Ethics In The Work Place
Are They On Their Way Back
BUSINESS 1040-004
May 1, 2014
Authored by: Daniel Cameron
Knowing what is and what is not appropriate in the workplace is more and more difficult, as the line
separating the two becomes more and more blurred. Ethical behavior at one time was an unspoken
reality there was no set code of ethical behavior; ingrained a solidly part of every decision Business has
moved into the gray area, with everyone following their own interpretation of what is 'right' and
'wrong'.
Ethics are defined as principles which outline moral values and rules. Living a personal code of ethics
brings accountability and responsibility towards; it provides a purpose and direction, bringing out a
meaning to professional and personal pursuits. What happens when we have a skewered view of what’s
right and what’s wrong? Morality has become an option, they choose the side they will be on as they
deem appropriate. The success is what matters in today’s world; even if it is gained by the stepping on
the backs of others. Employers and employees alike feel free to follow their own lead, whichever way it
may takes them.
Ethical behavior forms the basis of human life. Ethics are a core value of our society; they greatly
influence the outcome of our every action, whether in our private life or our professional life.
While the modern companies focus on profit-making, there is a trend of bringing ethics back into the
workplace. Companies both large and small are starting to incorporate ethics training for their
employees, at all levels those starting at the bottom to the CEO of the company. They do this so that
they can understand what ethics are and how they benefit the company now and in the long term.
Many think of ethics as something that is part of their private life and not of their business life. Many
business people see ethics as a negative subject. Business is usually about doing what ts best for number
one, not what is the right thing to do.
Ethics are making a comeback! More and more businesspeople are seeing that when at work ethics are
not checked at the door, and ethics have as much of a place in public as in private. They are seeing
there should not be a separate set of ethics for personal and work lives. Encouraging ethical behavior in
the workplace can resulted in greater productivity. When the employees and CEO's understand what
ethics is, a business can improve.
Many companies have designed their own ethics training offering practical solutions to ethical
dilemmas. These programs help employees to realize there is nothing wrong if they find themselves in
ethical dilemmas. Many companies have written resources to help work through ethical dilemmas.
These resources give a framework for employees to make ethical decisions. Rewarding ethical behavior
along with performance, is another way to promotion ethics behavior, being used by many
organizations.
Workplace Ethics
What are they? How do they affect our work? Or do they?
Commitment Towards Work
This is the most important workplace ethics. Since, you have been hired to work; you should keep your
side of the bargain. When you Dillydallying your way through your work it only makes you look lazy and
unproductive and un professional. Such behavior rarely goes unnoticed by the management and sooner
or later you will have to deal with the consequences of the lack of commitment towards work.
Loyalty Towards Organization
While you are on the payroll you should give your loyalties to the company. A loyal employee dose not
need a reminded of their duties and responsibilities. Behaviors, that tarnish the image of the company
or is unprofitable for the organization is unethical and unprofessional.
Compassion Towards Coworkers
Do not let your personal ambitions rise above the interest of the organization. You can never truly be
successful if you steal the credit from others and use unethical practices to accomplish your goals. If you
have compassion for your coworkers and respect them and their work, and you are genuine, and
respect them, it will be reflected in your work and will motivate them to perform better.
It is understandable to compare your success and failure with colleagues. A little competitiveness
amongst employees is acceptable.
Employees are not the only ones that should be ethical, if an organization and its managers are ethical it
makes it easier for the individuals that are employed by the company to act in a more ethical way. How
do companies act ethically?
Transparency While Hiring
Sometimes management hires unproductive and incompetent people due to personal interest. A worthy
potential employee may be over looked due to such hiring policy. Since, employees are an asset for an
organization, unfair hiring practices inflict lasting damage on the organization.
Equality Towards All Employees
The organization should not discriminate against employees based on their age, gender, religion, color,
nationality, etc. An employee's performance and productivity should be the only consideration in
appraisal or promotion decisions. All employees should be treated as equals.. Management should not
have its 'handpicked' favorite employees. They should also not hold grudges against employees because
of personal conflict with the employee.
Humane Behavior Towards Employees
Some top executives adopt inhuman practices to promote productivity or to multiply the profits of the
company. Unreasonably long working hours, unrealistic workload, etc. all adversely affects the morale
of employees. While this may result in a short term profit in the long run it will hurt the growth of the
company. The loss of some valuable employees because of these practices may occur. Organization
should promote good workplace ethics Good ethics in the work place usually result in not only
betterment of the employees but also the company. Employers should set an example of ethical
behavior for the employees to follow.
The Ethics Resource Center (www.ethics.org), a nonprofit organization, assists leaders to impact their
organizations by identifying ethical risks and establishing systems to emphasize higher standards for
business conduct.
The Ethics Resource Center annually conducts a National Business Ethics Survey (NBES) – a rigorous
telephone survey of 1,500 U.S. employees. The NBES findings are encouraging for organizations that
have an emphasis on positive workplace ethics. For example, employees have high expectations for
ethics within their organizations. Nine in ten respondents say that they “expect their organizations to do
what is right, not just what is profitable.”
Employees who work in companies with active ethics programs who observe leaders modeling ethical
behavior, and also observe the application of values such as honesty, respect and trust applied
frequently at work, report more positive experiences that include :
• Less pressure on employees to compromise ethics standards
• Less observed misconduct at work
• Greater willingness to report misconduct
• Greater satisfaction with their organization’s response to misconduct they report
• Greater overall satisfaction with their organizations
• Greater likelihood of “feeling valued” by their organizations
The NBES uncovered a substantial gap between senior and middle managers and lower-level employees.
Management has a perception that their organizations have a positive ethical environment. This
conflicts with the perception of lower-level employees. This suggests that executives may underestimate
the importance of specific ethics issues and concerns employees have.
This disconnect may also position executives to fail to address these issues adequately within their
organizations. It is important that executives look for input from employees at lower levels to include in
the development of ethics programs and to seek out their input and feedback on a regular basis.
In addition to the communications gap between employees and executives, one in three employees fill
that their coworkers will see them as a “snitches” if they report misconduct. This is the same percent of
employees who fill that management will view them as “troublemakers” for reporting ethical concerns.
Training Improves Workplace Ethics
Ethics training helps to protect an organization from unethical behavior, lawsuits, negative publicity,
wasted time, loss of money, and low employee morale by offering your ethics training on a regular basis.
By providing employees with ethics standards, training, and resources to get advice, organizations
create a work environment where
(1) it’s okay for employees to acknowledge that they have an ethical dilemma, and
(2) resources are readily available to working through such dilemmas before making decisions.
Ethics programs are meant to affect how people think about and address ethical issues that arise on the
job. One of the most important factors for an effective workplace training program is having the
support of management.
A successful training program is always a work in progress, and the training cycle isn’t complete without
an evaluation of training’s effectiveness, which leads to decision-making and planning for future
training.
Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or seem like they benefit you but are the
right choices to make. Ethics are making a comeback. Periodic re-evaluations of ethics is suggested,
since times change and many things that some would never consider or think about being ethical or
non-ethical Change and we have to start thin king about it. Above all, a high level of ethics in your
business should be in place at least for the customers. If anything, it is the customer that should be
considered the most when it comes to ethical business practices. In the long run, a company will reap
great profits from a customer base that feels it is being treated fairly and truthfully.
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