Book: Ethics and Project Management

(CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Ethics plays a critical role in project management, but all too often its importance is overlooked. This benign neglect can result in serious consequences to individuals and organizations, ranging from tarnished reputations to civil and criminal liability. Ethics and Project Management, by Ralph L. Kliem (CRC Press, 2011) demonstrates the importance of making ethics a key consideration in managing projects and describes the impacts that occur when ethical transgressions arise.

Providing the tools necessary for project managers to avoid an ethical lapse that can put themselves and their organization at risk, this book:
• Defines ethics and places it within the project management context
• Discusses the contents of the Project Management Institute’s code of ethics
• Enables project managers to recognize some of the trends that precipitate ethical dilemmas on a project
• Demonstrates how ethical concerns permeate the entire project life cycle
• Provides tips on establishing a governance protocol to ensure ethical compliance
• Explores legal issues that arise from unethical behavior
• Examines how ethical concerns on a project can have global implications, and how to operate in international settings with cultural differences

Each chapter ends with a Getting Started Checklist, facilitating immediate application of the concepts discussed and making it easy for project managers to determine whether they are in compliance with ethical standards. Providing a solid road map for the ethical health of a project, this book is essential reading for all those concerned with avoiding the disastrous consequences of a cavalier approach to ethics.

“In a world where we usually see ethics gone awry, he [Kliem] proves that taking the hard right over the easy wrong still is (and always will be) the best option. Since project management is a global profession, today's project manager is faced with integrating the rules, customs, cultures, and ethical values of different countries into their projects. Using the information in this book will sustain the foundation of ethical behavior and decision-making at all levels of the organization, regardless of project size or location.”
—Gregg D. Richie, managing principal of P8 LLC

Chapter titles 

Ethics and Project Management
Why Ethics Should Matter to Project Managers
Project Management Code of Ethics
The Ethical Trends and Challenges Confronting Project Managers
How Ethics Permeates the Entire Project Life Cycle
Ethics and Project Governance
Ethics and the Law
Ethics, Globalization, and Project Management
Making Ethics a Reality

Author information

Ralph L. Kliem has more than 25 years of experience in project and program management, including managing compliance and information technology projects and programs. He is the author of more than 15 books that have been translated in several languages. He has also published more than 200 articles in leading business and information systems publications. He also teaches Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and other project management seminars and workshops in the United States and Canada.

About The Author