Shaping Organizational Culture and Ethics: A Literature Review

Introduction and Current Situation

Organizational culture and ethics are two critical components that define an organization's character, values, beliefs, and norms. The culture of an organization determines how things are done, how decisions are made, how people interact with each other, and how work is accomplished. Ethical behavior is essential for establishing and maintaining trust among stakeholders and is the foundation for an organization's reputation. In recent years, the importance of shaping a positive culture and ethical behavior in organizations has gained significant attention due to several high-profile ethical breaches and scandals. These incidents have led to a loss of public trust and confidence in organizations and, in some cases, have resulted in legal and financial consequences. As a result, many organizations have focused on developing a strong ethical culture to avoid such negative outcomes and improve their reputation.

Several factors contribute to shaping the culture and ethics of an organization, including leadership, communication, training, policies, and procedures. To create and maintain a positive organizational culture, leaders must provide clear guidance, set the tone, and model ethical behavior themselves. Effective communication is also critical to ensuring that employees understand the values and goals of the organization, as well as their own roles and responsibilities. Training programs can help employees understand and apply the organization's code of conduct and ethical principles. Policies and procedures provide a framework for employees to follow and hold them accountable for their behavior.

Historical Development of the Literature

A chronological perspective can be used to trace the evolution of ideas and research in the area of shaping organizational culture and ethics. Early work in this field focused on establishing the link between a positive organizational culture and ethical behavior, while more recent studies have investigated the role of specific leadership styles or the impact of technology on organizational culture.

The literature in this review does not follow a strict chronological order. However, it can be observed that the earlier sources focus more on the effects of work ethic and organizational commitment on unethical pro-organizational behavior, as well as the relationship between entrepreneurship and ethics — themes explored in the articles by Grabowski et al. and Vallaster et al. The later sources, meanwhile, focus more on the role of leadership, culture, and mindset in promoting ethical behavior in organizations. In particular, the articles by Metwally et al., Lewellyn and Muller-Kahle, Astrachan et al., Canning et al., Goswami et al., and Ouakouak et al. all address aspects of leadership, culture, or both. These later sources also tend to use more recent data and research methods, reflecting the evolving nature of the field.

Methods and Standards

This literature review includes peer-reviewed articles from reputable journals published between 2019 and 2021. The sources were selected based on their relevance to the theme of shaping organizational culture and ethics. The review is arranged thematically based on the key concepts that emerged from the selected sources, with each theme representing a common thread found throughout the literature. This approach allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the research in the field, as well as the relationships between different topics and sub-topics. Each source is cited using APA citation style, which allows readers to easily locate and access the original material. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a concise and informative summary of current research in the field of organizational culture and ethics.