Ethics and Communications in Organizations - Essay Example

Ethics and Communications in Organizations Introduction: It is a reality beyond suspicion that moral values and ethical conducts maintain significant place in the personal, domestic, social and professional life of the individuals. Ethical codes generally refer to basic philosophical notions and professional norms about the morality of human conduct.” (Weithorn & McCabe, 1987) Although social norms, values, mores, traditions and ethics are not enforced and imposed in the same manner as the statutes of prevailing law are implemented and regulated, yet the displeasure and discontentment expressed by the people regarding the performing of or abstinence from a specific norm as well as ethical value in behavior compel the individuals for adopting and observing the patterns of behavior, which are in vogue within their social establishment. Thus, ethics maintain great significance in everyday human life, where their importance multiplies within the organizational behavior during the course of offering one’s services in one way or the other. Professional ethics also suggest the personnel in respect of developing pleasant and amicable relationships with the management, colleagues, sub-ordinates, clients and general public at large, through adequate communication system, which are vehemently important for climbing the ladder of success and growth in one’s career for the future years to come. The contemporary era has made imperative alterations in all fields of human life. The world’s turning into a global village has established such type of business environment, where the individuals belonging to divergent ethnic, racial, regional, religious and family backgrounds as well as obtaining variant educational qualifications, occupational skills, different socioeconomic positions and divergent sexual orientations work under one roof and under the command of one single administration, during which they have to come across several awkward and unpleasant incidents because of the behaviors of others. Somehow, commitment to one’s cause and dedication to one’s responsibilities serve as the core concepts of climbing the ladder of professional growth and financial stability. It is not specific to one occupation only; rather, the same is applied to all the existing professions of contemporary times at large. “Values and ethics are central to any organization; those operating in the national security arena are no exception. Both are extremely broad terms, and we need to focus in on the aspects most relevant for strategic leaders and decision makers.” (National Defense University) Ethics in Organizations: One of the most formidable ethics the professionals must apply is their sense of responsibilities towards the work place. A professional is the representative of his organization, which offers him job opportunity, respectable place and financial compensation, along with protecting him from becoming the prey to unemployment, idleness and mental disturbance created because of joblessness. It is therefore the professional must render his services to the organization diligently and actively without displaying any reluctance and non-compliance to the duties and obligations he has been hired to accomplish. Additionally, it is also the ethical responsibility of the professional not to let the name, fame and reputation of his organization go to the dashes, because of his misbehave or negligence towards the customers and clients. Moreover, the professional must check the working of his colleagues, co-workers and sub-ordinates in order to assure their performance for the best interest of the organization. The professional must also interact with the superiors time and again, and if they are in need of his support at any matter, he must accomplish the same within appropriate time and without any deliberate delays. Another important issue in the ethical code of conduct is this that the professional should not let the personal grudges, grievances and disliking overcoming his occupational activities. For instance, resentment with a co-worker should not forbid a professional to block the flow of official correspondence and any other activity related to the company business; nor should a professional apply personal hatred and prejudice while recruiting, training, promoting and supporting the personnel provided he is eligible or capable of the same favor. Hence, collective interest ought to be a priority over personal liking and prejudice while rendering the services for the work place. Being the insurance personnel, a professional must display integrity, honesty and steadfastness while dealing with the clients. He should not stick to introducing one single insurance policy, because it offers him personal benefits and better percentage in profit; on the contrary, he must present convey all the schemes articulated by the organization for the maximum advantage of the customers and clients. It is the ethical responsibility of the insurance personnel to inform the client regarding the beneficiaries of the policy. For instance, if a client purchases life insurance policy, he can nominate anyone as the beneficiary of the same after his death. Similarly, percentage of compensation on an accident, including an edifice’s catching fire, accidental death, damage or a vehicle, injury while working at a machine or other device etc, must be elaborated in precise but explicit and comprehensive manner, so that the people can earn maximum gains out of the investments they are going to make with an insurance company. A committed insurance sales person is ethically bound to disclose the hidden and secret deductions in the monthly, annual or other premium the clients are fascinated to purchase. He must describe in details the pros and cons behind taking one policy and the other. In other words, he should offer the policy that is in the best interest of the clients. Somehow, it does not mean that the professional should reveal each and everything that may put the reputation of his organization in jeopardy. On the other hand, he must remain loyal to his organization, and must strive to provide the