10 Benefits of Managing Ethics in the Workplace
Many people are used to reading or hearing of the moral benefits of attention to business ethics. However, there are other types of benefits, as well. The following list describes various types of benefits from managing ethics in the workplace.
1. Attention to business ethics has substantially improved society. A matter of decades ago, children in our country worked 16-hour days. Workers’ limbs were torn off and disabled workers were condemned to poverty and often to starvation. Trusts controlled some markets to the extent that prices were fixed and small businesses choked out. Price fixing crippled normal market forces. Employees were terminated based on personalities. Influence was
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Ethics programs help avoid criminal acts “of omission” and can lower fines. Ethics programs tend to detect ethical issues and violations early on so they can be reported or addressed. In some cases, when an organization is aware of an actual or potential violation and does not report it to the appropriate authorities, this can be considered a criminal act, e.g., in business dealings with certain government agencies, such as the Defense Department. The recent Federal Sentencing Guidelines specify major penalties for various types of major ethics violations. However, the guidelines potentially lowers fines if an organization has clearly made an effort to operate ethically.
7. Ethics programs help manage values associated with quality management, strategic planning and diversity management -- this benefit needs far more attention. Ethics programs identify preferred values and ensuring organizational behaviors are aligned with those values. This effort includes recording the values, developing policies and procedures to align behaviors with preferred values, and then training all personnel about the policies and procedures. This overall effort is very useful for several other programs in the workplace that require behaviors to be aligned with
The author Robert Solomon argues that ethics has to an integral part with regard to business management. He does not believe that business management must include unethical or illegal methods to be able to succeed. Solomon preaches that business management is not as simple as obtaining revenue. “Businesses need to abide by fair policies and their owners have to be ethical in dealing with their customers” (Shaw p. 37). The author acknowledges that while illegal practices in business management could bring positive results at first, eventually the business is bound to fail. This is why Solomon recommended eight important policies that can help businesses in integrating ethics into their operations.
Ethics programs take the organization several steps above compliance when not only complying with the law, but adhering to the values of the organization and society by encouraging members to always do the right thing (Nelson, 2012). Values such as respect, integrity, and honesty help to guide business decisions (Ruddell, 2004). Ethics programs can be involved in conflict resolution when competing values cause an ethical dilemma (Nelson, 2012).
Effects of products/services and in relationships with stakeholders. That attention to business ethics is critical during times of fundamental change -- times much like those faced now by businesses, both nonprofit and for-profit. In times of fundamental change, values that were previously taken for granted are now strongly questioned. Many of these values are no longer followed. Consequently, there is no clear moral compass to guide leaders through complex dilemmas about what is right or wrong. Attention to ethics in the workplace sensitizes leaders and staff to how they should act. Perhaps most important, attention to ethics in the workplaces helps ensure that
In 1991, the U.S enacted the U.S Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The purpose of the guideline was to create incentives for corporations to adjust or create strong ethical programs that detect and manage illegal behavior. The impact on American businesses is prevalent in today’s corporate environment. There are instances where the guideline is used as a model for ethics program. The impact on US companies range from creating or enhancing ethical training to creating ethics officers. Other impact decisions include the creation of ethics offices and ethics hotlines. By using the sentencing guideline, companies have strengthened their ethical programs while focusing on remaining compliant, avoiding fines or legal
There should be training on ethical behavior for all everyone in the organization, including executives, managers, and employees. The ethics program is essentially of no use unless all staff members are trained about what it is, how it works and their roles in it. All staff must be aware of and act in full accordance with policies and procedures, so it is imperative to make ethical training mandatory for all employees from the top down in order to set a good example that specifies no employee is above the law. Training should permit all employees to become familiar with the company's code of ethics, and also include topics such as responsibility, respect, impartiality, trustworthiness and empathy. The ethics program is essentially useless unless all staff members are trained about what it is, how it works and their roles in it (Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers, n.d.).
