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Case Analysis : Kindred Todd And The Ethics Of Od

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Ethics in organization development is a qualitative evaluation of the entire process of how a consultant delivers service to a client (Cummings & Worley, 2008). Considerations include the foundational basis of the client-practitioner relationship, choice of appropriate interventions, and responsibility for the effects of the change efforts (Cummings & Worley, 2008, pp. 70-73). Ethics goes beyond behavior and includes a concern for the motivation behind the behavior (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). An individual behaves ethically by adhering to his or her socially desirable personal values. The case study “Kindred Todd and the Ethics of OD” presents some ethical issues which arose for a recent master’s graduate during her first assignment as an …show more content…

65). Miss Todd did not immediately reveal her experience level which violated her responsibility to “discuss candidly” the details of this new business relationship (Cummings & Worley, 2008, p. 71). As a master’s candidate, Todd undoubtedly studied ethics and may have believed she would uphold the highest ideal of ethical behavior in her upcoming career. However, this assignment presented overlapping responsibilities and pressures which forced quick compromises of ethical ideals.
Kindred Todd faced the delicate task of maintaining the reputation of her firm while seeking a creative conclusion that included self-preservation. Miss Todd wanted to keep her job. She felt pressure from Mister Stepchuck to maintain his narrative. She did not want to destroy her client’s confidence in her, her boss, his company, and the field of organization development. She likely entered the field of organization development to provide genuine service with a balanced concern for human elements of business and organizational effectiveness (Cummings & Worley, 2008, p. 60). Avoiding full disclosure during the initial meeting allowed her the opportunity to further diagnose the situation and eventually provide a satisfactory service to her client.
Kindred Todd avoided the “technical ineptness” ethical dilemma (Cummings

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