Tohu Paetahi TauhokohokoBachelor of Commerce—BCom

Imagine you were a new prime minister or a city councillor, the chief executive of a big firm or running a small pioneering enterprise. What would you do to make a better Aotearoa New Zealand? How would you lead organisations with good ethics for all of us?

Despite our great ethical reputation in the world, New Zealand is not immune to global problems. Join me for this short taster lecture on Ethical Leadership.

My name is Karin Lasthuizen. I’m a professor in management at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

The decisions we make today will have lasting effects on the future. Our economic, social, cultural, and political systems to navigate the complexity we find ourselves in often fail to align with the world around us. They can create incentives and motivations that harm and further degrade the environment and the fabric of our society. But they have become so embedded that we often forget to ask ourselves, is this system the right one? And does it still benefit us in this day and age and for the generations to come?

But ethical leadership is needed more than ever to actually put plans into action. Ethical leadership is about the values, beliefs, and actions of individuals. What kind of ethical leader do you want to be and how can you become one?

When reflecting on your own leadership style in terms of ethics, you might think of it as four puzzle pieces that need to be aligned in order to fit together.

One. The moral person. This is the Who dimension of ethical leadership. Ethical leaders act upon their moral values and principles that are reflected both in their behaviour and in their decision making. And in both ordinary and challenging situations. For example, we all know situations of bullying, whether at school, in sports, on social media, or at work. A saying is treat others how you want to be treated. Would you help someone who’s being bullied? Or stand up against those who bully? And do you apologise when you were in the wrong? We don’t leave or values at the door when we start working in an organisation or when we step into a leadership role. So what are your moral values and how do they come across in what you do?

Two. Purpose to achieve ethical outcomes and serve the common good. This is the 'why' dimension of ethical leadership. Think about your ethical motivations and aspirations to take responsibility for the impact your actions have on other people, communities, and the wider environment. Ethical leaders formulate vision and strategy about how they can translate the Sustainable Development Goals to their organisations. They look for best practices to create safe and ethical workplaces. For example, how to deal with bullying in the workplace. They think about ways of how the organisation can become more ethical and sustainable business, for example through recycling or using cruelty free products, and how they can stop modern slavery in their supply chain in New Zealand and beyond. So what do you want to achieve for the better? And can you translate your intentions into clear, concrete goals that you can put in action from today?

Three. The moral leader. This is the 'how' dimension of ethical leadership. It’s about ethical leadership in the everyday operations of the organisation and how you, as a leader, can motivate others to make ethical decisions and act with integrity. Ethical leaders walk the talk and talk the walk. Important practices are being a role model, communication about ethics, and reinforcement of ethical conduct through discipline and reward. Ethical leadership skills must be learned and practised. Good leaders aren’t born in that way. Think about your heroes and role models who inspire you to follow in their footsteps and why.

Four. The mutual relationship between leaders and those they lead, such as their employees, citizens, or clients. Leadership takes place within relationships and therefore having a genuine and meaningful relation with others built on mutual respect, trust, support, and care. It is the foundation for ethical leadership. Ethical leadership is very much about being human to human. Can you put yourself in the other person’s shoes to understand what drives them to do the right thing, and what it takes for them to put that into action? Ethical leaders lead with humility and understand that there are other ways of seeing the world than their own. They are culturally intelligent and want to make decisions based on consensus, where those who disagree are still willing to accept a decision because they are feeling heard.

There is so much to learn about how you can successfully take ethics into action. Study for a Bachelor of Commerce at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Kia ora! When you begin your undergraduate studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, you'll be working towards a Bachelor's degree.

You can create a programme of study to include subjects that you enjoy. So, how does a degree work?

Throughout your degree you will take courses.

In your first year, you will normally take 100 level courses only. Some degrees have core courses that all students must complete.

Each course is worth 15 or 20 points. To pass a course, you need to complete a number of different assessments throughout the Trimester.

When you pass the course you earn points towards your degree. To complete your degree, you will need to earn 360 points over three years of full-time study.

Degrees in law, engineering and midwifery take four years of full-time study. A major is your main subject.

Each year you will take courses related to your major.

To complete a major, you have to take certain courses at 100, 200 and 300 level. Some degrees allow you to have two majors within one degree.

Doing a double major doesn't add extra time to your degree, it just adds more structure to your programme of study.

A minor is like doing a major, but with fewer courses particularly in your second and third years. Some degrees allow minors!

You can take elective courses if you have space in your degree programme. Elective courses can be from other subject areas you are interested in.

Here at the University, we offer different types of degrees. Some degrees are flexible, such as the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science.

Under a flexible degree, it is possible to do a double major. Some degrees are structured, meaning there are a number of courses you must take.

Under a structured degree, you normally do one major. A conjoint degree is when you do two degrees at the same time.

Some of the courses you complete will count towards both degrees which saves time. Not all degrees can be done conjointly!

If you think you're ready to choose your programme of study, head over to our website and have a look at our undergraduate degrees!