Tribal Leaders with Character: Web-based training

Tribal Leaders with Character is a web-based course designed to address the problem of the hundreds of millions of dollars lost through ethical violations in tribal organizations. The technical question is whether a web-based course can cause an increase in ethical behavior of participants limited in computer proficiency and education. The goal is to develop a community of tribal leaders with a core of Native American values of generosity, courage, honesty and perserverance. This will be accomplished through the following objectives creation of a website infused with Native American content and focused on traditional and contemporary ethical issues, a highly interactive format that requires input from participants to progress through the website, a community forum with guaranteed anonymity for discussion of ethical issues. In Phase I, web pages, community forum and supplementary materials will be created based on empirical research on effective means of increasing ethical actions. Impact on moral reasoning and ethical actions planned will be assessed via pre- and post-test. Anticipated results are an increase in moral reasoning level and in concrete actions identified for correction of ethical issues. It is predicted that improvements in the trained group will be significantly greater than in a non-trained comparison sample. Phase I is a basis for Phase II assessment of relative efficacy of web-based versus computerintegrated (web-based plus on-site) training. Commercial applications include purchases for tribal council, board member and employee orientation and as an educational intervention mandated for board members or employees for minor ethical infractions.