Ethical+Considerations

=__Ethical Considerations__=

Motivation Theories
(Angie Iafrate) The //NASW's Code of Ethics// dedicates its second section to the social workers' ethical responsibilities to their colleagues. Certain passages stand out as being particularly relevant to the concepts discussed in the wiki's "Principles & Theories" section. In relation to McClelland's Needs Theory, for example, all three categories of individuals (achievement, power, and affiliation-motivated) need take into consideration particular ethical responsibilities declared in the document. For instance, achievement-motivated individuals who may harshly judge coworkers according to the high standards to which they hold themselves have an ethical responsibility to refrain from undue criticism, as the code states, "Social workers should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleagues’ level of competence..." ( Section 2.01 ). Power-motivated individuals who will do whatever it takes to reach a position of influence in the organizations should take heed of the ethical responsibility to "not take advantage of a dispute between a colleague and an employer to obtain a position or otherwise advance the social workers’ own interests" (Section 2.04a). Affiliation-motivated individuals who wish to be loved and avoid rejection may be hesitant to "discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues" for fear of losing their coworkers' approval, though according to the document, they have a responsibility to do so (Section 2.11a). A manager should also stay alert of these potential ethical issues among subordinates and confront any breaches of ethical conduct when they arise, as opposed to turning a blind eye.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
(Doris Dennah)

In the forgoing discussion (see Principles & Theories and Applications sections), however, there are ethical issues that the social work manager must be aware of particularly in rural areas. For example, social work managers often times work in areas where there are limited resources and limited staff. Can rural managers balance the art of giving rewards to keep their employees working and give effective service to their primary beneficiaries their clients? Again, it falls between the rock and the hard place ethically. Therefore, it would be more beneficial for social work managers to lead and/or seek to encourage or influence in such a way that their employees cultivate intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation.

Reward Systems
(Vanessa Miller) Anyone in social work knows that he or she is not compensated fairly for the work that s/he does. As stated above, social workers should be influenced by intrinsic motivation as opposed to extrinsic motivation. A social worker who is motivated extrinsically will usually be disappointed. A manager can and should provide motivation by providing certificates, a card, or acknowledgment for a job well done. Just as Max Weber believed, "do your job well and you will be rewarded" (Weinbach, p. 58) However, this must be done fairly with all workers for a job well done. If one worker in particular continuously receives the "reward" other workers will see this person as a favorite and grow to resent s/he and become bitter. In addition, there are some organizations that have extracurricular activities such as a dinners or get togethers to encourage and motivate workers. However, ethical consideration must be taken into account. Unless these activities are done during work time and are mandatory, a worker may be uncomfortable participating in after hours activities. Ethics must be considered when managers are providing rewards.