Ethical and Unethical Tactics for Influencing Behavior

Ethical and Unethical Tactics For Influencing Behavior Multiple career moves landed Jeanne Lewis in positions to influence the behavior of the employees that worked for her at Staples, Inc. In the context of this writing the ethical tactics used by Lewis for influencing behavior will be explored. Lewis ' decision to work with her employees until she was confident in the team will be examined in the context of her ethical behavior as well. An early example of Lewis ' ability to influence behavior is found in the results of her work in operations. She made some initially tough choices, but the evidence of all her work is seen in the achievement of the team. It is evident that she employed ethical tactics in building community and respect for the individual. A team that is cohesive enough to set aggressive standards, launch training programs and improve performance is proof of a functional community. Community is the result of a leader who purposes to help people achieve a common goal (Dubrin, 2007, p. 171). As the group works on the same goal they form a community. It is the action of the leader to initiate, motivate, plan, develop and guide the group into this synchronous momentum and its ultimate level of maturity that we call community. A second example of Lewis ' influence is her approach to an individual. A direct report reflected on his time working with Jeanne Lewis by calling the interaction, professional growth. The worker notes, "Jeanne 's charm could be disarming. She worked really hard, and her personality motivated you. She tended to manage tightly at first, then loosened the reins. She challenged us a lot, and invited us to challenge each other. (Suesse, 2001, p. 81)." Lewis demonstrated an ethical tactic of respecting the individual. She recognized that people around her had some inner worth and treated them with courtesy and kindness by loosening the reigns and demonstrating charm. While the work was challenging amidst difficult

References: Dubrin, 2007, A. (2007). Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, & Skills (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co. pp. 166-178, 230-240. Suesse, J.M. (2000). Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc. (A) (Abridged). Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, pp. 1-14 (78-91).