Ethics in the Work Place: Legal Enforcement vs Ethical Behavior - Research Paper Example

Ethics at the Work Place Introduction Ethics at the work place is all about doing the right thing while discharging duties. Ethics and values are the very basic ingredients for any firms to survive. History suggests that unethical work practices fail abruptly as a pack-of-cards. Ethical workplace culture is a necessity for a long-term sustainability and reputation of the organization. The paper attempts to explore how ethical workplace culture can be created in an organization and why it is necessary. Values and Ethical Behavior Values create one’s attitudes and it is the attitude that finally rules one’s behavior. Kerns (2003) emphasizes on certain core values that give way to ethical behavior. Accordingly, integrity and courage; love and kindness; justice and fair guidance; wisdom and knowledge, and self control have universal appeal to influencing ethical behavior. The mentioned virtues are interlinked with each other. For example, self control is the ability to keep personal motivation in low ebb to act objectively based on the principle of justice and fairness. An ethical behavior at work place is not demonstrated just by personal integrity but it often requires courage – to do the right thing without bothering about personal consequences. Love and kindness always generate a positive feeling that not only recognize others but prevent them to do any unethical behavior. Just and fair attitude is a powerful driver for an ethical behavior. Wisdom comes through experience and when it combines with knowledge, an ethical behavior is likely to crop up by all means. These core values are necessary to promote ethical behavior at work places. Legal Enforcement versus Ethical Behavior Greer and Plunkett (2007) provide a basic guideline for ethical decision-making. According to them, a legally supported decision is not always an ethical decision. Firing a person due to personal grudge and for absolutely no fault of the person cannot be challenged legally; however, on ethical ground, the action is not palatable. At times, it may appear that adhering to ethical principles may lead to some negative personal consequences, even then that is the best way when seen from a long-term perspective. Benefits of Ethical Behavior Russell (2014) argues that workplace ethics offer significant benefits to the organization. It helps in protecting assets of the firm. The companies such as WorldCom, Enron in the recent years are glaring examples of total annihilation due to unethical behavior by managers, top executives, accountants and auditors in large scale. Their entire assets wiped out within a few months and they had to go for bankruptcy under chapter 11 (Ackman, 2001). Organizations that foster workplace ethics have been found to register higher productivity and rising market share. Ethical work culture helps promote team work creating synergistic effect on its performance. Employees feel more secure and tend to stay with the organization for a longer time. Ethical work culture enhances reputation and brand equity of the company in the marketplace. Customers prefer to patronage those who show workplace ethics in their operations as they become sure of quality products and services offered by the company. Decision making process is not stranded in a firm where workplace ethics rule the roost (Russell, 2014). It will be appropriate for a firm to create a code of ethics to prevent several unethical practices in day-to-day operations so that possibility of any adverse consequences is averted. The code of ethics will not only educate employees but also regulate them for the fulfillment of larger objectives of the company. Accordingly, a document specifying work ethics must be at place in an organization – for all employees to adhere to the work ethics for maintaining harmony, growth and sustainability of the organization. The code of ethics set the standards of behavior for the employees. These standards guide workers to behave within not only the purview of law but also behaving ethically while competing to the pursuit of business, dealing with the customers for long-term sustainability objectives. The code of ethics also helps workers in decision making when in a conflict situation within and outside the organization. Moreover, the company’s core values help employees, associates and partners on day-to-day operations (Gravett, 2000). Some of the important ethical prepositions may be prescribed as per the following. Accepting Gifts from Vendors – An Unethical Doing Employees must not accept any kind of gifts, regardless of its value, from any suppliers, vendors, customers or potential suppliers/vendors/customers under any circumstances. The word ‘gift’ means everything including treat, a product discount or any kind paid tours. In case of receiving gifts through a courier, the employee should return it forthwith. When it is not possible to return the gifts received to sender, it is incumbent upon the employee to deposit it with the company management at the earliest possible date and time. Moreover, vendors/suppliers should be informed about the company gift policy while dealing with them so that they also refrain from doing any unethical activities. Gift Policy – Some Exceptions Bags, T-shirts, pens, or similar material are usually provided during conferences, trade shows, public events or seminars to all participants as a common courtesy. Courtesy food or beverages or meals offered in such kinds of events should not be construed as gifts. Unethical to Sharing Private/Confidential Information Employees of the company, other than legal enforcement, are ethically obliged to safeguard all private, personal or confidential information about customers, other employees, or company that they encounter because of their nature of work during the employment period and later. Confidential information could be of varying nature such as payroll records, social security numbers (SSNs), driving license records, passport documents, credit card details or bank account information, state identification numbers, personnel records including job history, benefits, performance, or any records pertaining to disciplinary action, information pertaining to any criminal or legal proceedings, password details, biometric information, personal details related to medical or health records or any other personal information of any nature whatsoever. Conflict of Interest Situation – an Unethical Behavior It is highly unethical, for an employee, to do any business activity directly or indirectly that may create a conflict of interest with his or her employer. For example, an employee takes a part time job with the rival company; short lists a supplier where one of his family member or a friend is a partner or does a business activity taking advantage of the proprietary information available to him due to his position in the organization. Employees need to develop own judgment to find when any conflict situation may arise (Sears, 2004). Incentives to Promoting Ethical Behaviors It is perfectly in order to encourage ethical behavior among employees in the organization through monetary incentives or promotional rewards, free air tickets with paid vacations for reasonable days, or bonuses so as to create a strong culture in favor of ethical behavior within the organization. Similarly, the bad ethical behavior must be discouraged through disincentives in the form of demotion, fines or suspension from the job depending upon the gravity of the issue. All these measures will help create an ethical culture in the company enhancing moral standards of the workers. Conclusion Ethical behavior at work places is a need of time. That is the only way any firm can survive and sustain in the long run. An unethical behavior has no place in an organizational setup, especially in this globalized world. It never goes unnoticed; on the contrary, it is likely to create a damaging effect on the future prospects of any company. It is important that all employees are provided with some kind of ethical behavioral guide lines during an orientation program after induction in the company. A formal oath ceremony propagating ethical behavior among company workers will certainly help nurture an ethical culture across the firm visible to all stakeholders of the company. References Ackman, D. (2001). Enron Files Chap. 11. Forbes. Retrieved April 20, 2014 from http://www.forbes.com/2001/12/03/1203topnews_print.html Gravett, L. (2000). How Human Resources Can Help Build an Ethical Organization. e-hresources.com. Retrieved March 17, 2013 from http://www.e- hresources.com/Articles/August2002.htm Greer, C. R., Plunkett, W.R. (2007). Supervisory Management. 11th ed. Pearson. Print. Kerns, C. D. (2003). Creating and Sustaining an Ethical Workplace Culture. Graziadio Business Review. Retrieved April 20, 2014 from http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/creating-and-sustaining-an-ethical-workplace-culture/ Russell, A. (2014). The Benefits and Importance of Ethics in the Workplace. Retrieved April 20, 2014 from http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/benefits-importance-ethics-workplace-7414.html Sears, B. (2004). Conflicts of Interest. Ethics Resource Center. Retrieved April 20, 2014 from http://www.ethics.org/resource/conflicts-interest Read More