Integrity in Humanistic Organizations - Research Paper Example

Integrity in Humanistic Organizations Introduction The issue of integrity in humanistic organization is one that often has multiple meanings and interpretations. It is important to have the different humanistic organizations operate on the principles of integrity. Sometimes however, the organizations in their operations are not led by integrity. This usually leads to problems for the organizations and for the leadership of the organization. The result is that the organizations fail to be effective and as a result do not achieve their objectives. The lack of integrity in the leadership and in the operations of a humanistic organization also affects the development of the said organization. To fully understand the role of integrity in organizations, it is important that one understands the meaning of the different words as used in this context. Definition of terms To understand the meaning of integrity within an organization, it is important to understand what a humanistic organization means. The humanistic organizations can therefore are those organizations that are formed and operate on the basis of the interest of the welfare and interest of human beings Integrity can be defined as the adherence by a person or by the organization to a given set of moral principles and character. The term can also be expanded to mean the quality of having a sound moral character and honesty of actions. Integrity also has to do with being free from the influences or motives that are corrupting. This freedom from influences is especially important in the operations of the humanistic organization. Development on the other hand refers to the activities in the organization that are geared towards enhancing or improving the productivity of the people and the various components of an organization. Development also has to do with the activities that are geared towards enhancing the performance or the quality of leadership in an organization. This in turn has the effect of improving the productivity of the said organization. Humanistic organizations are usually carefully planned and the activities that are engaged in are coordinated. The elements or people within an organization usually work under a given set of rules and leadership structure that governs their organization (Marchica 38). In defining integrity, there are three aspects that should be considered. These aspects are consistency, relational awareness and inclusion. The consistency aspect has to do with the association between the words and the actions. There should be a consistency between what one says and what one does. The two should be the same. Consistency means that what one says should not be affected by influences from others and should also not be affected by the possibility of personal gain. To be consistent also means that one should adhere to their standards and principles despite the circumstances and despite who is watching (Marchica 40). The aspect of relational awareness means that one is conscious of the different relationships in which they are involved in. this means that the person should have the awareness of one’s identity and how that identity relates to others. The awareness of the relationships that one has with others enables a person to know how to act and react in different circumstances. This connects with the consistency aspect in that integrity means that an individual or an organization must be aware of their identity (this has to do with what an organization is all about) and or their actions (what they should do in different situations). For the humanistic organization, the actions and their mission has to be centered on ensuring the wellbeing of others. The humanistic organization is also centered on ensuring that more potent contributions are made in the workplace (Schneider, Bugental & Pierson 522) The inclusion aspect of integrity means that the organization or the individuals in the organization must be open to the differences that exist between them. Inclusion means that the organization must listen to all voices, even to those with differing opinions. It is this aspect of integrity that in most cases leads to organizations coming up with compliance programs. Such compliance programs allow the organization to regulate cooperate behavior and ensure that the differences between the different people in the organizations are respected. When all these aspects are put together, integrity in the organization means that the organization means that the organization must be consistent in the relationships with the different stakeholders and in the respect for the existing differences. Integrity in an organization allows the organization to integrate ethical practices with the practices of their organization. The practice of integrity in an organization encourages productivity within the organization (Marchica 48). Integrity within the organization In determining how a humanistic organization is organized and planned, the elements that constitute the organization have to be analyzed. This involves examining the elements that form the humanistic organization and determining which parts of the organization are and which do not form part of the organization. This then makes it easier to analyze the channels of communications that are used within the organization and how autonomous or independent each of the elements is. One must also examine the rules that govern the organization. It is by examining these rules that one is able to examine the role of integrity in the running and in the operations of the organization (Kennedy-Glans & Bob Schulz 11). The humanistic organizations are usually characterized by their emphasis on making use of the non-instrumental means of motivation, and on ensuring that there is a growth of their personnel. This is done with the aim of improving the economic efficiency of the organization. In their operations, the humanistic organizations attempt to integrate the humanistic values that they are founded to operate on with the development of all the components or elements of the organization. The humanistic values that the organizations operate on include the wellbeing of the individuals in the