Corporate Ethics from a Bottom-up View Point - Research Paper Example

In establishing an ethics program, a bottom-up approach is recommended (Brown, 2005). This entails engaging all the employees in the discussion and thinking about ethics. This makes it easier to implement as everyone in the company may feel that they had an input in deciding about ethics program. As fact, top-down nostrums are less effective in most organizations. They tend to perpetuate even further, the varied perception toward corporate ethics as perceived by the employees and the top management.

Nevertheless, senior managers are known to influence the character and the scope of the organization’s corporate ethics program. They are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the integration of the ethics into the day-to-day routine of the organization. In general, senior managers have much to play in the successful implementation and management of ethics in an organization. Thus, their take and perception on ethics matters a lot. Research has evidenced that senior manager in most companies exhibit a more positive perception towards organizational ethics as compared to the lower level managers and employees.

On the other hand, lower level managers and employees tend to be more cynical when it comes to business ethics in organizations. Thus, there is a clear contrast in perception towards organizational ethics between the two groups. Even so, many senior managers have proved to be ignorant of the ethical problems and matters affecting their organization. This plays a pivotal role in discouraging ethics as well as perpetuating the differences in perception towards ethics in most organizations.. Thus, there is a clear contrast in perception towards organizational ethics between the two groups.

Even so, many senior managers have proved to be ignorant of the ethical problems and matters affecting their organization. This plays a pivotal role in discouraging ethics as well as perpetuating the differences in perception towards ethics in most organizations. On the other hand, a substantial number of lower level managers and employees perceive ethics programs, mission statements, codes of conducts among other ethics-related programs to be of little help or of no value to them. The employees also believe that the top managers usually are out-of-touch in matters concerning ethics.

They believe that the top managers tend to avoid any discussion about ethics. According to Byron (2006), this is attributed to the fact they are too busy for ethical issues or they are just deliberately avoiding responsibility. There is also escalating tendency of cynicism of the lower level employees and the higher level managers. The lower level employees tend to psychologically distance themselves from the top managers in several instances. The positive perception towards organizational ethics as exhibited by senior management has been attributed to various reasons.

Their social interaction and their role expectation is one of the reasons. Another reason is the link between the senior mangers identity and that of the organization. In this regards, senior managers usually play a significant role in the establishment of the organization reputation. According to Trevino, Weaver and Brown (2007), they tend to identify themselves strongly with the organization as well as its image. On the contrary, lower level managers and employees are less likely to identify themselves with the