APPENDIX B

Ethical Work Culture Assessment (EWCA)

PURPOSE and DIRECTIONS

The purpose of the EWCA is to determine the perceived level of moral development within the organization as a whole and the project team in particular. Think about what it takes for you and the people like yourself (e.g., your co-workers, people in similar positions) to “fit in” and meet expectations in your organization and in your particular project team. Select the number correlated with each response option below that best describes the current interpersonal behavioral styles of your organization and project team. Respond in terms of your perceptions of how things are now, not how you would like them to be, in both your organization and your project team. Place the number that correlates with each option in the appropriate blank spaces below under the columns labeled “organization” and “project team”:

SURVEY INSTRUMENT

INTERPRETATION

Step 1: The highest total score among scoring steps C, F, and I indicates the level of moral development perceived by the respondent in both the organization and the project team. If C is the highest total score, the ethical work culture of the House of Manipulation predominates; if F is the highest score, the ethical work culture of the House of Compliance prevails; and if I is the highest total score, the ethical work culture of the House of Integrity prevails. Any level score ties are to be interpreted as indicating the lower (or lowest) work environment level of moral development.

The Organizational House is __________

The Project Team House is __________

Step 2: Once the work environment level has been determined (House of Manipulation, House of Compliance, or House of Integrity), the higher of the two scores that led to the level totals indicates the specific ethical work culture stage. Again, any stage score ties are to be interpreted as indicating the lower stage of moral development.

Step 3: Note any difference between organizational and project team scores since these disparities are points of both potential ethical conflict and opportunities for ethical work culture alignment and improvement. Persons caught between conflicting ethical work cultures for long periods of time experience severe work stress symptoms that inevitably impair optimal quality performance. Proactive management of ethical work culture development indicates human resource respect for people and commitment to building community at work.

Adapted with permission from Joseph A. Petrick and John F. Quinn, Abbreviated Version of the Ethical Work Culture Assessment Instrument (Cincinnati, OH: Organizational Ethics Associates, 1994).