Ethics of Collaboration – An essay in development
Beyond specific “how-to” guidance on collaboration, I have found challenges arise in the ethics of how people and groups collaborate on community and public policy issues. I distinguish between three general approaches:
- Voluntarism – first and foremost, individuals are independent, moral agents with the freedom to choose to collaborate. This approach emphasizes the idea of contracts: we freely enter into an exchange of promises which in turn is binding and enforceable. Nonetheless, nothing is binding until that choice is made. The implications for ethics in collaboration is that no “ethics” exist until specific standards of conduct, or general principles of behavior, are made explicit and are chosen by the group.
- Values intrinsic to Collaboration – this approach claims norms are built into what we mean by collaboration that help define ethics. Examples include joint (possibly including “consensus”) decision-making, open communication, respect among group members, etc. Unlike the Voluntarism framework which implies a blank slate prior to a contract to collaborate, this approach to ethics in collaboration begins with those intrinsic values and principles and argues for a deductive approach to a system of ethics within collaboration.
- Developmental – a third approach focuses on interdependence as a starting point and an organic, or experimental, vision for relationships in a collaborative group. Some philosophers promote an “ethic of care” (drawing from Carol Gilligan and others) which aligns with the values of collaboration. This third approach means that ethics builds out of interdependence, is not strictly rational/voluntary, and needs to account for changing responsibilities rather than fixed roles.
I have a preliminary paper I can share for discussion with interested people. Please contact me: stephens@sog.unc.edu or (919) 962-5190
|
