Social Work Ethics Case Study

791 Words4 Pages

When asked about values and ethics of the organization, Gindele mentioned integrity and transparency, as well as a commitment to the growing community around the organization (personal communication, April 9, 2018). For Gindele, integrity means acting on one’s words, and he defined transparency as being open and honest, and implementing good communication skills across the agency (personal communication, April 9, 2018). Korpela mentioned integrity as well, but she differed from Gindele in that she expressed respect and connectivity as important organizational values (personal communication, April 9, 2018). For Korpela, respecting and addressing differences among staff, students, and families of all races, genders, cultures, and socioeconomic …show more content…

Both Gindele and Korpela mentioned integrity as an organizational value, and integrity is also a social work value that calls social workers to “behave in a trustworthy manner” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2017; personal communication, April 9, 2018). Gindele mentioned transparency as an agency value, and while the NASW Code of Ethics (2017) does not explicitly mention transparency, it does state social worker should act honestly (personal communication, April 9, 2018). As for commitment to the community, the NASW mentions this importance of community through stating the responsibility social workers have to promote the wellbeing of their communities (NASW, 2017). Respect is a value held at Mainspring, as stated by Korpela, and it is a value stated 16 times within the Code of Ethics (NASW, 2017; personal communication, April 9, 2018). Furthermore, the parent handbook’s mention of non-discrimination and confidentiality align with the NASW Code of Ethics (2017). While there are currently no social workers employed at Mainspring, social work values and ethics are displayed within the …show more content…

Gindele stated that as a leader, he focuses on hiring good people, and making sure individuals are a good fit for the job they are in (personal communication, April 9, 2018). Additionally, Gindele stated that he does not micro-manage, and he trusts his staff to perform their jobs at a high standard and with ownership and pride (personal communication, April 9, 2018). This type of leadership style is considered transformational leadership (Denhardt R., Denhardt, J., & Aristigueta 2013). Transformational leaders, like Gindele, “have high expectations for subordinates and encourage them to aspire to high performance” (Denhardt et al., 2013). Korpela stated she is more of a collaborative leader, and she likes to encourage employees by focusing on the team and community aspects of the organization (personal communication, April 9, 2018). Further, Korpela encourages group work and collaboration, and especially when members behave in a mutually respectful way (personal communication, April 9,