organizations and the maximum productivity of the organizations. The humanistic organizations are also based on the emphasis on integrity in all their operations (Marchica 147). There are several signs that are common among organizations that are governed by integrity. These signs include the practice of compassion and understanding. This is displayed towards the employees and towards the society and any other parties that the organization comes into contact with. There is also the achievement of a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of the society. Within the organization, there is an acceptance of personal responsibility in the operations and activities. The management within such an organization is also open to criticism and feedback from the employees. The people within an organization that is founded on integrity are also respectful of divergent views and often act with integrity at all times. Humanistic values include compassion and a responsibility to the community and society around the organization. In their operations, the humanistic organizations apply integrity by ensuring strict adherence to ethical and moral standards. The organizations have a code of conduct that is based on their beliefs and values. In ensuring that integrity is maintained in their organizations, the humanistic organizations ensure that they are value based. The organizations also ensure that these values are consistence to ensure that they have what can be referred to as constancy of purpose. The visions of these organizations are developed such that they are greater than those of any individual or any individual elements. Integrity in the humanistic organizations is usually as a result of the personal actions of those who are part of the organizations. The humanistic organizations apply the values of positive integrity in the actions and in playing their roles in the society. The application of integrity by the management of the organizations usually means that the decisions that are made by the organization’s management will receive little or no resistance from the rest of their workforce. This enhances the performance of the organization and ensures that they have a great contribution or impact to the society. A humanistic organization that is governed by integrity is guided by values and principles that allows or provides for them to be consistent in the behavior and operations and also to have high standards in their work (Brenkert 96). Healthy Humanistic Organizations: Living With Core Values There are several factors that contribute to a healthy organization. Such factors include the creation of a mutualisation of affect which is where the organization creates a cultural climate within it in which it is acceptable for those within the organization to be honest and express their opinions on the activities of the organization. In a healthy organization, the policies, behaviors and practices that are put in place should build those within the organizations as opposed to diminishing their capabilities. The organization should also encourage those within it to be open minded and engage in work that is satisfying and mutually interesting. This encourages the maximization of the positive effect in the workplace. A healthy organization can therefore be said to be created through the development of integrity within the organization. The healthy organization also provides an environment that encourages or provides room for the development of respectful and mutually beneficial relationships (Marchica 83). The core principles that govern an organization also have a great contribution to a healthy workplace. This is because the principles govern the behaviors and action of those within the organization. These principles encourage positive behavior and create a positive environment within the organization. These principles include honesty, kindness, respect, maturity, and loyalty. When the employees within the organization embrace these principles, the environment within the organization is a healthy one. Strategies for applying integrity in organization culture It has been found that integrity is key in the success of any humanistic organization. Integrity must therefore be embedded in the culture of the organization if it (the organization) is to succeed. One way in which integrity can be introduced and maintained in the organizational culture of humanistic organizations is by ensuring that there is integrity based management of the organization and all the decisions that are made by the management are firmly based on the principles of integrity. This will ensure that a trusting environment is built within the organization. When the decisions that are made by the management are based on principles of integrity, it becomes easy for those within the organization to accept them and in case of policies; there will be less resistance to the principles that are based on integrity. Integrity based management is therefore one of the ways in which integrity can be built and applied in the organization’s culture (Marchica 28). Another strategy for applying integrity in the organization’s culture is to ensure that the employees and other stakeholders within the organization are treated in a such a way that trust and honesty is built among them. It is the role of the organization to realize that the employees and other stakeholders play a more important role in the organization than merely being a means to an end. This means that to enhance integrity in the organization, they should be treated in a humane manner. It is also important to involve all the stakeholders in the organization in the process of the achievement of the organizational goals. This is because when everybody is involved in the process, they are able to embrace the values of the organization and work towards fulfilling the objectives of the organization as opposed to pursuing the fulfillment of their own goals and objectives (Cameron & Green 50). It is important to hold the managers accountable for their decisions within the organization as a way of promoting integrity in the organization. This serves two purposes one being to ensure that the managers will always make the decisions that are in line