Chapter 6 Sport Management Ethical Principles Applied to Sport Management

Chapter 6
Ethical Principles
Applied to Sport
Management
Introduction
• Ethics
– The systematic study of the values guiding our
decision making
– Ethics reflect how we believe people should behave
and how we want the world to operate
• Ethical dilemma
– Practical conflict involving equally compelling
values or social obligations; solved when we
articulate which commonly held values we admire
most
• Morality
– The list of those actions people ought to do or refrain
from doing
Ethical Considerations
• Decisions that affect diverse groups of people with
conflicting interests (e.g., athletes, fans, media,
community, businesses)
• Sport managers’ decisions about ethical dilemmas
tend to fall under greater public scrutiny
• Ethical analysis involves a systematic process of
reasoning:
– Weighing pros/cons of two or more seemingly
valid choices that reflect equally cherished
values
Ethical Considerations: Codes of
Conduct
• Need exists for establishing solid ethical climates
in corporations.
• Code of conduct outlines and explains the
principles under which an organization or
profession operates.
• Codes of conduct should be clear and
straightforward and encourage employees to
understand the goals they are trying to accomplish.
Ethical Considerations: Morality
• Some ethical dilemmas are about choosing
between right and wrong or two opposing choices.
• Social practices depend on people upholding
certain baseline values.
• Many moral values in society are codified in laws,
but moral behavior cannot always be legislated
and people cannot be forced to act morally.
Ethical Considerations: Morality in
the Work World
• Absolutism
– Moral precepts are universal—applicable to all
circumstances.
• Relativism
– What is moral depends on the situation.
• Commercial moral rules
– Rules of the marketplace guide activities such as
sales and marketing.
• Noncommercial moral rules
– Occupations demand loyalty to an oath of office or
professional standards to guard against selling out.
Ethical Considerations: Morality and
Multiple Roles
• Specific jobs in sports do not reside completely in
either the commercial or the noncommercial
sphere.
• Process of making a moral choice, of deciding
what is right and wrong, involves understanding
the parameters of acceptable behavior in the
context of one’s multiple roles in society.
Ethical Considerations: Morality and
Corruption
• Immoral behavior violates our basic assumptions
and corrupts our social institutions.
• An immoral decision can lead to systemic
corruption that can destroy a sport enterprise.
• Corruption usually occurs when people hop from
one set of moral precepts to another.
• One feature of corruption is that it is systemic.
Ethical Considerations: Moral
Reasoning and Work
• Contemporary society is characterized by
innovation, which continually presents new
ethical dilemmas
• Periodically need to assess whether our
current practices are in keeping with values
that underlie a just society
• Moral and ethical principles evolve over
time
Key Skills: Ensuring Morality in the
Workplace
• Rules designed to protect integrity of sports
operate uncomfortably alongside business
structure underwriting sports.
• Organizations can help individuals make
moral choices by establishing standards,
encouraging self-examinations, providing
support structures, and enforcing codes.
Key Skills: Self-Examination
• An effective tool to remind people of ethical
actions and express institutional concern for
ethical issues
• Ask employees to think about hypothetical
ethical dilemmas
• Accreditation programs (NCAA)
Key Skills: Forum for Moral Discourse
• Communication is critical to
decreasing corruption and
resolving ethical dilemmas.
• Employees should be encouraged
to get together to discuss where
and how they face specific
problems.
• The process takes pressure off
individuals and clarifies issues at
stake.
• Decisions should be reviewed
only after they have been made.
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Key Skills: Consequences
• Employees need to know there are
consequences for immoral behavior.
• If people understand that corruption comes
with certain risks, they are less likely to
engage in immoral acts.
• Discipline must meet two criteria:
– It must be (1) meaningful and (2) enforceable.