8.3 ETHICAL ENACTMENT in POLICY DESIGN, CURRICULUM REORGANISATIONS
8.3.4 Ethical Enactment in Human Resource Practices
result, significant research outputs as well as potential users’ receptiveness of research findings emerge (Sterman, 2006).
A new leverage for emergence is non-separation and developmental research. The meta- curriculum, with systems thinking that facilitates the interconnectedness of cognitive, emotional and social learning, can be realized (Gilson, 2012). An example of non-separation and developmental research is using the system dynamics modelling approach, which reveals relational feedback loops in dynamic behaviours and health systems activities, thus strengthening understanding of the interconnectedness of cognitive, emotional and social learning (Van Olmen et al., 2012). For instance, evaluation of public health policies (Atun, 2008) and risk assessment, using a system dynamics approach, to evaluate economics of health interventions, and cost-benefit analyses pertaining to competing technologies and healthcare strategies, is another example of engaging transdisciplinary teams in enacting integral ethical research. Also, by embracing an organisational culture that constantly identifies knowledge gaps in health practice procedures and enables integral ethical research to fill these knowledge gaps, iterative holistic learning, a change in thinking and practice behaviours (Lane, 2013) among transdisciplinary teams, emerge.
unfoldment of interrelationships, in diverse contexts, through dialogue and transdisciplinary practice, resulting in HR practitioner’s conscious shift in paradigm (Küpers, 2007). Another integral
methodology is to engage in complexity theory, which explores the relational nature of interaction and adaptation in complexly interacting systems, and understand how these interactions influence
emergence, innovation, and organisational capability, are enacted (Russ, 2001).
In a study conducted by Russ (2001), their focus on leadership efforts was on behaviours that enabled organisational effectiveness, as opposed to determining or guiding effectiveness. These researchers concluded that using complexity knowledge expands conceptualizations of leadership from
perspectives that are deeply advanced in psychology and social psychology such as human relations models, as well as processes for working in dynamic systems and interconnectivity (Russ, 2001).
In addition, awakened integral leaders are also committed to developing systems thinking among transdisciplinary teams, for instance, between health facility managers, programme managers and HR practitioners, with systems thinking skills to advance organisational and team learning. An integral approach provides opportunities for organisational and team learning to occur through interactions using various sources of knowledge; namely theory, research, monitoring and evaluation, and tacit knowledge (Mandala, 2008). The integral approach also transcends the debilitating dualistic arguments in which either contradictions or reductionism is replaced by co-determined, mutuality, complementarity and integral interconnections (McConnell, 2014).
An integral approach validates the rationale that enables exploration of diverse paradigmatic
orientations, from within transdisciplinary teams and the organisation (Schieffer, 2016). Questioning and constant re-examining fundamental assumptions of different theories and practices empower pragmatic experiential learning, which promotes leaders and teams’ paradigmatic consciousness, thereby deepening an integral understanding of organisational psycho-socio-cultural and structural realities (Hayes, 2015). Even though paradigm consciousness develops (Oosthuizen, 2017), it does not mean that the previous paradigms and theories have been eliminated. By leaders transcending, and including, various theories, methodologies, insights, and integrating different conceptual lenses in describing the complex realities and relationships, deeper consciousness emerges. Wilber’s (2007) integral leadership theory, when applied to developmental leadership, dynamic system complexity and to organisational culture, shows that growth, development, and organisational progress emerge.
Research conducted by Swanson et al. (2010), in collective health system dynamics, has publicized possibilities for transdisciplinary teams in capturing complex, dynamic nature of health challenges.
The results of this study described the effectiveness of the system dynamics modelling approach, especially in planning at micro-level of health services, for example, systemic modelling in hospital
departments like HR practices, planning bed and equipment requirements, appointment scheduling, facility location and relocation. Ethical enactment in HR practices are also enhanced by developing and implementing programmes that engage key stakeholders; for example, the registrars in KZN DOH in equal partnerships, through regular, robust monitoring and systemic relational feedback loops, and transparent use of data.
According to Wilber (2007), integral leaders who co-design the organisational vision, values and HR practices to improve people’s health over time, also enable clarity in roles, relationships, and
programmes; which provide opportunities for transdisciplinary team learning of self-organizing emergent phenomena. Transdisciplinary teams enhance knowledge generation and create ideas from the lens of diverse perceptions and experiences, thereby complementing organisational learning, from systemic emergence, as it occurs (Lazăr, 2015). The organisational structural functional dimensions, and inter-related connections can be pragmatically assessed, as the integral leader’s expansive perspective and ethical compass, contextualizes and facilitates transdisciplinary collective team orientation. Awakened integral leaders relationships which are grounded in trust, authenticity, and genuine caring (Vaughan, 2002), enable transdisciplinary teams to share ideas, and team members are empowered to deconstruct their own uncertain values; they deepen, expand, and modify their
development of common organisational meaning and values aligned with emerging team learning.
