How ethics can impact a business organization

Introduction

Ethics within the workplace has become a very contentious and polarizing issue of late. For one the role of employers and their ability to dictate health decisions have become a point of focus. This topic in particularly is a critical ethical element as it sets a precedent for future workplace ethics questions. As it relates to COVID-19 do employers have an ethical right to mandate masks and vaccines. Likewise, from a workplace perspective is taking the vaccine the correct ethical action to take, even if it goes against the personal beliefs of the individual? In addition, what responsibility does an employee have to his fellow employees and to what extent should they go to protect them? All of these issues are ethical questions that many companies are grappling within the workplace environment. Exacerbating this issue is the political elements associate with vaccines and masks that creates a very contentious debate on both sides of the issue (Alas, 2009).

To begin, workplace ethics is defined as the moral code used to help guide behaviors within the workplace. It helps to foster a foundation and framework around human conduct and what is considered “right” and “wrong” with the workplace. Ethical behavior is a boon for organizations as it first helps to establish and solidify positive employee interactions that ultimately lead to corporate growth. Research has shown that organizations that engage in ethical behaviors often out-perform those who do not (Bedi, 2016). Organizations that cheat, cut-corners, using accounting trickery to make earnings reports, and obfuscate critical data, often fall significantly behind peers that do not. Likewise organization that leverage their ethical standards to promote a sense of “good” in the world also outperform their unethical peers. For example, organizations that look to lower carbon emissions, give frequently to charitable organizations, and share a higher percentage of profits with employees tend to perform better in the market. The critical element here, is that it is in the best interests of all organizations to behave in an ethical manner to help foster overall economic growth and development. Due in part social media, the damage resulting for unethical behavior within the workplace can be very severe and swift.

Like ethical behavior in the workplace also improve employee outcomes as well. According to research conducted by Hock, ethical leaders within the work place environment has a strong impact on the behaviors and decision of those under their purview (Brown, 2006). These ultimately leads to positive outcomes within the work environment as employees have higher trust within the organization, higher engagement, and higher job satisfaction. This high job satisfaction also culminates into higher employee retention rates and lower turnover costs within the organization. A review of the literature indicates that simply perceiving a manager are ethical and have good intentions an impact an employees behavior. Likewise, with the work environment itself, businesses are undergoing vast amounts of technological change. This change has resulting in alterations to business environment, operations and staff. Through ethical leadership, employees are much better positioned to navigate this change as they trust in the strategic direction of the organization and the leadership of management. Ultimately this trust, fosters a sense in belief as it relates to change management with the workplace. Given the rapid and dramatic change of technology within the work environment, this form of ethics will prove invaluable to organizations looking to continue their overall growth trajectory (Arar, 2016).

Ethics within the workplace often indicate other salient attributes about the organization and its leadership. This also helps to shape the overall culture of the organization through proper dissemination of the meaning of ethical behavior within the workplace. This ultimately informs employees as to what behaviors will be rewarded or supported within the organization and which behaviors will be punished. An ethical culture within the workplace are essentially a culmination of the belief and values of the organization that inform employees on acceptable methods to behave. Ordinary this ethical framework is predicated on societal norms that are accepted by a vast majority of the public. For example bribery within the United States within the work environment is particularly frowned upon. Society often accepts that is it unethical to bride those within the work place for promotions or to initiate a particularly business contract. Here, the prevailing wisdom is that bribery ultimately undermines the capitalistic system and meritocracy that underpins the success of the nation. By initiating a bribery for a positive outcome, the integrity of the system comes into question thus creating further incentives for other to engage in this behavior. Likewise, it allocates resources to parties who otherwise do not deserve them, thus negatively impacting the market system. For these reasons bribes are illegal with the United States which is generally accepted by society as ethical (Babalola, 2016).