Can Managers Effectively Control Ethics in Organizations and Should They Seek to Do So - Essay Example

Can managers effectively control ethics in organizations and should they seek to do so? Name: Institution: May 7th 2013 Understanding the concept of ethics in any organization is currently creating a little bit of discord, especially when it comes to the managerial perspective. Understanding the role of managers in introducing and upholding organizational culture that pertains to the ethical aspects of the organization is critical in defining the role of an organization to the social and economical perspectives of the people within and without the organization. An interesting attention towards the understanding of the business ethics is much evident in various academic works within the business profession. The concerns pertain to understanding the various ways of ethical considerations, their integration into decisions and activities within the organizations in line with the responsibilities and effectiveness of the managerial practices within the organization. Most academic research indicates that the role of managers and their participation in the organizational ethics is given less concentration as it should. Therefore, it is paramount to look at the effectiveness of managers in controlling ethics within an organization. It is also essential to look at the various reasons why they should or should not seek to do so. It is therefore, the purpose of this essay to look at organizational ethical concerns in relation to managers. This essay also seeks to look at whether managers should seek to effectively control ethics within the organizations they manage. In most circumstances, the actions of most managers within the organization are always linked to their own personal perspectives rather than following guided organizational procedures for the process of decision-making comes with various challenges that require diversity and dynamism (Roberts 2001 p109-127). Therefore, the concept of managers and the organizational ethics becomes more complex as compared to other members of the organization. In this discussion, therefore, it is critical to understand that there are different levels of management that are likely to respond to this concern in different ways. The top most management level is likely to have a different approach when looking at the ethical concerns while the middle positioned managers do also have a different role by way of dealing with the ethical concerns. Therefore, it thus calls for a theoretical and social scientific approach in dealing with the ethical debates. In every organization, the ethical concerns pertain to knowing what is right or wrong, or, what is good or bad in the managerial activities. Thus, ethical concerns can only addressed through this perspective when having a discussion in the managerial perspective (Gull & Doh 2004 p28-40). The moral aspect of the management is critical to the success and progress of every organization. It is a common knowledge that the most effective form of leadership is through leading by example. This therefore forces the various managers to do exactly what they expect the rest of the people within the organization to do (Watson 2003 p167-185). The concerns of the degree of moral management and social science require the applications of various principles to guide the managerial concepts. Hence, the concept of prescriptive ethics becomes of essential consideration. Various authors are on record to prefer the prescriptive ethics due to their way of aiding in having a set of guided principles crucial in assisting people to determine and know what is wrong or right. However, the opponents of this perspective also argue through the repercussions of the relativity in the moral principles. With management, the irrationality of ethic creates a discord since the determination of what is wrong or right is not easily driven from the analysis of the given human conditions. In addition, it is not a guarantee that good deeds will always yield positive returns and bad deeds the vice versa. This is the dilemma brought about by organizational ethics in the management level (Huhtala et al 2013). Management mostly concerns making decisions based on personal judgments. Therefore, the difference in understanding and perception among different managers makes it complex to ensure a proper ethical consideration within the management (Mansfield et al 2013). The difference in goals, interests, values and purposes of various managers’ causes an atmosphere of a dilemma since managers need to make decisions which at times might contradict what the organization believes in and thus this might call for a violation of what is known to be the norm. With managers, it is a common occurrence if the dimension hoped or planned for fails. This therefore creates an ethical irrationality of the paradox of consequences. In every decision to be made, the consequences significantly hit the managers than the other members within the organization. Managers therefore must ensure they put into consideration the recognition of the means the some given ends do not justify the cause and at times can undermine outcomes they expected. Due to such expectations, various researches carried out concerning managers reveal that indeed, managers are confronted with irreconcilable conflicts of both morality and value (Jameron 2011 p1-4). However, for managers with other superior managers above them, such problems are easily solved for them since they automatically will turn to the superior managers to make the hard decisions. This would remove the dilemma of the influence of the morals of personal consideration. Therefore, at such situations, the managers can still stand on ethics within the organization and let their superiors make the hard decisions. However, what the top or superior managers do when confronted with situations difficult to deliberate on is difficult to understand. This is simply because they do not have other people at the top to report to and therefore, their decisions will directly impact on the organization at large (Strachan et al 2010). With such managers, effective control of ethics becomes critical and difficult since in one or two situations they will be required to make decisions within the organization that contradicts the very culture or practice within the organization. Nevertheless, managers have a given level of responsibility in strategic management of the organization. The managers with such level of responsibility within the organization cannot easily ignore the ethical issues within the organization. This is because such managers are confronted with the responsibility of shaping and helping the organizations survive and prosper in their environment. Therefore, in