with the organization’s visions and values. The accountability by the management will also encourage the other employees and the stakeholders in the organization to ensure that they are also accountable in their work and that they also make decisions and act in a way that is in line with the values and the principles of the organization. This will encourage the application of integrity in all the activities and undertakings within the organization (Lamberton & Minor-Evans 134). Why the Organization Does Not Allow Us to Behave With Integrity The humanistic organizations however are limited in the influence that they have on the society. This is especially the case in the highly industrialized societies. This is because such industrialized societies are highly individualized and stress on the importance of the development of the individual on many different capacities as opposed to the collective development of the organization. The development of the organization however is dependent on the adaptive capacity of the organization. This therefore means that the influence of the organization is limited because of the emphasis on the individual. The organization in some cases has been found to prevent people from acting with integrity. This is because in most cases, people are forced to act within the confines of the rules of the workplace. In some instances, they do not believe in the values of the organization. As such, they only behave with integrity when they are under observation. Another common reason as to why people fail to act with integrity is that people have a basic and innate need to have control of their surroundings. People also have an inherent need to feel secure and be recognized for the work they do or for their achievements. In some cases, the need for control and recognition causes people to act in a way that does not reflect integrity in action. There are also some cases in which it becomes difficult for the organization to establish the standards within which it will operate. Even after the establishment of the standards, it is sometimes difficult to follow them. The standards that are set for the organization are sometimes difficult for the employees to follow and achieve, and the conditions in the workplace sometimes force the employees to make choices that are seen not to be in alignment with values of integrity and ethics. The personality of the different people may also prevent them from acting with integrity. People with weak personalities and who lack self-esteem are more likely to act without integrity. People who have a strong support system on the other hand will act with integrity. It is also possible for people to be motivated by financial reasons and as such, they will not display integrity in their actions. In some cases, the management in the organization is faces with challenges or dilemmas that are conflicting or that do not allow the manager to apply integrity in the expected decision. This may lead to a decision that is not based on integrity (Selznick 63). Expectation does not match reality While it is expected that all the organizations and the people within the organization will act with integrity, this is not always the case. This is because a person’s behavior is affected by many factors including the environment. The behavior is also motivated by many different factors. It is therefore important for humanistic organizations to ensure that they apply the proper motivation factors that will enable their employees to act in a manner that is in respect to the values of the organization. It is also important that the individual carefully studies the values and the principles of a given organization before they can commit to being part of that organization. This will enable the individual to find out if the values and principles of the organization are in line with their own values (Bryson 141). It is therefore possible for one to achieve the much required balance between personal integrity and organizational integrity. This can be done by ensuring that at the personal level, integrity emphasizes on the wellbeing of others with whom we interact while at the organizational level integrity must be embedded in the ethical values and principles that are observed and followed in the workplace. Both the individual and the organization must therefore meet the ideals of integrity to allow the organization to function as it should and the individual to achieve satisfaction in their work within the organization. Conclusion It is therefore important to realize that the success that a humanistic organization will experience is depended on the integrity of those within the organization. For an organization to be said to truly have integrity, it must be have consistency in their values and principles. This includes the employees and the employers or managers. When those within the organization start to act in a manner that does not reflect integrity, then the organization is bound to experience problems and this will be reflected in the performance of the company. Lack of integrity within an organization means that the organization will not achieve its goals and visions. Works cited Brenkert, George. Responsible Leadership. New York: Taylor and Francis.2006. Print. Bryson, John. Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement. New York: John Wiley and Sons. 2011. Print. Cameron, Esther. Green, Mike. Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. London: Kogan Page publishers. 2009. Print. Kennedy-Glans. Robert, Schulz. Corporate integrity: a toolkit for managing beyond compliance. New York: john Wiley and sons. 2005. Print. Lamberton, Lowell. Minor-Evans, Leslie. Human relations: strategies for success. New York: McGraw Hill Publishers. 2001. Print. Marchica, John. The accountable organization: reclaiming integrity, restoring trust. California: Davies-Black Publishing. 2005. Print. Schneider, Kirk. Bugental, James. Pierson, Fraser. The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology: Leading Edges in Theory, Research, and Practice. California: SAGE publishers. 2001. Print. Selznick, Philip. Leadership in administration: a sociological interpretation. California : University of California Press Read More