and culture very much influences decision making. Unfortunately, PMI's ethics framework is very "Western" focused. You would think ethics is universally applicable, but in reality it is not. The challenges culturally are language, individualistic vs collectivist societies, family priority vs work priorities etc. Ethical challenges include bribes, corrupt local, state and national government agencies and contractors, class system, over representation of male management in some very female dominated industries (ie. call centers) etc.
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1 reply by Kevin Drake
Jun 01, 2018 3:01 AM
Kevin Drake
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I did not dare to say (western focused) thank you.
Saving Changes...
George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
Fabio - They are personal ethical believes that never changes, no matter where, how, who and what you are dealing with. Nevertheless, some ethical decisions vary from country to country. Saving Changes...
Hi Fabio, I have managed projects overseas and culture very much influences decision making. Unfortunately, PMI's ethics framework is very "Western" focused. You would think ethics is universally applicable, but in reality it is not. The challenges culturally are language, individualistic vs collectivist societies, family priority vs work priorities etc. Ethical challenges include bribes, corrupt local, state and national government agencies and contractors, class system, over representation of male management in some very female dominated industries (ie. call centers) etc.
I did not dare to say (western focused) thank you.
I did not dare to say (western focused) thank you.
I'm a dare devil lol. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
To discuss about ethic could be interesting but I think there is not enough room here. Ethic is not universal accepted and becasue of that code of ethics inside the organizations and rules/laws exsts outside organizations. Just an example: what do PMI think about certified project managers that belongs to armed forces and are managing projects to create things to kill people? I am not searching for an answer. On the other side, PMI Code of Ethic is just to fullfil a requirement to get the certification approval from international organizations. If a project manager perform outside the PMI´s Code of Ethic organizations can not act against the project manager. Now, are decision influenced by culture? Totally and mainly the organizational culture. If your decisions are not inside the organizational culture framework it is impossible to continue working inside the organization. Saving Changes...
Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
This is a very interesting conversation. Sergio raises a great point - Project Managers involved with artificial intelligence projects face some very unique decision points. For example, if you're on a project that builds drones that drop bombs or a project that creates technology that could be used for nefarious purposes, what do you do? I don't have the answer but I think the ethical decision-making framework helps us begin to unravel the complexities of some of these ethical questions. Saving Changes...
I was in a large international organization where a new code of ethics required that you take no alcohol at lunchtime.
In many European countries, it raises many questions since it is a part of their culture to have a beer or a glass of vine.
There is possibly a set of rules that are international, and other complemental that are more local!
In the end, everything is influenced by our culture at some level. Saving Changes...
Joseph Prem AnandProgram Manager| Deutsche Bank AGCary, Nc, United States
The PMI EDMF can be globally applied. In fact it's assessment questions include "Does it align with your ethical values and those of the surrounding culture? ". Though the answer to the question could vary slightly from culture to culture, the core set of values - honesty, responsibility, respect and fairness apply always. Saving Changes...
