Ethical Issues in Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example

Ethics and Human Resource Management Name: Institution: Ethics and Human Resource Management Introduction Human resource management is a business function that is concerned with the management of relations between different groups of people within an organization in their capacity as employers, managers, and employees (Budd, 2005). The process of managing these relations often gives rise to questions concerning the responsibilities and rights of every participant in the relationship concerning what constitutes fair relationship (Durai, 2010). These questions create a dilemma situation in an organization making them ethical in nature. The main objective of this research paper will be to assess the essence of ethics in human resource management. Literature review In the process of executing its mandate to an organization, the human resource management has the responsbility of varieties of ethical challenges considering that it is directly associated with the activities of employees within an organization. Failure to consider ethics in any deliberations may result in numerous organizational pitfalls, which will not only damage the reputation of the organization but also affect its efficacy in delivering its mandate. According to Budd (2005), legal considerations form an essential part of organizational management. Any breaches in ethic in human resources can lead an organization into legal trouble in civil and criminal platforms. Legal troubles often result in organizations where the human resources department though the management fails to stipulate the rights, responsibilities and duties of every employees in the form of professional codes of ethics. These codes define the relationship between employees and the organization. Organizations with a comprehensive ethical code of conduct have the ability of avoiding costly litigations regarding ethical issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, and hostile working environment (Deckop, 2006). In the process of managing relationships between different stakeholders in their capacity as managers and employees, an objective through ethical principles, the objective of human resource department is to safeguard organizational reputation. This is often realized through the establishment of polices guarding against indecent employee and organizational behavior (Winstanley & Woodall, 2010). The development of polices which define the moral standards and pressures of an organization is essential in the promotion of organizational reputation among potential parts, customers, and future employees. For organizations gaining reputation as an ethical employer can be essential in attracting highly talented and skilled employees (Simmons-Welburn & McNeil, 2004). This is because in the process of seeking employment, potential employees often desire to work in organizations that proved the most beneficial employment relationship. In situations where human resource management fails to develop effective polices targeting the creation of an environment that enhances equality and better working conditions, it is possible to lose in terms of human resource capacity at the organizational levels since most investors, potential partners and employees will seek the services of other organizations with better polices (Cornelius, 2011). Effective human resource management requires the creation of an environment that enhances employee loyalty. The establishment of ethical policies and principles as part of organizational culture provides the management with a platform of creating a mutual relationship with employees with regard to the development of trust and loyalty (Köster, 2010). Loyal employees are considered important in a company because they have the ability of mastering the production process, which improves on their productivity and efficiency overtime. The development of a team of loyal employees whose activities are defined by high-level professionalism can help the human resource department to reduce recruitment and training costs hence enhancing the financial position of an organization (Saiyadain, 2009). For human resource management to ensure that an organization is acting in accordance with existing ethical principles there is need to develop and display the organizations committees to ethics in every area of business (Saiyadain, 2009). Developing human resource ethical policies and developing training programs training the management to ensure that they are aware of organizational expectations with regard to ethics enhances the ability of the organization to create an en environment that promotes dignity, mutual respect, and ethical decision-making processes (Durai, 2010). Analysis and evaluation Different theories have been espoused with regard to ethical decision-making processes. According to egoism, ethical decision should be made while considering self-interest. An action that benefits an individual, according to this school of thought is good and should be promoted (Ferrell et al, 2016). The theory however cautions against acting in selfishness, which entails the pursuit of individual interest at the expense of others. This ethical theory has been challenged based on the understanding that it enhances the development of selfish behavior. In the context of human resource management, making decisions based on egoism is incompatible with the objective of acting in the interest of the organization (Luppicini, 2013). Ethical policies developed on egoism will not only be subjective but also damaging to the ability of an organization to ensure accountability and transparence. According to the utilitarian approach to ethical decision making, an action is considered appropriate if it promotes happiness to majority of people. According to this school of thought, the process of making an ethical decision is defined by the expected consequence (Arnold et al 2013). A decision that produces the grates happiness to majority of those affected by a decision can be considered as ethical (Luppicini, 2013). One of the problems of this approach to ethics is that it encourages ambiguity with regard to the greatest number of people. In addition, using the consequence of an action to justify its morality affects the ability of organizations to engage in the development of objective ethical polices (Ferrell et al, 2016). The deontological theory assets that when individual are involved in situations of ethical dilemma, they have the obligation of acting in accordance with that which is right (Arnold et al 2013). The moral obligation of an individual in the view of this theory should define the decision making process. The proponents of this theory argue that when acting the motive of an individual should be to do the right thing irrespective of the prevailing circumstances (MacKinnon, 2014). The development of ethical polices from the deontological school of thought encourages objectivity and the ability of different individuals to act in accordance with polices as a way of enhancing mutual relationships and trust within an organization (MacKinnon, 2014). Implications of ethics in human resource management The role of ethical polices in human resource department is to ensure that employees act in accordance with existing laws and regulations that define organizational culture. Through such ethical practices, it becomes possible for the human resource department to streamline employees and organizational activities with the objective of promoting the welfare of all the entities involved. The relationship between junior employees and the management is an essential element with regard to the promotion of ethical practices in an organization. The role of human resources is to ensure that the senior management understands organizational expectations with regard to the restatement of junior employees. For example, there are situations where a senior accountant after receiving pressure form the headquarters would require a junior employee to submit factious sales reports. The process of intimidating the junior employees and may arise form the ability of the senior accountant to manipulate polices and terminate his employment. The junior employee is an ethical dilemma situation of whether to protect his employments position by writing the sales report or fail to write the report and risk losing his job. From an ethical perspective, it is wrong for an employee to develop false reports since it is considered as a reflection of the failure by the management to develop an organizational culture that promotes transparency and accountability. In addition, it is also an indication of the failure by an organization to provide junior employees with a platform of addressing violations of their rights by those in senior positions. From a deontological perspective, the junior employee has the responsbility of understanding that developing false reports for the purposes of satisfying the interests of other parties is dishonest, fraudulent and can be used as grounds for termination from an employment position. However, to protect the employees form such harassment, the organization through human resources management has the obligation of developing avenues for reporting ethical violations. This will provide a platform that helps employees in dealing with difficult organizational situations while at the same time ensuring that organizational ethical polices are conducted in accordance with organizational expectations. The process of managing employee relations often gives rise to questions concerning the responsibilities and rights of every participant in the relationship. These questions create a dilemma situation in an organization making them ethical in nature. The objective of human resource department is to safeguard organizational reputation and promoting employee welfare. This is often realized through the establishment of polices guarding against indecent employee and organizational behavior. The development of polices which define the moral standards and pressures of an organization is essential in the promotion of organizational reputation among potential parts, customers, and future employees. From the deontological theory the development of such polices require the consideration of that which is right irrespective of the prevailing circumstances. In addition, through this theoretical approach it will be possible for human resources to develop objective organizational polices and codes of ethics. References Arnold, D. G., Beauchamp, T. L., & Bowie, N. E. (2013). Ethical theory and business. Boston: Pearson Education. Budd, J. W. (2005). The ethics of human resources and industrial relations. Champaign, IL: Labor and Employment Relations Association, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cornelius, N. (2011). Human resource management: A managerial perspective. London [u.a.: Internat. Thomson Business. Deckop, J. R. (2006). Human resource management ethics. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Pub. Inc. Durai, P. (2010). Human resource management. Chennai: Pearson. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2016). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Australia : South-Western Köster, M. (2010). Ethics in human resource management. München [etc.: GRIN, Verlag für akademische Texte. Luppicini, R. (2013). Moral, ethical, and social dilemmas in the age of technology: Theories and practice. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. MacKinnon, B. (2014). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues. Australia : Wadsworth Saiyadain, M. S. (2009). Human resources management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Pub. Simmons-Welburn, J., & McNeil, B. (2004). Human resource management in today's academic library: : meeting challenges and creating opportunities. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited. Winstanley, D., & Woodall, J. (2010). Ethical issues in contemporary human resource management. New York: St. Martin's Press. Read More