understanding the role of such managers in controlling ethics within the organization, it becomes paramount to understand that such managers do always consider the morality ends that exist within the social system (Ferrell et al 2012). Such managers must give considerations to the ethics control since it is through these ethics that help them not to just make decisions according to what their superiors may instructed them do, but do so with the social concern the decisions draw. In such situations, and for these types of managers, effective control of ethics within the organizations become of priority and thus they come up with a must-work way out to ensure the ethics within the organization are upheld irrespective of the situation confronting the organization (Roberts 2001 p109-127). Such managers are thus faced with a situation of the dilemma between fitting with their superiors and maintaining the ethical values and pressures that guides the organization. Based on this therefore, it is evident that managers within the strategic level of organizations cannot afford to put aside the ethical issues within the organization. It is a common knowledge that every organization is in place to serve the targeted people for a specific purpose. Without these people therefore, the organization seizes to have its purpose and meaning of existence (Deckop 2006). Therefore, the support of the public opinion, clients, customers, communication media and state is critical to every organization. Publicity is a critical component of an organization. The concept of social law also requires that organizations operate within the social considerations of every organization (Watson 2003 p167-185). The social moralities require that proper social legislation must be followed in order to ensure that the organization continues to survive and operate. Violation of the social law will lead to punishment and if possible, closure of the organization. It is also critical to understand that the social laws are what define the ethical concerns for every organization (Doenhart & Cohen 2013). Therefore, managers of the organization have no option but to abide by the ethics required of every organization. Another concept of organizational ethics that is essential to the organization pertains to the employees. The daily operations or the smooth operation of the organization does not just depend on the managers alone. Employees are the most essential assets within an organization. Therefore, retaining a well-performing employee becomes essential to the organization (Strachan et al 2010). Therefore, the ethics that ensure a proper working environment for the employees are significant. This is because if the managers do not put into consideration these ethical concerns, then the organization is likely to experience running out of labor resources. If it does not lead to lack of labor resources, it will highly likely to result to lack of commitment of employees alongside lack of motivation and morale. In anyway therefore, if the managers put aside the ethical issues concerning the organization, then the organization is likely to have trouble in dealing with problems relating to retaining and maximum output from employees (Trevino & Weaver 2003). The Customers are more attracted to organizations that do not only concentrate on conducting its business, but those organizations, which consider also the social aspects as part of its daily operations. This is because in situations where customers realize of observe that the organization does not operate within the limits of morality, in that the organization is morally offensive, then they are highly likely to consider different alternative options available to them where they will feel not offended (Watson 2003 p167-185). Therefore, in these scenarios, the managers must always ensure that they effectively guide and ensure proper utilization and achievement of the moral requirements of the organizations. It is through the leadership of such managers that other members of the organization will ensure they properly abide by the morals of the organization. Of critical concern is how then some managers who must give ethical considerations in decision-making can ensure they still have the operations of the organization operate smoothing. This is critical since in organizations with diversity in terms of culture, different groups, constituencies or any division that causes ethical pressure on decision-making, the managers must always be faced with a situation of having to determine on what to compromise for the sake of the other. Of course, any of the decisions or sides taken must always have its consequences and repercussions (Roberts 2001 p109-127). Therefore, for effective control of the ethical considerations within the organization calls for ensuring that there is unity within the organization. However, the concept of unity is relative since it is properly understood that there is no single identity to a moral principle. This is because while a certain act might seem moral to other people, to some people it might be a violation of what is considered a moral act and thus the irrationality in the ethical understanding of situations will always be a challenge to the managers in every organization. The existence of a wide range of sets of moral principles therefore, creates an appropriate atmosphere for various managers to ensure they use the appropriate principles to help encourage organizational ethics within the organization. Therefore, every aspect of morality in the organization is solvable and achievable through following the variety of moralities, normative ethics and ethical codes available and suitable for the smooth operations of the organization (Watson 2003 p167-185). Since there is no single code of moral conduct for all organizations, the managers thus can ensure that the organization adopt a moral principle strategy that better suits the organization. This is thus an effective way of ensuring that managers control ethics within the organization. It is thus evident that managers play a significant role in controlling the ethics within the organization. It thus forces them to devise various ways of ensuring that they seek to do so. Analysts insist that various managers take different approaches to dealing with ethics within the organization. According to Watson (2003), some managers such as Glenn insist that it is not always mandatory that managers must give in to the ethical demands in the organization. The manager goes on to insist that credibility is a critical component of management, and to some extent, giving in to every ethical demand within an organization compromises the credibility of in managerial work. Therefore, a manager does not entirely need to work primarily