A634.9.5.RB_A Reflection of Our Learning

Key Lessons Learned

1. Everyone’s views on morals and ethics will be different
2. You are ultimately responsible for how people perceive you and your views
3. All of life’s choices have consequences

I don’t know if I knew what to expect going into this course but I think I saw it to be more focused on business ethics and morals instead of a combination of re-life issues/situations and how they affect how we are in the workplace. This change in events made the course more enjoyable and relatable. I find that ethics can be a tough and dry topic but this course wasn’t that way and the textbook made it very easy to understand how ethical topics can be understood in an application format.

I also found this course to be very rewarding and interesting. The topics covered in the textbook were different than what I had expected to learn about which really helped to change the learning experiences up. The only thing I didn’t like about this course was I found that the work was not evenly distributed in each module; this resulted in not being able to fully engage myself in each assignment. I also found that I didn’t get anything from the group project and I feel as though it should either be eliminated or revisited as it doesn’t fit into “ethics” as a subject.

How might the University or your instructor provide additional support for your learning?
I found that the interactions between the instructor and me were great and the instructor was present and available when students needed assistance. Being as this is an online course the interactions between instructors and students will be minimal and that is expected but I didn’t find there were any issues with the level of support provided.

Were there topics covered that seem particularly relevant or irrelevant to your experiences and to what you expect to come in future courses?
Relevant

• Ethical impulse
• Affirmative action
• Egoism

Irrelevant

• Gun control
• World Hunger

I understand that not all topics taught will be relevant to every person but I did find that most topics were interesting and something that I needed to learn more about for my current position and jobs that I would seek out in the future.

All in all I liked this course and I think it will offer a lot to students in the program going forward!

A634.8.3.RB_Gun Control: What is the Answer?

I believe that people do that have the right to bear arms as it is stated in the US Constitution but I do feel that there are additional responsibilities associated with owning and operating a firearm.

I personally do not have a strong opinion on the topic of guns or gun control because I feel that I see this topic from both a for and against perspective. It is my view point that if the US Constitution states we are allowed to bear arms then those who want to own a firearm should be allowed to but they should be of age and be educated on the gun they own, firearm safety and the laws. People need to be smart about their guns, where they buy them, how they operate them and where they keep them in their homes. Unfortunately too many terrible killings are taking place in the world due to guns getting into the hands of the wrong people and innocent lives are being taken.

It has been in the news a lot lately the idea of tightening gun laws and organizations like the NRA are appalled by this idea both those who have lost loved ones to guns are for it. This recent need to tighten gun laws is a direct result of the Colorado movie theater and the elementary school massacre. I believe that these two incidences were isolated and unfortunately people who shouldn’t have gotten a hold of firearms did and ended up killing innocent people but I don’t believe that people should no longer have the right to own a gun to protect themselves because of these two situations. The phrase “people kill people guns don’t kill people” is slightly true in that even though a person has a gun it doesn’t mean they are going to kill other people it just means that they have a firearm to protect themselves and their family in case of an emergency and or for hunting purposes (animals).

I understand why those who have lost loved ones to firearms would want tighten gun control laws and I see why members of the NRA and avid hunters do not want tighter gun control laws but the bottom line is, the laws would be implemented to protect everyone, those who want to or do currently own firearms and those who have lost loved ones. No one wants to take the rights away the people just to help ensure massacres like the ones stated above do not happen again.


Reference Information

• http://home.nra.org/
• http://www.independent.org/issues/guncontrol/?s=ga&gclid=CJqNysuorbgCFenm7AodjC8AAw
• http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/pro-gun-control-senators-revive-background-checks-article-1.1337986

A634.7.4.RB_Ethics and Behaviors

Video 1 – Keynote Speech Excerpts from the Ethics Guys
I found this video to be extremely moving and motivating. In this video the speaker discussed the “what you should do” or “what you haven’t done” which are two areas where people tend to be unethical in their actions. The speaker states that you should channel your anger and turn it into an action plan because when you do the right thing for others it makes you feel better therefore creating a win-win situation.

I find that this takes place often in my team at work. Because of the nature of our jobs we all do the same job but differently and that is 100% expected and encouraged by our leader. Due to the fact that we all do things differently when we want to show someone how do to something we approach the situation with a sense of ease to encourage the other person to learn and grow with the new skills they are learning. These types of actions becoming the win-win plan and ultimately leave both parties feeling good about themselves.

In addition to that example, my current job we are on tight deadlines and sometimes we do not get all the information needed from a Course Developer on time and therefore we, the Instructional Designers, become extremely angry. Because we cannot show that anger to the developer what many of us do is turn that anger is into something positive which in turns helps everyone. The anger turns into an action plan and when the action plan is executed the entire parties involved win.

Video 2 – Business Ethics Keynote Speaker – Chuck Gallagher – Shares Straight Talk about Ethics

Although this video was good I found it to be harder to get into than the first. Some of the key points that Gallagher spoke about were, choices and their consequences and The Unethical Continuum. I have found that we are always responsible for our actions and those actions will either have positive or negative consequences. In additional I find that the Unethical Continuum has been taking place the workplace for many years and can be difficult to end. Below are two examples of where these behaviors are portrayed in my organization.

In my department we have a slightly harder time with the Unethical Continuum because due to the nature of our job I find that we as the employees give me to the organization than we get in return so we seem to be better to the customer and company more so than the opposite. Because we have a very demanding type of career our leader will reward us but I don’t think anything he does is ever unethical, it all just balances out there for the choices we make to work harder and longer hour’s equals positive and great consequences.

I know I am biased but I have to say I work for the best team in my organization and we do things positively and ethically and our work and reputation show that.