Advancing Careers through the Ethical Use of Power
Introduction
Numerous studies have been carried out to determine if today’s companies and employees apply the ethical use of power in the pursuit of promotions and profits. The interplay between power and ethics is so important in human resource management, for there is the ever increasing temptation to disregard ethical considerations and legal obligations in order to achieve personal goals fast (Goldman 2008). The challenge the Human Resource departments at every workplace face is to ensure that the employees us powers within the confines of morality. (Using Power Ethically, n.d.). The employees using power unethically have the capacity to negatively direct or influence the behavior of the entire workforce, and can even contribute to the company’s financial distress or closure (Pfeffer, 2013).
The Case Study Review
This case study report focuses on the ability of an employee to apply the ethical use of power vis a vis the employee who uses unethical power, to gain promotions and favors from the company bosses (Reilly, Sirgy, &
Gorman, 2012). This paper examines the theory of ethical use of power in a contextual perspective. It reviews the case of two company staff, Jill and Marcus, who are competing for a leadership position. Jill is a hardworking, industrious, and committed company employee who fails to get a leadership position despite being the best and most competent. She and her team have the best project proposal. Her competitor, Marcus, is not as resourceful, but he is able to get the account leadership position after using networking power to get favors. Marcus is a former college mate and a fellow golfer to the company assistant regional director, Samuel. Marcus
meets Samuel at the golf course over the weekend and discusses the account leadership issue. It is no surprise, therefore, that Samuel announces Marcus the winner at the award ceremony (Cialdini & Kanopy (Firm), 2014).
Caldini discusses the six pillars of power including reciprocation, authority, scarcity, commitment, consensus and liking, and it is clear that these tenets are at play in the Jill-Marcus case study. Caldini argues that the daily behavior of an individual is the one that determines whether a person acquires the power of influence and a mastery of the psychology of influence. In this regard, Marcus, no matter how unethical he achieves his
goals has a better understanding of the persuasive appeal to increase his influence.
In discussing the Jill and Marcus case study, the paper will show how each of the two individuals acquire power, the power each of them has, and the use to which they put the acquired power. The paper will also look into
unethical behavior, and how an action is either morally right or wrong at the individual, professional or corporate level. Individuals, businesses, professionals and politicians can behave unethically, as Marcus and Samuel
do, consequently affecting the company ethical base after falling prey …