in an ethical fashion when it comes to the matters involving decision-making (Brooks & Dunn 2009). Therefore, according to this perspective, having generalization that any decision should be made based on morality is unlikely to be effective. However, the concept of doing the right thing is relative. Some managers consider any decision made to help the organization out of any critical position as morally correct. On the other hand, it might be possible that that decision was not morally correct based on the other judgements. However, since it helped in a certain situation therefore makes it gain a moral concept in a different perspective. However, Watson (2003), covers the story of a manager called Glenn, and in the story, the manager admits that the only effective way that she can properly ensure control of ethics is through dealing with the dilemmas at a personal cost (Watson 2003 p167-185). This means that for managers to ensure that they effectively control ethics there are some personal beliefs or values that they must be willing to compromise for the sake of the organization. However, in such situations the managers must be careful to not be dragged down based on their change of values and beliefs as a grain on their personal morality. Another easier way to ensure control of ethics in the organization is through teamwork. In most circumstances, managers are always making decisions on a personal level and thus less of consideration is always given to other people within the position or other positions within the organization. This is because it is expected that managers be able to control and come up with decisions without being too much dependent on other people. However, with ethics within the organization, most researchers indicate that managers who have been able to control ethics in an effective manner within the organization have done so through consultations and teamwork (Jameron 2011 p1-4). Therefore, for effective ethics control, managers consult with their executive and other managers within the organization just to ensure that all of them are having the same look at the situation and therefore, this enables them to make proper and effective ethical decisions. This is significant since the reputation of the company does not solely depend on one manager, but it depends on the various stakeholders within the organization. Another effective way of ensuring that managers control ethics in an effective way is through using the various available business rhetoric in pursuing ethical concern in line with the personal values, which creates awareness of the ethical contradictions that might be inevitable in the organization (Watson 2003 p167-185). It is true that within the business fraternity, there is a lack of consensus on a shared set of values within a society. Therefore, though some ethical concerns might be seen as general to all organizations, distinctions within these organizations do exist based on the culture within that organization. Therefore, the simplest lesson that most managers learn when the management is faced with a question of how to effectively control ethics within the organization is by understanding that there is no a pure ethical form of management (Roberts 2001 p109-127). It comes a time when the organization is faced with two contradicting situations, which are both, not as ethical as is expected, and yet the managers are to come up with an ethical solution to such situations. Therefore, in such cases, the managers are expected to take a stand though it is understood that this stand cannot be purely moral. Managers are expected in every practical situation to find a compromising decision, which is most appropriate for situations the organization finds itself in (Mullins 2007). However, as most managers would confess to this, it is essential for managers make personal significant moral inputs to the company or organization's decision-making process. However, this should only happen as long as these inputs would justify the benefits that the organization will get from these decisions. Another significant aspect of management in ethics control and enhancement is by working within the required business grounds. This is through working within the policies since in most circumstances; policies created are always in line with the organizational ethics and requirements (Jameron 2011 p1-4). However, an understanding is evident within most managers that ethics play an important role in the organization, especially in attaining the long-term goals of the organization. This is because the future relationship and operation of the organization depends on how it relates to both the internal and external worlds. Nevertheless, it is critical to note that, it is not required that at all times the organization must give in to these demands. This is a practical situation since it for example employees would want an increase in salary every year, it is expected that to some extent, especially if the company is not making quite an improvement in its business, the managers would not give in to the employees’ demands (Mattingly 2004 p520-524). In addition, it is significant to note that various ethical principles are applicable in different situations that managers face. In some difficult situations, it is expected that managers make the most appropriate decisions and this is much possible if the managers ensure they utilize the various ethical principles such as the deontological principle that requires that people be treated with equal measures (Williams 2011). This is at times significant to the organization. All in all, managers with significant knowledge in such principles are able to come up with proper control of ethics within the organization. One of the major conclusions that can be made from this research essay is that managers are at most cases faced with dilemmas that require wise decisions when it comes to the control of ethics within organizations. Reflective accounts encountered clearly gives the impression that managers must reach a compromise in most situations when dealing with ethical concerns within the organization. Knowledge of various ethical principles become of high significance in such scenarios since managers must know how to balance the ethical requirements to suit the current situations within the organization. However, it is also evident that this area of effective ethical control from the managers’ perspective still requires a lot of research. In overall though it is clear that managers can effectively control ethics within the organizations they manage. References: Brooks J L & Dunn P 2009, Business and professional ethics: for directors, executives and accountants, Stamford: Cengage Learning. 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