In situations where human resource management fails to develop effective polices targeting the creation of an environment that enhances equality and better working conditions, it is possible to lose in terms of human resource capacity at the organizational levels since most investors, potential partners and employees will seek the services of other organizations with better polices (Cornelius, 2011). Effective human resource management requires the creation of an environment that enhances employee loyalty.

The establishment of ethical policies and principles as part of organizational culture provides the management with a platform of creating a mutual relationship with employees with regard to the development of trust and loyalty (Köster, 2010). Loyal employees are considered important in a company because they have the ability of mastering the production process, which improves on their productivity and efficiency overtime. The development of a team of loyal employees whose activities are defined by high-level professionalism can help the human resource department to reduce recruitment and training costs hence enhancing the financial position of an organization (Saiyadain, 2009).

For human resource management to ensure that an organization is acting in accordance with existing ethical principles there is need to develop and display the organizations committees to ethics in every area of business (Saiyadain, 2009). Developing human resource ethical policies and developing training programs training the management to ensure that they are aware of organizational expectations with regard to ethics enhances the ability of the organization to create an en environment that promotes dignity, mutual respect, and ethical decision-making processes (Durai, 2010).

Analysis and evaluation Different theories have been espoused with regard to ethical decision-making processes. According to egoism, ethical decision should be made while considering self-interest. An action that benefits an individual, according to this school of thought is good and should be promoted (Ferrell et al, 2016). The theory however cautions against acting in selfishness, which entails the pursuit of individual interest at the expense of others. This ethical theory has been challenged based on the understanding that it enhances the development of selfish behavior.

In the context of human resource management, making decisions based on egoism is incompatible with the objective of acting in the interest of the organization (Luppicini, 2013). Ethical policies developed on egoism will not only be subjective but also damaging to the ability of an organization to ensure accountability and transparence. According to the utilitarian approach to ethical decision making, an action is considered appropriate if it promotes happiness to majority of people. According to this school of thought, the process of making an ethical decision is defined by the expected consequence (Arnold et al 2013).

A decision that produces the grates happiness to majority of those affected by a decision can be considered as ethical (Luppicini, 2013). One of the problems of this approach to ethics is that it encourages ambiguity with regard to the greatest number of people. In addition, using the consequence of an action to justify its morality affects the ability of organizations to engage in the development of objective ethical polices (Ferrell et al, 2016). The deontological theory assets that when individual are involved in situations of ethical dilemma, they have the obligation of acting in accordance with that which is right (Arnold et al 2013).

The moral obligation of an individual in the view of this theory should define the decision making process. The proponents of this theory argue that when acting the motive of an individual should be to do the right thing irrespective of the prevailing circumstances (MacKinnon, 2014). The development of ethical polices from the deontological school of thought encourages objectivity and the ability of different individuals to act in accordance with polices as a way of enhancing mutual relationships and trust within an organization (MacKinnon, 2014).

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