maximum profit to the client without making any compromise with harming the interests of the organization. A professional is under obligation to apply his best skills and techniques while performing his everyday work at office; he is not expected to conceal anything or part of any information that has brought to his knowledge through any source, which is directly or indirectly is related to his organization, and unveiling of which is necessary for the corporate activities of the work place. Further, the professional should not indulge into a conspiracy against the administration or colleague, which can jeopardize the culture and environment of the organization. He should also keep the record of the company safe and well-protected, so that the secrets of the firm could not be revealed to the outsiders. Additionally, the personnel is bound to keep the company’s business strategies confidential, so that the same could be implemented and observed for the progress and growth of the organization. “The first tenet of the triad is honesty. Without honesty, there is no chance of a successful business relationship. While dishonesty is destructive in one’s personal life, it usually is fatal in business.” (Corbin, 2006) Dishonesty and corruption not only puts the reputation of the professional at grave stake, but also eclipse his career prospects for the future years to come. The same is applied to insurance personnel, where he is custodian of the investment made by the clients and the premium policies they have taken from the company on his behalf. An employee, working at an insurance company, is bound to keep the files and data of his clients as confidential and beyond the access of irrelevant persons. Like medical counselor, legal advisor and other professionals, he is also liable for providing the most superior pieces of advice to the client, and must be supportive in guiding them regarding the premiums and their duration as well. They should also be guided regarding the time period of the maturity of a policy, and the benefits for continuing one particular scheme or the other. The insurance personnel should motivate the people in his acquaintance to hire the services of his company, and thus buy the premium policy from them. He should have command over explaining the advantages of the insurance policies, which could be elaborated before the clients while entering into interaction with them. Unlike the small level of business or trade, an insurance entrepreneurship does not mere focuses on the volume of its production or the amount of its profit; rather, it is always interested in creativity and inventiveness in order to present its product in an extremely exquisite and discriminating way. It maintains broader vision of changing market scenario and always keeps an analytical judgment at the contemporary political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental situation so that it could produce and present consumers’ items in a dazzling and superb manner that may determine distinctive dimensions regarding the variety of their choice and the diversity of their selection. By doing this, the insurance entrepreneur opens the new horizons of thought and selection for the customers and consumers. Insurance personnel are eager to make changes in the consumer products to present them in a unique and an improved way. They are curios to develop intimate relationships with the people belonging to various fields and occupations prevailing in the society, so that their interest could be developed in insurance policies by offering them multiple advantages the insurance companies offer to society. Strong inter-personal relationship is dependent of proficiency, skill, innate talent, ascribed experiences and in-depth knowledge of one’s area of interest, so that one’s argument could be emphasized in a forceful and sonorous manner for capturing the attention of the spectators, listeners and attendants at large. Communications in Organizations: It is a fact beyond suspicion that the contemporary era is the era of fast communication, which has been accelerated to a great extent because of the technological revolution and invention of latest equipments, devices and techniques including the internet, telephones, mobile phones and navigation devices; hence, people remain connected with one another through these equipments, and are able to send messages to one another within a jiffy. The technological advancements have certainly left indelible impacts upon the social, political, educational, sports, fine arts and other sectors; business environment and corporate sectors are the most imperative ones in this regards. Now the companies enter into communications with other corporate firms, organizations and business and HR personnel as well, and hire their services for the mutual benefit and interest at large. Renowned entrepreneur of contemporary times i.e. bill Gates submits to state that it is the method and quickness of gathering, managing and applying the flow of information that determines whether one will win or lose. (1999:1). The companies now regulate their corporate affairs through monitoring the activities of the employees and working staff through electronic cameras and eye-spy hidden devices. Somehow, it is not the management, which should remain engaged in monitoring the activities of the employees; rather, they also have other important tasks and assignments to increase the sales volume, profit margin and popularity of their organizations by improving the quality of their products or services or both by allocating appropriate resources, energies and time, as well as hiring the competent personnel for the successful launching of their corporate strategies and business plans. Consequently, the burden moves to the shoulders of the professionals, which have to make communications with the superiors, co-workers, customers, governmental agencies, rival companies and the masses as well in order to build and enhance the trust of others on the professionals and their organizations. A responsible professional regularly communicates with the customers and clients, and keeps them updated regarding the latest policies