Ethical Principles and Practices

Ethical Principles and Practices

Most employees and business professionals face ethical dilemmas periodically. They can emanate from business contracts, decision making, or rewards. It is imperative for an individual facing an ethical situation to consult widely on the best response. Poor ethical practices can result in a moral decay, or deterioration of the organization’s reputation and performance (Thornton, 2013).

Jacob’s Dilemma

Jacob is faced with an ethical dilemma of enjoying the bonus check of more than $ 10, 000 alone without sharing the proceeds with his colleague. He might be tempted to use the money to cover medical bills. On the other hand, he is aware that Krystal, his colleague, handled most of the work single-handedly.

Therefore, Jacob should inform Krystal about the bonus money. He should consider sharing the bonus equally because each of them had a role to play to ensure the success of the presentation. Alternatively, Jacob is at liberty to notify the management of Topeka on Krystal’s contribution and their arrangement. This way, the organization can consider rewarding Krystal as well.

Factors

There are several contributing factors to unethical behavior among the employees. First, most workers are pressurized to engage in activities they do not normally do.  Pressure to meet deadlines and to succeed tops the list. Others engage in conduct unethical business practices because of the need for bonuses or the mounting pressure from co-workers. Second, a number of employees make unethical business choices as they are ill-informed. In this case, it is hard to predict the obvious ethical choice. Thirdly, the employees can be driven by personal gain, ambition, or self-interest to act unethically. This is a common phenomenon in a business environment where unfair competition is common. Fourth, unethical conduct in the workplace results from misguided loyalty towards the top management or the organization. Finally, other employees do not care or heed to the calls for ethical practices. They lack moral and ethical values necessary in applying or understanding ethical standards.

Steps for Appropriate Ethical Decisions

            When faced with ethical dilemmas, the employees should first consult the firm's code of ethics for guidance. Then, the employee is supposed to share the ethical dilemma with his/her supervisor to source for an amicable solution. Thereafter, the individual faced with an ethical situation can consult the business executives because they are the decision makers in the organization. Besides, the executives are experienced and competent. Therefore, they can provide unique and resourceful insight to an ethical problem. It is also important for an employee to consult peers from other companies, though the information on the organizational secrets should not be divulged. Lastly, a reference to past news articles on how other rivaling firms solved their ethical issues is welcomed. It offers a glimpse of the potential consequences on each of the decisions made. 

How the Organization can Help Employees

The first step that the organization should consider is to write business code of ethics. Each employee should be served with a copy to provide guidance and an outline on the expectations. Secondly, the organization should enroll the managers and employees in a training program on business ethics. Such an investment is crucial in imparting moral qualities in the workforce. Next, the organization should encourage each employee to observe each other’s perspective during decision making. Finally, the business entity should serve as an example for its staff to emulate. Business ethics should flow at all levels of the organization. In fact, it should be part of the organizational culture.

Steps for ensuring Ethical Operations

The organization should set the bar for ethical values, behaviors, and attitudes. Employees that do not meet the requirements should be considered for dismissal, suspension or a disciplinary action. Secondly, the firm should motivate ethics by pursuing it as a core objective. In the long-run, the employees will adopt the culture and become empowered. Thirdly, the ethics should be sustained in the face of opposing pressures. It should be engrained in the firm’s policies so that the employees cannot function the other way. Lastly, the corporation should engage all the employees in a critical mass to ensure a true reflection of ethics in all the factions of the internal environment (O’Sullivan et al., 2012).

In summary, it is clear that ethical business practices are crucial in ensuring the long-term success of the organization. The management, the employees and the organization have a role to play to sustain ethical practices in the long run. As such, an investment in training of employees and the management is vital.

References

O'Sullivan, P., Smith, M., & Esposito, M. (Eds.). (2012). Business ethics: a critical approach: integrating ethics across the business world. London: Routledge.

Thornton, L. F. (2013). 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership. Leading in Context LLC.