Transcript Ethics in the Workplace

Ethics in the Workplace
Chapter 2
Utility and Utilitarianism
Moral Duty, Rights, and Justice
Common Workplace Ethics
2
Ethics in the Workplace
The application of moral principles, standards of
behavior, or set of values regarding proper conduct
in the workplace as individuals and in a group
setting •
Defining “Organizational ethics: ”
Organizational ethics: Sets of formal and informal standards of conduct
that people use to guide their behavior at work These standards are
partly based on core values such as honesty, respect, and trust,
but they also can be learned directly from the actions of others. For
example, what people see their organizational leaders, managers, and
coworkers do on the job can influence their own views of what is
acceptable or unacceptable behavior.
.
Ethics program:
The formal policies, practices, and processes
that organizations develop to deal with their
own ethical issues
Tips on Establishing an Ethics Program •
Establishing an ethics program is not an exact
science. As with the development of other
organizational programs, it involves the input,
interaction, cooperation, decision-making, and
ongoing commitment of many people.,
, •
What is autonomy in ethics?
Autonomy in ethics refers to individual •
freedom or one’s right to make decisions
without being coerced. It is the concept of
social, political and ethical morals that give
individuals the rational right to make their
own informed choices. The individual’s
decisions are also guided by the principles
of what is right and wholesome as given
by sensible conscience and as defined by
the society
Justice
offices and positions must be open to
everyone under conditions of fair equality of
opportunity
right
correct in judgment, opinion, or action •
duty:
a task or action that a person is bound to
perform for moral or legal reasons
Good Workplace Ethics•
Staying productive •
• Be accountable for your actions •
• Take initiative •
be able to solve problems •
• Be punctual •
• Stay positive •
• Stay professional •
• Take pride in your work •
Poor Ethics
• Illegal practices
• Stealing
• Ignoring procedures and policies
• Falsifying information
• Making decisions for your own personal gain
• Lack of communication
• Withholding information
Consequences of
Poor Ethics in the Workplace
Stricter rules •
An undesirable work environment •
Causes a domino affect among other colleagues •
Potential job loss •
Potential closing of the organization •
an employee’s ethical behavior is driven by a variety of factors:
Employees who feel pressured to meet company demands may engage in bad
behavior to get ahead.
Establishing high employee morale.
encouraging upright behavior is essential for raising ethical standards in the
workplace.
The human resources department can help educate staff members on proper
ethical practices so they can learn what actions and behaviors are
unacceptable.
Supervision is also essential to assure that employees and leaders within a
company are ethically and legally compliant with local and state rules and
regulations.
. Correcting employees is essential for reducing the of unethical actions in the
work environment.
“Should the performance
feedback session follow a
corrective or punitive
approach?”
Stephany,
HR, Executive
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Employees, having strong
ethics in personal and
professional life, need no
explanation, unlike those
employees for whom work
ethics is a growing
problem.
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How to Encourage Good Ethics in the Workplace
Fair treatment
Communication
• Have office policies
• Transparency
• Trainings
• Have plans of action
• Constructive feedback
Special Obligations for the Employer
Social Security
Pension (retirement)
Healthcare
Occupational Risks
Transportation Subsidy
Maternity Leave
Vacation
Social Security Benefits Provided by the Employer
Utilitarianism
An ethical theory that holds that an action is
right if it tends to produce, the greatest
amount of good for the greatest number of
people affected by the action. Otherwise the
action is wrong.
Act utilitarianism holds that each individual
action, in all its concreteness and in all its
detail, is what should be subjected to the
utilitarian test.
Utilitarianism
A moral theory that dictates that people must •
choose the action or follow the rule that
provides the greatest good to society.
This does not mean the greatest good for the •
greatest number of people.
Has been criticized because it is difficult to •
estimate the “good” that will result from
different actions.
Copyright © 2004 by PrenticeHall. All rights reserved.
Example: Airplane Manufacturing Case
An airplane manufacturer has spent a great deal of money •
developing a new plane.
The company badly needs cash since it is financially overextended. –
If it does not get orders soon, it’ll have to close down part of its operation. –
Doing that will put several thousand workers out of jobs. –
The president of the company bribes a foreign minister to insure purchase –
of the planes, arguing the good done overall justifies the use of bribery.