introduced by his company. He also tries to motivate the clients in an innovative manner, so that his organization could obtain the status of a distinguished company that is serving the clients in a unique and distinguished manner. He also keeps a close check on the maturity of the scheme, in order to forward the same to the relevant person, and thus earns respect and admiration in the eyes of administration, colleagues and customers alike. Responsible insurance personnel pay extra hours to their professional activities, without having any greed for the additional benefits. On the other hand, they just look for the individual and collective growth of the company and co-workers, which is though not their professional duty, yet morally they are bound to do the same. The competent personnel maintain regular interaction with the senior and junior staff members, which is highly supportive for the individuals in respect of sharing and exchanging the ideas that come into their minds during the process of thinking, brooding and contemplating in aloofness even. With such understanding the individual could then engage in the public issues of the society, rather than living an isolated life. Further, communication can also be productive in the devising of novel ideas and vivid imagination, on the concrete foundations of which the organizations establish their goals and targets. It is the same flow of communication, which is helpful in introducing new logos, designs and advertising schemes to the world. By such engagement he could then address the troubles of his life, which are caused by the society. A noble professional keeps the co-workers with the latest developments being made within the organization. It is particularly applied to the insurance company, where targets are assigned to everyone on monthly and quarterly basis, and help them in achievement of their targets. Hence, it is their ethical responsibility that instead of interrupting their activities, creating the obstacles and impediments on their way and discouraging them from accomplishing their tasks, they must provide unconditional assistance to the colleagues and co-workers, so that the pleasant and peaceful environment could be maintained at the work place. Moreover, the professionals can develop amicable and friendly relationships with other workers by sharing their problems and striving to solve them on urgent basis. The co-workers can also complete the unfinished tasks and goals of the ill and injured colleagues, so that the administration could not undergo financial losses because of the absence of the work force. For instance, some female workers have to go on maternity leave for six to eight weeks; it is the moral obligation of the co-workers to step into her shoes in her absence for protecting the organization from facing problems and disappointment on not being able to complete the orders taken from the customers. The management also has some ethical obligations towards the employees. The managers are ethically bound to take care of the needs and requirements of their workers. They should make selection and recruitment process of the workers without any racial or religious prejudice; they should also remain fair towards the female workers, and should not terminate them provided they are pregnant or undergoing some physical illness. The management is also bound to provide complete compensation to the worker, who has become ill, wounded or disabled while offering his services to the organization. The company should provide shelter to the female staff, where no male worker could harass or attack the female staff members at any cost or in any way. Moreover, the workers should be granted the freedom of giving vent to their ideas without any fear of action from the management. To conclude, it becomes crystal clear that developing of personal relationships with the management, colleagues, clients and the general public is an essential element in order to obtain success and earn popularity in personal and professional life. Developing of relationship certainly relies upon proper, adequate and superior mode of communication with the people in man’s social and economic environment, which is highly supportive in respect of creating the level of trust, friendship and care among the people, who appear to be ready to stand by the professionals at the need of hour. Mutual efforts for solving the problems and hard efforts to achieve targets pave the way towards progress, prosperity and financial accomplishments. Though almost all professions look for developing of strong relationships in public sector, yet its significance multiplies to great extent in the profession of insurance. It is due to the very fact that in insurance business, money is directly involved, and might be at stake because of the frauds, embezzlements and other white collar crimes being committed in every society. An honest, dedicated and committed insurance professional can bring huge investment from the public to his company by developing strong relations with them through remaining in contact with them, and informing them all the developments being made in the corporate sector. An honest person is actually the asset of society and organization, who is respected and revered by the people and public feels pride of having association with him. All these professional accomplishments demand hard and unabated efforts, loyalty, commitment, dedication and command over one’s work, so that people could rely upon him and his organization for making huge investments and can earn money by the common efforts being made in some particular field.   Works Cited Corbin, Dan. Establishing Ethics for Insurance Professionals Insurance Journal 2006 Retrieved from http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2006/09/25/73123.htm Gates, Bill Business @ the Speed of Thought Barnes & Noble New York 1999 1-5 Weithorn, L. A. & McCabe, M. A. Legal and Ethical Problems in Pediatric Psychology in Routh, D. K. (Ed.) The Handbook of Pediatric Psychology New York: Guilford1987 567-606 National Defense University Values & Ethics Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt4ch15.html Read More