This shift in HR practitioner’s lens from a reductionist I, Me approach to an all-inclusive We, Us integral approach, focuses the HR team on specific, and interconnected, organisational processes of intentional, behavioural, cultural and social systemic domains (Midgley et al., 2013).
Awakened integral leaders also reveal extraordinary levels of spiritual intelligence and dynamic thinking; since, according to Kessler (2000) and Moffett (1994); the leader’s souls are harmoniously integrated with their minds. Emmons (2000) referred to spiritual intelligence as intensified
consciousness, while Howard (2009) defined spiritual intelligence as the capacity to intuitively construct meaning, sensing and observing the interconnectedness between experience and individual consciousness. She also described spiritual intelligence as related to beliefs and ethics of individuals as these contribute to organisational health and wellbeing. The emphasis is that spiritual intelligence is not reliant upon structured religious orientation. Another description of spiritual intelligence,
according to Zohar (2005), is that it is an inborn capability, which connects the meaning of individual actions, and intellectual experiences with their values and their meaning and life’s purpose. Spiritual intelligence is also referred to as transcendental awareness, constant integrated awareness and conscious state expansion, which is the ability to recognize interconnected aspects of the individual self, of others, of the physical world and the universal ecosystem (Baba, 2014).
According to the theory of awakened leadership, another characteristic of the awakened integral leader is dynamic thinking. Dynamic thinking is the ability of utilizing feedback systems thinking to perceive complexity involving multiple convoluted interdependencies interacting in our progressively interconnected world (Morecroft, 2015). According to Senge (1990) in The Fifth Discipline, feedback systems thinking is a shift in mindset, giving an understanding of corporate and social context as well as a corrective approach to altering silo mentalities and contracted functional perceptions. Habitually, managers’ thinking style is linear or event-oriented thinking; for example, in organisations, leaders rely on thinking of problem as events to thinking of solutions as fixing. Event-oriented thinking as I discussed in Chapter Four in this study, is prevalent, and leads to swift decisive managerial action;
however, there are limitations to this open-loop thinking, in addition to crisis management approach to interventions. The feedback systems thinking approach which I described in Chapter Five
contributes to silence for circular thought, by viewing context, mental models of co-workers, public opinions and policy or business strategy. The awakened integral leader uses dynamic thinking as leverage for change by involving co-workers in co-designing policies and providing opportunities for shifting their mechanistic thinking styles to feedback systems thinking. The iceberg model I used in Chapter Four of this study refers to events which are visible and invisible mental models inclusive of co-workers’ beliefs and values which the awakened integral leaders is conscious of and requires reflection to be able to apply the dynamic whole systems thinking approach. Wilber’s (2004) Integral Theory offers a unified framework to addressing these dynamic systemic contexts with the use of intentional, behavioural, social and culture quadrants. He also illustrated individual value systems and worldviews as originating from interactions or “Life conditions” as well as “Capacities of the mind”, through his Spiral Dynamics model. How people think, their worldviews, value system,
psychological reality, belief structure, organisational principles, are represented as elements of information in our consciousness which comprise the content of vMemes in this Spiral Dynamics model. vMemes are used to analyse integral systemic dynamics through a colour sequence in Spiral Dynamics. Examples are red denotes characteristics, like being impulsive and self-centred, energetic, powerful, attitudinal survival of the fittest, respectful; egoistical focused on I-the mighty; green signifies postmodern, community, equality, feelings, sensitivity, equitable resources distribution of the ecosphere, consultation and consensus, relativist; we, who are tolerant, and turquoise indicates an all- inclusive, experience wholeness of existence, wholistic, intuitive way of thinking globally; emphasis on We, who are in the making. The awakened integral leader is conscious of these intentional, behavioural social and cultural values as opportunities are facilitated to transform governance, work ethics, and organisational culture and enact HR practices.
Furthermore, awakened integral leaders engage in self-introspection (Vaughan, 2002) and have a reflective understanding of self, which provides an essential filter to enable perceptions from multiple dimensions (Starratt, 2004). This collective empathetic attitude inspires transdisciplinary teams, in
addition to becoming a Source of team energy; as team members appreciate significant meaning of these integral values and understand how by ethical enactment of co-designed goals, fulfilment to their work life is realised.
Likewise alternative shift in transdisciplinary team consciousness, is the ethical enactment in HR practices, as the recognition and celebration of team accomplishments, which are systemically interconnected to shared goals promotes self-actualization of individual team members, within the organisation, though advancing essential transformation and organisational growth (Posner, 2012).
The judicious use of power by awakened integral leaders; enables the redistribution and relinquishing administrative power (WHO, 2015); so that transdisciplinary teams could expand their experiences, pursue deeper meaning and purpose on behalf of the whole organisational benefit.
