Moral sensitivity practice in academic deanship: does it really matter?

Abstract

The chapter reports on the findings of a grounded theory study on the moral sensitivity practice of Filipino college deans. It centers on the exposition of a conceptual model which expands the construct of moral sensitivity beyond the initial stage of moral problem recognition and depicts three processes of knowing facts, understanding people, and understanding oneself as fundamental processes to moral sensitivity. A set of seven distinct practices were also identified as subcomponents of moral sensitivity. The chapter concludes by highlighting the level of complexity involved in moral problem identification in real-life settings and the consequent need for developing administrators’ moral sensitivity skills through formal courses in ethics as part of school administrator preparation programs.