Identified Issue
- I&A’s leadership aims to align with goals;
- Leadership directly linked to sharing information;
- Transformational leadership is not suitable for everyone;
- New employees can perceive authoritative approach negatively;
- Hiring inexperienced employees can impact data sharing;
- Data breaches/leaks need to be avoided;
- Morale of employees requires attention.
Since the Office of Intelligence and Analysis aims to align its leadership with its goals, additional attention needs to be paid to transformational leadership and morale of new employees. High workload and the need to adapt to transformational leadership can negatively influence working climate and lead to conflicts or even data sharing. The Office aims to hire younger employees to teach and train them to adapt, eventually developing them into new leaders. However, the morale of young and experienced employees needs attention.
Information in Context
- Leadership programs are not formalized and evaluated;
- Self-assessment is not always effective;
- Focusing on effective management is not enough;
- Leadership to be tied to employee performance (Committee on Department of Homeland Security, 2013);
- Trust in leadership is not measured;
- Demonstrating consistency is crucial for leaders;
- Empirical evidence guarantees quality leadership style.
The issue of DHS and I&A is that the leadership programs are not formalized and evaluated, which leads to their inefficiency (Committee on Department of Homeland Security, 2013). Leadership strategies should not rely on self-assessment; it should include scientific approach and statistical analysis. I&A prefer focusing on effective management and operations (Homeland Security, 2016). Employees’ trust in leadership strategies is not measured and evaluated by the Office. Instead of relying on empirical evidence, leadership strategies are developed in order to adapt to changes in the Department. Transformational leadership is focused on goals, not statistics and evidence.
Additional Information
- 32.9% of employees were positive about leadership;
- 43.2% of employees disagreed leadership was effective;
- 42.4% of employees agreed communication was effective;
- 34.7% of employees satisfied with policies/practices;
- Top leaders need to connect with employees;
- Leaders do not implement sustainable leadership;
- Midlevel/frontline leaders are essential for success (Committee on Department of Homeland Security, 2013).
As it can be seen from the data, leadership strategies at DHS and I&A are unsustainable and not highly efficient. Some of the employees complained that they were not able to connect to top leaders to discuss current issues. Sustainable leadership could improve the issue by providing a specific formalized leadership framework. Committee on Department of Homeland Security (2013) points out that midlevel and frontline leaders are influential because they interact with workforce daily. More midlevel leaders are necessary.
Decisions
- Create sustainable leadership development program;
- Develop and improve organizational communication;
- Institutionalize reflection and learning among leaders/employees;
- Develop organizational culture on vision and mission;
- Foster culture of resilience to support adaptation;
- Discuss issues and difficult questions openly;
- Enhance the sense of shared responsibility.
Committee on Department of Homeland Security (2013) suggests creating sustainable leadership development program to address the problem of distrust towards leaders. Sustainable leadership is focused on long-term efficiency and success; everyday tasks are linked to future achievements (Thomas, 2016). Sustainable leadership requires well-developed organizational communication and organizational culture. To achieve this, the Office will need to foster reflection and culture of resilience. To create the sense of shared responsibility, leaders will need to address all complex issues openly. Such approach will improve communication among leaders and workforce.
Current Ethical Dilemmas
- Support functions are frowned upon;
- Employee evaluations are not implemented correctly;
- New employees selected from family or friends;
- Military environment and intense workload;
- Reported sexual assault and harassment;
- Coworkers take unscheduled leaves that influence workload;
- Organizational climate supports denial of sexual harassment.
Peer support by coworkers and colleagues is frowned upon by management, although employees receive training to perform such duties. Employee evaluations are seen by employees as “farce” (Committee on Department of Homeland Security, 2013, p. 213). The report also includes information about recruitment based on friendship or family relations, the military environment that hinders working process, and incidents of sexual assault and harassment. Organizational climate and the Department does not address the problem; although instructions about prevention of sexual harassment are given, they are often neglected. Unscheduled leaves lead to increased workload of other employees.
Resolutions for Ethical Dilemmas
- Improve managers’ approach towards employees’ support;
- Apply principlism to approach other issues (assaults);
- Hire additional staff to reduce workload of others;
- Morale-building activities for employees are required;
- Various programs of mental and emotional support;
- Plan for sexual assault transparent and accessible;
- Training needs to be provided by professionals (Committee on Department of Homeland Security, 2013).
Applying principlism seems to be reasonable since it requires doing good, doing no harm, being fair and relying on justice in all issues and questions (Kingori, 2013). Managers’ neglect of employee emotions can be seen as “doing harm”. Neglect of sexual harassment and recruitment of friends and family can also be addressed by principlism. Programs for mental and emotional support can be used to ensure that peer support is provided. Morale-building activities would be useful for managers, leaders, and other employees to improve the organizational climate.
Issues Conflicting with Employment Law
- Managers are disrespectful towards employees;
- Leaves of employees increase workload of others;
- Traumas caused by on-duty events not handled;
- Lack of flexible work schedules;
- Penalizing people who seek mental health treatment;
- Employees’ feedback is neglected by managers;
- No financial support for duty-caused traumas.
Employment law implies no discrimination towards employees. However, employees stated that managers were disrespectful to them (Committee on Department of Homeland Security, 2013). No additional staff is provided when other employees take sick leaves, which leads to increased underpaid workloads. Flexible work schedules, although guaranteed, are rarely provided to employees. Mental traumas on duty relate to workplace safety, but they are not treated or covered financially. Employees’ feedback, crucial for effective management, is not gathered, which results in severe violations. Employees who seek therapy are penalized for frequent leaves.
Conclusion
- Engage principlism as ethical basis for change;
- Review leadership programs according to company’s goals;
- Gather feedback from employees;
- Address all types of discrimination and violations;
- Develop and improve organizational communication;
- Address issues in organizational culture and staffing;
- Create appropriate organizational climate.
As it can be seen, the major issues in the Office are linked to organizational climate, leadership strategies, and organizational communication. Since leadership strategies are not efficient, other types of leadership (e.g. sustainable leadership) need to be taken into consideration. Emotional and peer support can improve organizational communication. Discrimination should be prohibited and anonymously reported by employees if identified. Additional workshops and lectures need to be created to address the relationships between high-ranking leaders and workforce. Employees need to be supported if workload increases (e.g. financially). Sexual harassment needs to be reported and penalized. Employees’ feedback needs to be addressed properly.
References
Committee on Department of Homeland Security. (2013). A ready and resilient workforce for the department of homeland security: Protecting America’s front line. Web.
Homeland Security. (2016). Office of intelligence and analysis. Web.
Kingori, P. (2013). Experiencing everyday ethics in context: Frontline data collectors perspectives and practices of bioethics. Social Science & Medicine, 98(2), 361-370.
Thomas, J. (2016). Sustainable leadership: Sourcing and multiplying happiness. Gurgaon, India: Partridge Publishing.