JAIIB PPB Unit 48 - Work Ethics and the Workplace

The problem of ‘work ethic’ is universal, but it has come to the focus meanwhile the turn of the millennium as scandals came up that have sunk the entire administrations, such as those related with Enron and WorldCom. Ethics has now become a required subject in many professional courses. Still, people find it perplexing to face the challenges they call ‘work ethic’.

Max Weber first invented the term work ethic in 1904. He said that it did not matter whether you were a woodcutter or a farmer, you could still find solace if you did your duty perfectly. There are genuine virtues such as hard work, frugality, honesty, perseverance and integrity that form the core of work ethic. All the values included in the set of ‘work ethic’ require us to have a degree of self-sacrifice, or dedicating ourselves to the task.

Something Bigger Than the Self

When an association wants to talk about the matters around work ethic, they will first need to ask how the structural culture is contributing. People will only offer their best when they bestow them to a cause which they believe in. They must see somewhat, which is bigger than they are.

Administrations will need to comprehend this unspoken need of employees for something bigger, if they really want to see people come to work and give their best unconditionally. Therefore, administrations need to define their vision, mission and strategies, which motivate the people. It is known as the benevolent intent of the organization.

People, who are interested, often find desire to work for their corporations. These people come to work with intent to let their organization achieve its goals, to support their peers and the organization for success, to empower their juniors and to grow them.

When workers feel that they are working for a better purpose, they will mechanically seek to exploit their own contribution. They feel their importance of their contribution to the organization. They will not feel that they are just working for the sake of compensation and it is a big achievement for the organization.

Conducting Personal Business during Office Time

Workers frequently spend most of their weekday hours on the office job. Occasionally, they often may be attracted to do personal business during office hours. Such performs can include setting up doctor's appointments using company phones, making tour-package bookings using their employer's computers or occasionally arranging calls for a side freelance business during office time.

The coming up ethical problem is quite clear – the employees are ill-treating their employer to conduct own business on company time. Though, what if you know that your children are ill? Is it then fine for you to go for a doctor's selection using company lines? The most common rule of thumb is, so, to check with the HR managers or managers to get an idea of what counts as an offense according to the company policies.

Taking Credit for Others' Work

Workers often have to work in teams to make up marketing operations, or develop new products for sale or fine-tune creative services, yet everybody in a group do not donate equally to the final product. If two members of a three-person team did all the work, will this mean that, these two people need to demand to receive proper credit while pointing out that the particular member did not do anything.

This is a precise simple yet a sharp question. Singling out co-workers in a negative light could stimulate dislike. A parallel thing could happen if all employees receive equal share of honour even when only a select few did the real work.

The best way to decide this kind of issues is not to let it occur in the first place. Team fellows should ensure that all members of a team perform some tasks to help complete a project.

Harassing Behavior

Employees often do not appreciate what they must do if they see one of their co-workers irritating another, either spiritually, sexually or physically.

Employees have to concern for their jobs while trying to report a superior for harassment. They may fear that they might be labelled a troublemaker if they report inappropriate behavior.

The best way rests with the staff members who usually develop the company's employee handbook. It is their job to tell workers that, they will not be penalized for reporting the harassing behavior or inappropriate actions.

The Solutions to Workplace Dilemmas

Ethics and value-based concerns in the office are often hard to handle when the employees need to choose between the right and wrong by their own principles. Smart companies who know how to implement workplace ethics policies are typically well ready for the potential conflicts of interest of opinion, values and culture in the workforce.

Though, managing ethical issues needs a steady and cautious approach to matters, which can potentially be dangerous or illegal.

Step 1: Documenting the Issues

• Grow a workplace policy liable on your company’s philosophy, mission statement and conduct guidance.
• Include the policy into your performance management program to hold employees accountable for their actions.
• Alert the employees to their everyday jobs to follow skilled standards in their job performance and interaction with peers and supervisors.
• Study the employee manual to include any missing policy and provide revised handbook to employees.
• Obtain written acknowledgement from employees that they have received and understood the workplace ethics policy.

Step 2: Training and Guidance for Up-Keeping Values

• Offer ethics training to employees.
• Offer instructions in learning how to address and resolve ethical dilemmas.
• Experiential learning, or role-play, may be used as an effective way to facilitate workplace ethics training.
• Offer instances of workplace ethics simulations, such as misappropriation of company funds, improper workplace relationships etc.

Step 3: Taking Effective Measures

• Designate an executive in-charge of handling employees’ concerns pertaining to workplace ethics.
• Consider whether your organization also needs an ethics hotline, a confidential benefit service for employees to contact whenever they need.
• Confidential hotlines assure employees’ anonymity, which is a concern for “whistle blowing” actions.

Step 4: The Legal and Private Angle

• Investigation and apply federal, state and municipal labor and employment laws pertaining to whistle blowing.
• Refrain from making suspension, termination decisions, in connection with whistle blowing or when employee’s right is protected under whistle blowing laws or public policy.
• Look for legal advice for the employee reports of workplace ethics issues that may increase your organization’s legal liability.

Step 5: Keeping the Standard Intact

• Apply office policy reliably while addressing employee concerns about workplace ethics.
• Use the similar standard in every condition, irrespective of the apparent intention, seriousness or the position of employees involved.
• Connect the same rules for all employees – whether executive or front-line production roles.
• Approach every issue with equal interpretation of the company policy.