Western Washington University’s Strategic Plan: Organizational Ethics and Intentional Ambiguity
Research Mentor(s)
Antony, Mary Grace
Description
This case study assesses the ethicality of Western Washington University’s 2018-2025 Strategic Plan as well as the ethics of its implementation. Through the theoretical perspectives outlined by Johannesen, Valde, and Whedbee (2008a, 2008b), and Bird (1996), the author employs the ethics of intentional ambiguity and vagueness in written work, and moral deafness, blindness, and silence in response to unethical behavior. Through close reading of the text (Strategic Plan) and its adjacent metatextual data (news articles and emails), the author was able to analyze said data within the scope of the aforementioned theoretical perspectives. Little research has been conducted on the discourse of strategic planning, providing a unique opportunity to the author to discuss potentially corrupt practices within educational policy making. Although the research reasserts previously held beliefs about public policy and strategic planning, it fails to claim any new findings. Rather, this research provides a possible guide to future strategic planning committees at Western Washington University, and at minimum, begs such a committee to further consider its ethical responsibility before creation of such a document.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
15-5-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
15-5-2019 5:00 PM
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
Communication Studies
Genre/Form
student projects, posters
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Strategic planning--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Case studies; Strategic planning--Washington (State)--Bellingham--Moral and ethical aspects
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Western Washington University
Geographic Coverage
Bellingham (Wash.)
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Western Washington University’s Strategic Plan: Organizational Ethics and Intentional Ambiguity
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
This case study assesses the ethicality of Western Washington University’s 2018-2025 Strategic Plan as well as the ethics of its implementation. Through the theoretical perspectives outlined by Johannesen, Valde, and Whedbee (2008a, 2008b), and Bird (1996), the author employs the ethics of intentional ambiguity and vagueness in written work, and moral deafness, blindness, and silence in response to unethical behavior. Through close reading of the text (Strategic Plan) and its adjacent metatextual data (news articles and emails), the author was able to analyze said data within the scope of the aforementioned theoretical perspectives. Little research has been conducted on the discourse of strategic planning, providing a unique opportunity to the author to discuss potentially corrupt practices within educational policy making. Although the research reasserts previously held beliefs about public policy and strategic planning, it fails to claim any new findings. Rather, this research provides a possible guide to future strategic planning committees at Western Washington University, and at minimum, begs such a committee to further consider its ethical responsibility before creation of such a document.