Individual Moral Development, Organizational Cultural Values - Coursework Example

NAME: COURSE: INSTRUCTOR: DATE: BUSINESS ETHICS Introduction In a situation where I am being encouraged to inflate my expense account in order to defraud a company, my choice would be most affected by my individual moral development. In such a situation, how my morals have been developed and nurtured since childhood will be more at play as compared to the cultural values of the organization. Cultural values of an organization are more generally a set of virtues that show up in our day to day behavior in organizational settings. On the other hand, individual moral development is a person’s lifelong activity in relation to morality and handling of situations with integrity, dignity and sobriety (Turiel, 2013, p.2).This means that individual moral development will be the key tool in directing one on how to handle such a situation. In addition to that, upholding cultural values of an organization would only help in such situation had I been under supervision or was being monitored by other officials in the company. These set values would only deter me from inflating my expenses account with the intention of pleasing my supervisor and staying within the framework of the organization’s cultural values. However, in a situation like the one described above, only working within the threshold of the organization’s cultural values would not be enough. This is because no one would be watching my flow of operations. Worse still, there is encouragement from my peers and colleagues to go ahead with the fraud. Making the right decision here would therefore be really determined by my individual moral development and standing. Individual Moral Development In his book, The Development of Social Knowledge: Morality and Convention (2013, p.2), Turiel defines morality as the principles developed by people regarding their treatment of others in a just and fair manner that protects their welfare and rights. This is a virtue that one has to develop right from their infancy till maturity. Moral development entails what a person believes, their emotions, intentions and behavior while in a social setting. In a business setting where high levels of integrity are required, for instance to avoid the pressure of inflating one’s expenses account, individual moral development would go a long way in determining their course of action. There are a number of factors that determine individual and moral development. One of these factors is a person’s relations with other people. The type of people one relates with especially during their childhood determines the lifelong development of their moral standing (Smetana, 2006). During childhood, one mainly relates with their parents, peers or caretakers and teachers. These are the people who will determine the child’s morality in the long run. Apart from the conventional rules set by the society regarding justice and fair treatment of people, individual morality regarding one’s own set of principles has to be imparted in children at this early age. Children also tend to copy behaviors and mannerisms from the people around them. This means that parental attributes and values are key in affecting their children’s’ moral development and emotional reactions (Konchaska, et al. 2010). This would also most likely extend to how they carry themselves in adulthood. Morality is also driven by one’s intentions. An example is given by Peterson (2012, p.1) that really relates to the situation above regarding inflation of one’s expenses account. If the individual has to inflate the account in order to get extra money for his/her family that is in an economic struggle, the pressure to go ahead with the fraud will be much stronger. However, if the extra money is meant for their individual pleasure, their moral standing will lead them against continuing with the fraud. Individual moral development may also be determined by a person’s stereotypes and beliefs which are more generally linked to the group setting in which the individual exists. A popular belief among members of the group an individual associates with will definitely get rooted in the individual’s morality. If the group has an established prejudice against someone or thing, it is unlikely that an individual within that group will have a positive attitude towards the same thing (Stangor, 2009). If I, for instance associate with a religious group that discourages fraud by all means, I would not possibly go ahead with the inflation of my expenses account because of my individual moral development as dictated by the group of people I associate with. Other factors that determine one’s moral development include the societal cultures and personal emotions. Individual moral development, being a lifelong process, is not a one-time sort of achievement. Kohlberg (1971) divides the process of individual moral development into three distinct stages. These are the pre-conventional stage, conventional and the post-conventional stages. These stages have met the criteria of qualitative uniqueness, are structurally whole, are developed in a sequence that does not vary and cut across all cultures. The pre-conventional stage of moral development involves children operating under the face of what is wrong and what is right. Here, one is almost compelled to keep doing the right thing in order to meet the requirements of those who are above them in authority. The second stage, conventional stage, involves individuals who want to meet what is expected of their actions by their peers, families or society at large. Here, a person’s main desire is to be identified with a particular group or go by its code of operations. The last stage, the post-conventional stage, is where an individual lays down his/her own principles regarding morality. The principles ought to be applicable to the individual’s current situations and be valid enough. Here, one does not have to conform to any other person’s opinions or expectations. However, critics have dismissed Kohlberg’s theory of individual moral development as very assumptive to matters of gender and moral judgment (Mcleod, 2013, p.1). Individual moral development is definitely a business ethic that is very important in organizations. First, morality in business protects the business’s assets. Employees with a strong moral upstanding would not steal the business’s assets or use them for personal gains. Moral development also makes the workforce productive and team oriented. When morality is encouraged in business, the values of the business match with those of the workforce. The result is a motivated employee base that is willing to work through dialogue and with integrity (Russell, 2014, p.1). In addition to that, individual moral development improves the organization’s public image. Organizations that encourage morality and uphold business ethics tend to acquire a lot of respect and admiration from the general public. Moral development is also critical in decision making. Russell (2014) observes that a workforce that is morally upright will tend to make decisions based on ethical principles. Such people are also very accountable and transparent in any decisions that they make. Schweppes (2002) adds that good ethical conduct can draw customers to a company which in turn increases their sales and profitability. The company’s employees also identify with the business and are maintained which cuts down on labor turnover. Lastly, moral development could serve as a way of attracting investors into the business. As a result, the price of the company’s shares will remain high in the securities exchange. Organizational Cultural Values Organizational cultural values are the collective virtues and approved behavioral practices in an organization. Organizational values tend to lean more on the customary way of doing things and the political setting of organizations (Burgeoise, 2008, p.1). Examples of cultural values of some organizations may include honesty, process orientation, and customer focus or technology orientation. Most organizational cultural values are created way back by the founders of the organizations. They are then passed on through the years. These values may have been derived from the behavior of the founders or generally how they acted. However, as the organization develops and changes in management styles and patterns, the cultural values can change with time. Still, these values can only take root and make an impact on the organization if the management is well committed to the process of change and communicates it effectively to the employees (Burgeoise, 2008). Organizations can identify their set of cultural values by conducting an internal audit of their current cultures. This can be done by interviewing the top management and employees regarding the existing organizational cultures and their effectiveness. An assessment of whether the results match with the desired culture is then conducted. When the gap has been established, appropriate measures are put in place to close it and strive to get to the appropriate and desired cultural values of the organization. Cultural values of an organization are important in a number of ways. First, they can go a long way in maximizing an organization’s profits (Burgeoise, 2008). The cost of cultural values that fail to be upheld could be very high and managers can cut down on such costs in order to maximize profits. In addition to that, cultural values create order and professionalism in an organization. Employees avoid doing as they wish and strive to operate within the threshold of the cultural values. The result is a very disciplined and able workforce. Lastly, cultural values make an organization successful because they create accountability among the workforce and the need for progress. Conclusion In conclusion, organizations really need to encourage individual moral development if they have to prosper and uphold ethical standards. Furthermore, as much as they try to uphold their cultural values, it is necessary that companies be open to other cultures and standards. Multicultural operations and high moral standards are the ultimate key to success by any organization. Bibliographies Burgeoise, R. (2008). Defining the Value of Culture within an Organization. Bliss & Associates Inc. Available from http://www.blissassociates.com/html/articles/culture_organization08.html. (Accessed: 14th May 2014) Kohlberg, L. (1971). Stages of Moral Development. Available from http://www.moodle.unitec.ac.inz/file.php/950/Day_9_Childhood/Stages_of_Moral_Development_According_to_Kohlberg.pdf (Accessed: 14th May 2014) Konchaska, G., Koenig, J., Barry, R., & Yoon, J. (2010). Children’s Conscience during Toddler and Preschool Years, Moral Self, and a Competent Adaptive Developmental Trajectory. Development Psychology, 46, 1320-1332. Mcleod, S. (2013). Kohlberg. Simply Psychology. Available from http://www.Simplypsychology.org/Kohlberg.html (Accessed: 14th May 2014) Peterson, L. (2012, November 1). What Do Managers Need, and Would You Be Up to the Challenge? Available from http://www.larkin284.blogspot.com/2012/11/imagine-yourself-in-a-situation-of-being.html (Accessed: 14th May 2014) Russell, A. (2014). The Benefits and Importance of Ethics in the Workplace. Global Post. Available from http://www.everydaylife.globalpost.com/benefits-importance-ethics-workplace-7414.html (Accessed: 14th May 2014) Schweppes, C. (2012). The Importance of Ethics in Business. Business Case Studies. Available from http://www.businesscasestudies.co.uk/cadbury-schweppesðical-business-practices/the-importance-of-ethics-in-business.html(Accessed: 14th May 2014) Smetana, J. (2006). Social-Cognitive Domain Theory: Consistencies and Variations in Children’ Moral and Social Judgments. Handbook of Moral Development (p. 19-154). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Stangor, C. (2009). The Study of Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination within Social Psychology: A Quick History of Theory and Research. Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination (p.1-22). New York: Psychology Press. Turiel, E. (1998). The Development of Social Knowledge: Morality and Convention. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More