My thesis is that the core of business is moral just as the core of any
Essentially, ethics programs are meant to affect how people think about and address ethical issues that arise on the job. Gretchen Winter, vice president of business practices at Baxter International, puts it this way: By providing employees with ethics standards, training, and resources to get advice, organizations seek to create a work environment where (1) it’s okay for employees to acknowledge that they have an ethical dilemma, and (2) resources are readily available to guide employees in working through such dilemmas before making decisions (Joseph, 2000).
Also the importance of understanding ethics in a business is away of collecting lacking information of employees involved, like power or to helping to harm the employees, customers and everyone involved in the company. One of the most positive ethic roles a company is practicing giving to charity donation each year is practicing ethical behavior. The benefit of the company can allow additional taxes, and send a positive message. Therefore, the business can bring in a lot more customer’s, and increase a positive image towards the relationship with the business to allow the firm to bring in more new employees. Also business and personal ethics is a learning experience for young and through adulthood, is a practice through our daily lives. Some business give their employees information that contain statements, policies, and other responsibilities that all employee should follow. While these effects are if the employee refuse to respect the organization by following the business guidelines.
Every year in the United States there are many business’s that shut down due to unethical practice. There are many people who run a small business or even a multimillion business that don’t know exactly what ethics are. Ethics are rules which I will go into detail later. There are many reasons why we should follow those rules, how it effects the reputation of the company, what are the outcomes of ethical actions, and what are the outcomes of unethical actions.
Company X believes in upholding and maintaining the highest level of ethical behaviors and complying with all federal, state and local laws. This Ethical Program Policy is to clarify and ensure consistency of all standards of Company X. All employees are important contributors to the success of our company. We expect all of our employees to adhere to the Ethics Program as outlined in the employee handbook and in this policy.
Ethics in the world today help generation from generation, even unborn generation to know what is wrong and what is right. It helps everybody in the world to behave in a cultured manner. Ethics use in an organization have effect on the morale and loyalty of the workers especially when the management has good ethical standards. When workers morale are boosted and loyalty level increases, there will be increase in productivity level, thereby increasing the economy in the world.
When applied well, it can be a powerful tool in improving a company 's ethical climate. Ethics programs provide guidance in addition to the ethics code. They are responsible for implementing the guidelines that were established. This can include ethics training, development of policies, investigation of violations and allegations, and disciplinary actions. My organization maintains an ethics code, which is printed in the employee handbook. It covers all the standard points as far as employee conduct and corporate environment are concerned. However, the company lacks follow-through in the form of ethics programs. There is no existing ethics training or program in any form. Complaints of a minor nature are not always investigated thoroughly, which leads to a lack of motivation on the employees ' part to lodge a complaint. Ethics do not seem to play a vital role in the planning process of my organization.
Ethics is good for business (Ruddell, 2004). During a lecture, Ruddell emphasized the goals for establishing an ethics program includes “creating an ethical culture, building a high performance organization to reap the financial benefits and to gain a competitive advantage” (2015). Leaders determine if they wish to pursue a compliance based model or a value based model (Ruddell, 2004).
Ethics involve an individual's moral judgments concerning what is right and/or wrong. Individuals or groups of people are responsible for making decisions in an organization (shaw, 2008). Decisions within the organization are always emanate from the company's culture. However, the decision to act ethically and morally requires an individual judgment. Thus, members of staff are obligated to make decisions that reflect their right course of action (shaw, 2008). This involves rejecting the option that could lead to the greatest short-term gain. The leadership of most organizations stresses the need to adopt ethical behaviors and corporate social responsibility. Ethical dealings can earn the organization various benefits. For instance, it may attract more clients to the business thus boosting sales; employees could be motivated to stay longer in the organization thereby reducing recruitment expenditures. Ethical behaviors could also earn the business a favorable reputation that could attract investors. Categorically, a lack of social responsibility or unethical behavior may hurt the firm's reputation and scare away investors. Sales and profits could fall in the process.
Ethics ensure that a company achieves its mission, vision, goals, and objectives in such a manner that they give a company a sense of direction and framework. Ethics ensure guidelines are creating that bind the entire organization into one common thread, govern the action of the organizational employees, and avoid deviation from the desired strategic path. Five ways a company can ensure ethics is including in their strategic planning are