Network Project Management: Leadership, Ethics, and Decision-Making

This report analyzes a network project management scenario focusing on ethical dilemmas, leadership styles, and decision-making processes. The case study revolves around a construction project facing challenges due to inclement weather, specifically rain during the winter and spring seasons. The report examines the ethical considerations of using company workers for personal tasks, as exemplified by Bob, and the ethical implications of potentially laying off workers due to lack of work. It explores the ethical alternatives for both Bob and Jim, analyzing the pros and cons of each decision, and applies the PMI framework of ethical decision-making to assess the actions taken. The report emphasizes the importance of a risk mitigation strategy, a risk response team, and a mitigation plan to address potential ethical conflicts and ensure transparency, recommending a decision-making approach that prioritizes the well-being of all stakeholders involved while adhering to ethical standards. The report concludes with a call for a risk mitigation body to provide non-work incentives for the carpenters and to prevent Bob and Jim from facing tough decision-making scenarios.

Running head: NETWORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT
NETWORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Name of student:
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NETWORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PM Leadership
In case of Bob, it can be seen that he is concerned about the well-being of the
carpenters. He knows that during the rainy season the carpenters do not have any
work and if they go home without doing any work, their salary is not deducted due to
lack of work [3]. Therefore, he decided he kept the carpenters engaged with the
domestic work in his home. On the other hand, Jim was of the opinion that employing
the workers of the company for personal activities is against the moral ethos of the
company.
PM Execution
Since the project of constructing the school was taking pace during the winter and
spring; it was exemplified by sporadic rain. I feel the project was not heading the
direction as expected due to bad weather. Considering the scenario, it would have
been pragmatic to keep the project shelved till summer as it has been found that bad
weather impedes in project management.
PM Risk analysis
Considering the given situation, the project plan should have identified that winter,
spring in the United States is exemplified by rain, and therefore, the activities of the
project would be stalled. Another risk that the project plan should have taken into
account is that carpenters would not be able to work in this extreme weather and
therefore, laying them off would anger them. This is because due to the rainouts they
could earn only for limited number of days. The project plan should have created a
risk response team to ensure that there could have been an assessment and mitigation
plan chalked out at the outset of the project.

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NETWORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Ethics assessment
The ethical issues that emerge in the context of the project is that whether it is ethical
to use the workers of the company for personal work as done by Bob. Another ethical
issue that is faced by Bob i that sending the carpenters home as there is no work and
therefore, they would lose their source of income especially in rainouts when their
earning is limited. Using employees for personal purpose is unlawful. According to
one of the provisions of the PMI Code of ethics and professional conduct, it is stated
that the project managers should refrain from engaging in decisions that may lead to
conflict of interests for the various stakeholders in the project. As per the Code of
ethics, there should have been an approved mitigation that in this case is absent [2].
Ethics alternatives
The ethical alternative for Bob would be to lay off the carpenters and send them off
from their workplace because there was no work for them. The pros of this ethical
alternative are that they would not be engaged for any other would except that of the
company. The limitation of this ethical alternative is that the carpenters would miss
their source of income. The ethical alternative for Jim would be to remain silent and
ignore the situation. The advantage of this would be there would not be any
confrontation with Bob or he having to taking the decision of meeting with the project
manager. The limitation of this ethical alternative would be that the carpenters would
be subsumed under the billing employee hours indicating that they were working on
the project whereas in reality they were being used small-time jobs at the site or in
Bob’s house.

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NETWORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Ethics analysis
According to the PMI framework of ethical decision-making, the stakeholders or the
interested parties in the project should take into consideration the organizational
ethical standards, professional code of ethics and the personal values. The moral
leaders in the context of this project needs to keep in mind all the three challenges that
may arise during the course of work; these are time, self and ambivalence [1]. The
role of the moral leader is to manage all these ethical challenges with avoidance of
impulsive decisions and commitment. In case of Bob there was a non-committal
attitude and therefore, his decision was in conjunction with the ethical framework of
PMI [6].
Ethics application
The choice made by Bob although is in violation of the PMI ethics and professional
code of conduct is beneficial to all [5]. This is because he was keeping the carpenters
engage and motivated with small-time work with the aim that their steady source of
income is not infringed all of a sudden. He knew that that once the rainout is over, the
carpenters could resume their task on the project. Bob was partial towards the
interests of the carpenters and his decision was not transparent. On the other hand,
Jim’s decision would have benefitted the company but not the carpenters.
Ethics Action
The best decision, in this case would be to set a risk mitigation body, provide the
carpenters with non-work incentives given it are the circumstance that is preventing
their work and preclude Bob and Jim from engaging in a tough decision-making [4].

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NETWORK PROJECT MANAGEMENT
References
1. Meredith JR, Mantel Jr SJ, Shafer SM. Project management in practice. Wiley Global
Education; 2013 Sep 13.
2. Meredith JR, Shafer SM, Mantel Jr SJ, Sutton MM. Project management in practice.
Wiley Global Education; 2016 Nov 16.
3. Burke R, Barron S. Project management leadership: building creative teams. John
Wiley & Sons; 2014 Feb 14.
4. Gomez-Mejia LR, Balkin D. Management. Pearson Higher Ed; 2011 Nov 21.
5. Lloyd-Walker B, Walker D. Authentic leadership for 21st century project delivery.
International Journal of Project Management. 2011 May 1;29(4):383-95.
6. Neck CP, Manz CC. Mastering self-leadership: Empowering yourself for personal
excellence. Pearson; 2010.