Ethical Frame

Restatement of the Situation and My Role

C&A Associates, Inc. is a company that provides disaster recovery, banking services, and RFID tracking solutions to various industries, including law enforcement. In 2016, a catastrophic flood severely impacted the company’s Baton Rouge office and 80% of its employees, leading to operational and emotional turmoil. I was brought in as Vice President of Sales with the authority to take charge of recovery efforts, but the lack of clear communication about my role created tension and uncertainty among employees. My responsibilities included stabilizing operations, restoring IT infrastructure, restructuring roles, and rebuilding morale amid both physical and emotional devastation.

Describe how the ethics of the organization influenced the situation.

C&A Associates’ commitment to resilience, service continuity, and customer reliability shaped the company’s response to the disaster. However, the absence of a predefined crisis response plan highlighted gaps in ethical leadership, transparency, and preparedness. Employees faced job insecurity, personal losses, and an unclear chain of command, creating ethical dilemmas in decision-making. The challenge was balancing immediate business recovery with employee well-being and trust. My leadership approach had to align with the company’s ethical values while adapting to the urgency of the crisis.

A more structured ethical approach could have provided a clearer roadmap for response. While the company emphasized resilience, there was a lack of formalized ethical decision-making frameworks to ensure both operational stability and employee welfare were equally prioritized. Transparency in communication and ensuring employees had a voice in recovery decisions would have strengthened trust and morale, ultimately improving long-term outcomes for both the business and its workforce.

Recommend how you would apply one of the ethical communities for an alternative course of action regarding your case.

Ethics of Justice – This perspective focuses on fairness, rules, and adherence to laws and policies. Leaders using this framework prioritize compliance, clear procedures, and equal treatment of employees.

Ethics of Care – Emphasizing relationships and empathy, this approach considers the well-being of employees and stakeholders, prioritizing human connection and support over rigid procedures.

Ethics of Critique – This perspective challenges existing power structures and institutional biases, encouraging ethical leaders to question systems that may perpetuate inequality or inefficiency.

Ethics of the Profession – This focuses on professional standards and codes of conduct that guide ethical decision-making within a particular field, ensuring leaders adhere to industry best practices and responsibilities.

Applying the Ethics of Care would have been the most effective approach for addressing employee concerns while leading the company’s recovery. Instead of prioritizing a strict top-down restructuring process, I could have integrated more collaborative decision-making, offering employees a platform to voice their concerns and contribute to recovery efforts. Implementing a clear, empathetic communication strategy and support resources (e.g., counseling, financial assistance, flexible work arrangements) could have helped rebuild morale and trust while still achieving operational stability.

Additionally, a structured mentorship or peer-support program could have been introduced to provide employees with guidance during the transition. A more participatory approach, such as conducting town halls or feedback sessions, would have enabled a shared sense of responsibility and collective resilience. The Ethics of Care approach would ensure employees felt valued and supported, reinforcing long-term commitment to the organization.

Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned about ethics.

Given what I have learned in this course, I recognize the importance of balancing business recovery with ethical leadership. While I focused on structure and efficiency, incorporating more Ethics of Care principles could have improved trust and engagement among employees. I would have prioritized transparent communication about my role, set clearer expectations, and provided more emotional and logistical support to employees navigating personal losses. Moving forward, I will ensure that leadership decisions align with both organizational goals and ethical responsibility, recognizing that resilience is built through both strategy and compassion.

Additionally, I would advocate for the implementation of an ethical response framework within the company to prepare for future crises. This would include pre-established communication protocols, an employee assistance program, and ethical training to equip leadership with the necessary tools to balance operational efficiency with human-centered decision-making. Ethical leadership is not just about making tough decisions—it is about making the right ones with integrity, empathy, and long-term impact in mind.

References

The Advocate. (2017). What caused the historic August 2016 flood, and what are the odds it could happen again? Retrieved from https://www.theadvocate.com

NOAA. (2016). Louisiana Flooding: August 2016. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov