Method of Data Collection

Volume 39 ofAdvances in Librarianship illuminates hot issues in the broad field of information. Ethics, education, and leadership are among those

CURRENT ISSUES IN LIBRARIES, INFORMATION SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS ADVANCES IN LIBRARIANSHIP, VOL. 39

r2015 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited ISSN: 0065-2830

DOI:10.1108/S0065-283020150000039010 47

issues. The American Library Association (ALA), within its code of ethics, addresses the “importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trus-tees and library staffs” (1996 2014). ALA’s code of ethics speaks directly to ethical decision making and its back story reflects the shift in a librarian’s expected behavior from “should” to “must” (Sturgeon, 2007, p. 56). Its lan-guage reflects a fabric of ethical thinking that defines ALA and its members.

Though the code has been revised over time, it has been suggested that its foundation and fabric is solid (Buschman, 2006). It is understood that ethical behavior and ethical decision making is present at all times.

Many professions have enforceable codes of ethics, such as doctors and lawyers. In these fields, individuals who violate their codes of ethics can lose their license to practice. It is generally acknowledged that a profession is partially defined by its ability to self-govern. An ethics code makes known a profession’s stance and commitment to society. The ethics code can “include a means by which the members of the profession ensure compliance with the responsibilities they profess.” According to Stichler (1992), “… if occupational groups lack effective means of self-governance, they are not qualified to call themselves professions” (pp. 41 42).

Sturgeon (2007) pointed out that the ALA lacks any such mechanism to enforce its code of ethics. He cited a survey of Illinois public library directors and found that only little more than half of the respondents (56%) even knew that the code of ethics existed. A related debate is the effective-ness of a code in influencing behavior. Some feel that codifying ethics helps to raise awareness and reduces opportunities for individuals to claim that they didn’t know of a code’s existence. Others think that codes make little or no difference (Brinkmann & Peattie, 2005). Lere and Gaumnitz’s study (2003) found that the presence of a code is more influential on behavior when there is an enforcement provision.

A. The Information Field

Disciplines such as knowledge management, information policy, informa-tion storage and retrieval, knowledge archiving, searching and indexing, and web development, all live within the purview of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. The ALA accreditation standards defines the phrase “library and information studies” so that it is clearly

understood to be concerned with recordable information and knowledge and the services and technologies to facilitate their management and use. Library and information studies

48 Maureen L. Mackenzie

encompasses information and knowledge creation, communication, identification, selec-tion, acquisiselec-tion, organization and descripselec-tion, storage and retrieval, preservaselec-tion, analy-sis, interpretation, evaluation, syntheanaly-sis, dissemination, and management. (ALA, 2008.

Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies, p. 3)

In reflecting on this definition, we know that many industries emerge from, or heavily rely upon, the information professions. Therefore its integ-rity must be solid. Information is pervasive and the processes that exist in this country connect us all and that the boundaries between the for-profit sector and the information professions are blurring.

So, how do we ensure that future leaders are able to face the ethical dilemmas that they will face as they move forward to build and support information organizations of the future? This is especially true when the lea-dership of our information infrastructure is not emerging solely from ALA accredited institutions nor is it within traditional library environments. It is difficult to argue that the world of business and the world of information are separable. Future information leaders will emerge in increasing numbers from graduate and undergraduate business schools rather than traditional, library and information science programs, or even from I-schools. It is from the viewpoint that business management schools will have a growing influence over the information professions, that the overall purpose of this study emerged. Another premise is that organizational cultures are pervasive and are influential in shaping employees’ behaviors and can empower employees to make reasoned and ethical decisions that benefit stakeholders. Yet, it is also understood that an ethical culture emanates from its leaders. It starts at the top; or does it? Or does it start in the home or during the formative years of professional development. Or does it start while the leader is still a student—at college?

This chapter offers readers a glimpse into the minds of those who are already embedded in senior leadership levels at a range of organizations.

The glimpse speaks to how they perceive the development of ethical decision making within organizations and their views of factors influencing those cultures. The outcome is knowledge about how future leaders can be best, or better, prepared to face the dilemmas that organizational life present. Prior to seeking the empirical data, knowledge of the major concepts surrounding this topic must be considered. Therefore, this chapter describes both published views and research results relating to the five following areas:

1. The influence of workplace ethics and business practices;

2. Ethical information culture;

3. How students learn ethics;

4. What employers expect from graduates; and

5. What business management programs seek to teach and to achieve.

49 Educating Ethical Leaders

These knowledge areas provide the context for the empirical study reported in this chapter. In short this chapter explores the question of how colleges and universities can prepare future leaders to face ethical dilemmas effec-tively. The knowledge and experiences captured from experienced leaders and corporate designers of ethics’ programs, offers direction to everyone responsible for the development of coursework within the management and leadership curriculum.