OD Values and Ethics

A webinar on “OD Values and Ethics” was held last August 27, 2022, Saturday afternoon. The resource speaker was Ms. Amelita Racho Dolom (Organizational Development Consultant). There were fifty-seven (57) participants who attended in this webinar coming from different congregations and organizations.

The webinar discussed the importance of ethics and values in organizational development. The session covered four parts: understanding the impact of OD values and ethics, contracting engagement phases, workplace challenges, and future challenges. Ms. Amelita Racho emphasized the need for self-responsibility, professional growth, and ethical practices in organizations. She highlighted the role of OD in managing change and improving organizations. Case studies and participant discussions explored ethical dilemmas in the workplace and the impact of AI on values and ethics. The session concluded with a call for continuous advocacy and ethical leadership.

Defining Ethics, Values, and Morals

• Ms. Amelita Racho defines ethics as a set of moral principles guiding behavior, reflecting beliefs about right and wrong.
• Values are standards of behavior that determine what is important or essential, serving as guiding principles for personal conduct.
• The difference between ethics, values, and morals is explained, with ethics being a structured system of principles, values being individual accepted right and wrong, and morals being society\’s standard of right and wrong.
• Types of values are discussed, including moral, social, intellectual, and spiritual values.

Moral Reasoning and Its Impact

• Ms. Amelita Racho explains moral reasoning as connected with character and conviction, emphasizing the need for moral character and conviction to act ethically.
• The impact of choices on destiny is discussed, using the example of a man who believes drinking relieves stress, leading to health issues.
• The importance of mindfulness in making thoughtful choices is highlighted.
• The connection between thought, belief, decision, action, habit, character, and destiny is explored.

OD and Ethics in Organizational Development

• Ms. Amelita Racho explains the role of OD in managing change and improving organizations, emphasizing the importance of ethics and values in this process.
• The responsibility to self, profession, clients, and the larger system is outlined, with specific actions for each responsibility.
• The impact of self-esteem on personal growth and happiness is discussed, with a focus on acting with integrity and authenticity.
• The importance of professional growth and development in achieving self-actualization is emphasized.

Phases of Contracting in OD

• Ms. Amelita Racho outlines the phases of contracting in OD, including entry, startup, assessment and feedback, action and intervention, evaluation, adoption, and separation.
• The importance of resistance, communication, involvement, and commitment in each phase is highlighted.
• The need for a potential match between the consultant and the client, and the importance of signing a contract with clear terms, is discussed.
• The role of feedback in monitoring progress and addressing barriers is emphasized.

Workplace Challenges and Case Studies

• Ms. Amelita Racho presents three workplace case studies: a friend dealing with a colleague\’s depression, an HR manager facing a union\’s request to hang a protest banner, and an HR assistant absent during an important audit meeting.
• Participants are asked to analyze the wrongs, rights, ethical practices, and values in each case, and to consider what they would do differently.
• The importance of addressing workplace challenges with ethical considerations is emphasized.
• The impact of artificial intelligence on values and ethics is discussed, with a focus on the need for extreme limitation and control in its use.

Open Forum and Participant Questions

• Participant raise a concern about the impact of AI on workforce and the importance of transparency in organizations.
• Ms. Amelita Racho discusses the challenges of AI, including its potential to replace human workers and the need for ethical considerations in its development.
• The importance of transparency in organizations is emphasized, with suggestions for motivating employees to be more transparent through trust and confidence-building activities.
• Participants share their experiences and insights on the importance of values and ethics in personal and professional life.

Conclusion and Closing Remarks

• Ms. Amelita Racho concludes by emphasizing the importance of values and ethics in shaping lives, organizations, and society.
• The need for continuous advocacy and action in promoting ethical behavior is highlighted.