Case Questions
2 Pages
- The text reminds us that the U.S. military is a “government organization” that requires managers. It adds, however, that managing such an organization is often regarded as a “separate specialty.” What do you think the “separate specialty” entails in this context? In what respects is Adm. Margaret Klein qualified in the “separate specialty” that’s required for success in her job as Senior Advisor for Military Professionalism?
- The case indicates that the Senior Advisor for Military Professionalism is essential “an ethics officer at the Pentagon.” According to one simple explanation, an ethics officer “aligns the practices of a workplace with the stated ethics and beliefs of that workplace, holding people accountable to ethical standards.” In what ways must a successful ethics officer play Mintzberg’s ten different managerial roles? If you were to advise Adm. Klein on the relative importance of these roles, in what order would rank them, from most to least important?
- According to the text, not-for-profit organizations try to meet “intangible goals.” In the broadest sense, what are the goals of the U.S. military? The text also defines leading as “the set of processes used to get members of an organization to work together to further the interests of the organization,” including meeting its goals. What can and should military leaders do to improve the organization’s efforts to meet its goals? Why are ethical standards important in these efforts, and what can military leaders do to improve adherence to ethical standards?
- A profession can be defined as an occupation, practice, or vocation requiring mastery of a complex set of knowledge and skills through formal education and/or practical experience. Professional ethics can be defined as professionally accepted standards of personal and occupational behavior, values, and guiding principles. Thus a “profession” is a specific kind of job with certain specific rules for performing job-related activities. How do professional ethics influence job-related activities in ways that don’t necessarily apply in “nonprofessional” situations?