Similarly, integrating the concept of spiritual intelligence into organisational programmes is
challenging in instance of HR officials, who are required through bureaucratic institutional directives to focus on objective content-based policies, and conventional organisational and developmental processes (Gilson, 2012). Ethical enactment of HR practices within an ontological context of spirituality is noticeable among awakened integral leaders who engage in transforming their
consciousness. According to Fry et al. (2011), spirituality is interconnected with the human spirit and values, and they make the distinction that religion is characterized by a set of beliefs, prayers,
customs, rituals and devotional practice. Spirituality is a subjective experience, felt and understood as the presence of the spiritual self, thus making it difficult to define and quantify. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba (2014, p.28) explained that spirituality is “transcending religion to encompass innate universal human values of truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence”. In this study, I perceived that as leaders enact these human values and seek to transform themselves and others to deepen their consciousness and dynamic thinking; they inspire change rather than dictate it. O’Brien’s (2014) study in business ethics and leadership observed that effective leadership is grounded in spirituality and the three elements of fairness, caring, and equity directed their leadership practice.
The FG in my study observed that some HR practitioners are willing to enact their innate values of equity and fairness in practice, but the leadership paradigm in the work environment dictates a culture of compliance rather than commitment. Emmons (2000) described individual spirituality as enabling leader’s self-awareness and personal meaning, thereby developing their decision-making skill, goal attaining capacities, and inspiring employee performance and production. According to Maslow (1999, p. 137), accessing self-knowledge is confounded by our defence mechanisms which we use to
“avoid becoming conscious of unpleasantness or dangerous truths”. Despite the fact that health care leaders with positivistic and pragmatic characteristic determination realise it demanding to
comprehend the significance of applying spiritual intelligence intended to achieving prescribed health objectives (de Savigny, 2009), these defense mechanisms elude them practising their spirituality or
perservering transforming consciousness. Stephen Covey, self-help author, discerns that our spiritual intelligence is our fundamental, central, and our commitment to our value system, the Source that awakens, inspires, uplifts and connects us to deeper consciousness, while humanistic psychologist Maslow in his framework on hierarchy of needs shows that spiritual needs are interconnected systemically to entirely the physical, social, and intellectual needs (Andersen et al., 2007). He also focused on spiritual needs that which motivate a person to act with dedication, self-sacrifice and service.
“Science and spirituality are becoming co-terminus” (Baba, 2014, p. 123) and is characterised by selflessness in action which reflects an awakened consciousness. Also, neurological studies (Singer, 1995) showed that artificial stimulation on the temporal lobe brain activities is associated with spiritual experiences and reflects that spirituality is effective. Corresponding to this ontological context of spirituality, Wilber (2004) understood that spirituality and intuition are fundamental to the well-being of human society and stability of our organisations. He developed his Integral Theory and Spiral Dynamics to confront these systemic behavioural dynamics in a wholistic approach as well as a focused expansion on consecutive worldviews. The wholistic approach to systems thinking (Senge, 2014) and emotional intelligence (Goldman, 2014) also contributes to developing all domains of our being cognitive, affective and ontological spiritual consciousness. Pillay (2016) described
connectedness of nondual perspective of transforming awareness and consciousness. These ontological theoretical frameworks offer opportunities in deconstructing our present narrative to creating awakened integral leadership through individual inner engagement.
Another health organisational challenge is the systemic inherent tension between the medical model and theoretical orientations toward health science, as knowledge product endeavour as opposed to learning as an intellectual holistic growth process (Gilson, 2012). The focus on spiritual intelligence can potentially create further anxiety for leaders who are already under the burden of demonstrating effective organisational performance. Equally significant challenges are cultural, ethnic, and socio- economic issues increasingly afflicting multicultural and socially stratified organisations (O’Brien, 2014).
Although spirituality is perceived as a subjective notion, in context of organisational diversity regarding officials’ racial, ethnic, gender and cultural understandings of spirituality, ethical
considerations are significant, regarding increasing bias in terms of HR practices, selection criteria, supervision or initiating an integral approach in transdisciplinary teams (Zohar, 2004). For instance, diverse understanding of spirituality and bias is that, compassion is hardly ever a requirement as selection criterion for medical training and health professionals’ bedside manner is not included in the core curriculum of most academic health care programs (Doherty, 2011). Doctors get repeatedly
trained to avoid or suppress their emotions, in relation towards patient’s circumstances, or their disease progression and healing processes. As a result, this conservative biomedical model often fails to offer a health system that embraces immense potentials for integral communication, wholistic healing and the opportunity for wholistic human growth and development (Schlitz, 2005).
Consequently, ethical enactment by health officials and HR practitioners requires expansion of their knowledge base and experiential learning, regarding the interconnections and integral relationships between spirituality, awakened integral leadership, and organisational development. According to Morecroft (2015), the psychosocial and spiritual organisational environment are the intangible traits that influence individuals to take decisions and act. These traits define organisational beliefs and attitudes which consequently form the prerequisites to their ethical enactment and responsiveness. An example of inspiring psychosocial and spiritual organisational beliefs and attitudes is the culture of technological excellence at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that permeates all sections comprising the humanities and management, who determine collective decisions on faculty recruitment, the curriculum and choice of students (Morecroft, 2015).