Essay Sample on Project Managers: Ethical Dilemmas & PMI Code of Ethics

Project managers are often faced with common ethical dilemmas based on the PMI code of ethics. Some of them include responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty. In the spheres of responsibility, project managers are mandated to take responsibility for the decisions and actions they make or fail to make and the consequential results, thereby presenting a significant dilemma. The decision should be on the societal, public safety, and environmental best interest and fulfilling the actions undertaken (Sakhaee,2014). Therefore, responsibility may present a complex ethical dilemma for a project manager; however, the cause of action in this scenario would be to take ownership, and accepting accountability for one's errors may have been committed.

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Respect is another ethical dilemma that may present complexities for project managers owing to the highly regard needed to be depicted on them and to others through the entrusted resources encompassing money, people, reputation, the safety of others' environmental and natural resources. All those require trust, cooperation, diverse perspectives, and excellent performance. Here, the cause of action is listening to the point of view of others and understanding them, professionally conducting oneself even when not reciprocated and respecting others' property rights, not acting in an abusive manner, and negotiating in good faith (Sakhaee,2014). Another common ethical dilemma faced by project managers underscore fairness, which underlies the duty of the manager to make decisions, act objectively and impartially, non-prejudice nor favoritism conducts and demonstration of transparency in decision making. In this scenario, the best cause of action is availing equal opportunities to all qualified candidates, equal information access to all authorized persons, disclosing potential conflicts to the real stakeholders, and nondiscrimination in the spheres of gender, race, disability, nationalism, age or religion.

Conclusion

Finally, honesty is another ethical dilemma affecting the project managers since it requires them to understand the truth and act truthfully both in their conduct and communication. It also requires them to promptly provide accurate information, creating an environment that is free, telling the truth, and making implicit promises and commitments in good faith. The best cause of action to prevent the dilemma in honesty would be not engaging in dishonest behaviors for personal gains, not condoning acts that deceive others, not withholding information, and not making misleading or false statements.

References

Project Management Institute. (2012). PMI Ethical Decision -Making Framework. ProjectManagement Institute.
https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/ethics/ethical-decision-making-framework.pdf

Sakhaee, E. (2014, March). PMI Code of Ethics. Leadership and the Human Element.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6BbWXlilw&feature=youtube