When managing ethics in an organization one dilemma that may arise is the issue of
diversity and how a company chooses to deal with it. When managing a business it is very
important to be aware of controversial issues such as diversity and implement strong ethical
practices in order to obtain a positive reputation from the public. After my time in Managing
Ethics in Organizations I would be able to t tell a manager of a company some of the most
important parts for leading an ethical business organization. In my opinion the top four most
important things for a manager to use when running an ethical organization would be guiding
principles, transparency, a code of conduct, and sentencing guidelines. By implementing these
ethical tools a manager will be able to earn an admirable reputation when dealing with
diversity.
The first and most important tool to run an ethical organization would be to have
guiding principles for how the organization is to be run. For an example of implementing
guiding principles when facing diversity, you could use one of Hosmer’s ten ethical principles
such as his principle of contributing liberty. According to Hosmer this principle states to “Never
take any action that will interfere with the rights of others for self-development and selffulfillment.” Principles like this can be used to gain a positive image of diversity in the work
place because you will be treating others with integrity and respect so that they are given the
equal opportunities in the work place. By treating every person in a manner that best enhances
their self-fulfillment by treating all employees with the same amount of respect no matter
where they are from. Guiding principles are important in business because they tell how you
are going to run your company. Having guiding principles is essential in order to lead all
managers and employees in their ethical actions such as treating people with equality and with
respect in the face of diversity so that they can improve their self-development.
The next thing I would advise a manager to be aware of when running an ethical
business would be operating their business with transparency. According to ISO26000
transparency is “Openness about decisions and activities that affect society, the economy and
the environment and the willingness to communicate these in a clear, accurate, timely, honest
and complete manner.” An example of transparency when it comes to diversity would be
disclosing the information that you are willing to employ different types of people and you will
not discriminate against anyone for being different. Transparency is important so that the
public is able to know that all employees are treated the same. If some issue were to arise
where someone is treated in a discriminatory manner, a company would make this information
known by using transparency. This would allow people to know how the company worked with
diverse people and if there was any controversy when dealing with diversity.
Another ethical tool that I would advise a manager to be aware of is the company’s code
of conduct. The code of conduct for the company give instructions of how all employees and
managers should act in any situation and how the company will conduct themselves in an
ethical manner. It will also allow all stakeholders to see all the rules that must be abided by in
all aspects of the business. For example when dealing with diversity a code of conduct might
have guidelines on how no one associated with the business will discriminate against any
person based on gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc. This will insure that no person will
be treated as a lesser individual based on being different from the other people that they work
with. A code of conduct is important when dealing with diversity in the work place because it
becomes more of a law for how all associates should act. When the code of conduct is
monitored and enforced correctly all employees must abide but the rules conveyed in the code
of conduct or they will have to face consequences such as being fired, sued, or fined. Also by
having the code of conduct open to the public the company can receive a positive reputation
for implementing rules of equality in the work place.
Finally I would tell a manager in order to have a company operate ethically they must
use sentencing guidelines such as the U.S. sentencing guidelines from the U.S. sentencing
committee. An example of how sentencing guidelines can be used to conduct an ethical
business when dealing with diversity is by having an internal reporting and monitoring system.
This means that if there were to be some sort of controversy because of diversity in the office,
such as discrimination against a coworker because of their race, it would be reported in a way
that made people feel to report these wrong doings. Along with the internal monitoring and
reporting there would be ways in which employees would be penalized for not abiding by the
previous guidelines outlined in the guiding principles and code of conduct. Sentencing
guidelines are important because they ensure that ethical standards enforced rather than just
there to deceive the public and make a fake reputation for having ethical practices in the
business. Sentencing guidelines will keep employees from violation ethical standards and helps
prevent any further actions that would be shameful or frowned upon when dealing with
diversity.
So if I was to meet a manager that was faced with the issue of running an ethical
business that needed to secure an admirable reputation for handling diversity positively I would
give the following advice: Managing a business ethically can be done in many different ways but
when dealing with diversity making your business aware of guiding principles, transparency, the
code of conduct, and sentencing guideline are strong resources that can be used to keep all
employees free from discrimination. Therefore if the manager enforces these resources the
business can obtain a commendable ethical reputation.