...Ethics and Organizational Design- A Literature Review Abstract This literature review observes the views of organizational design and business ethics as they relate to one another in business. The first portion of this paper defines organizational design and business ethics to establish their importance and also examines managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility, sources of ethical principles. The second portion pursues to explain the relationship between business ethics and organizational design and how managers shape ethics through use of value-based leadership and formal structure systems. The third portion pursues to review the importance of ethics to organizational design and the structures that support or enforce ethical behavior in organizations. The fourth portion links literature reviewed and published over the past few years together based on their reference to ethics and organizational design. The literatures are linked together based on commonalities found in the opinions of the authors relating to a spiritual perspective, ethics and corporate structure, organizational and ethical theories, and ethical strategy. Last but not least, the review concludes with a summary of the important role that ethics plays in the organizational design and structure of a business and how it applies to members of management. Keywords: business ethics, organizational design, corporate social responsibility Outline INTRODUCTION I. Organizational Design/Business...
Words: 5201 - Pages: 21
...Applying Ethics in Business Judy Blair-Jackson Kaplan University Ethics in Business Since the past decade more companies are focusing on incorporating ethical principles in business transactions and decision-making. One of the factors that have caused this shift on ethical focus is the financial crisis in the corporate world. Many reputable companies, CEO’s, CFO’s, and auditors have been implicated for fraudulent business activities. It is hoped that if businesses focus on building an ethical culture in the organization this may act as a deterrent to management and employees engaging in unethical business transactions and decision-making. Schein (1985) posits that the “organization’s culture is a cognitive framework, consisting of attitudes, values, behavioral norms, and expectations shared by organization members” (as cited in Brooks & Dunn, 2012, p. 254). Organizational culture can positively or negatively affect employees’ behavior. Where there is no focus of management on ethical behavior, employees may get the wrong message about the company’s stance on ethical principles. On the other hand where management displays and discusses ethics with employees, this shows a commitment from them that the company’s values ethical principles and behaviors. Management’s commitment and support to ethical standards must be evident through their actions. Brooks & Dunn (2012) stated that “it is vital that organizations create an environment culture where appropriate shared...
Words: 1664 - Pages: 7
...Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review Abstract A review of the current literature regarding business ethics was conducted analyzing scholarly peer-reviewed articles about business ethics and their relation to leadership, managerial decision making, corporate social responsibility and overall corporate structure. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Organizations are expected by their stakeholders to implement strong ethics within their corporate structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Using these guidelines will help organizations overcome the various challenges allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in increased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. The review of the literature reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational...
Words: 6417 - Pages: 26
...General overview of organizational ethic policies Forbes magazine raised the issue in an article entitled, “Not Qualified for Obamacare’s Subsidies? Just Lie-Govt. To use ‘Honor System’ Without Verifying Your Eligibility” (2013, p.1). With the recent debates on whether or not Obama care is a critical component to ensure that individuals will receive health benefits, the ethical conversation must be debated throughout the United States of America amongst corporations and educational institutions which will be affected. According to Johnson, “The job of the leader, then, is to foster ethical accountability, to encourage followers to live up to their moral responsibilities to the rest of the group, (2012, p. 278. The author’s intent within is paper is to create of code of ethics that will demonstrate the significance of having an ethical and cultural competence in acceptance, understanding and sensitivity; both as an educational goal, and as a fundamental aspect of exemplifying responsibility and accountability. Rationale for the design of your code of ethics The motivation for designing a code of ethics stems from the author’s doctoral course on ethical dilemmas and stewardship. For this author, it opened the gateway to research for meaning and purpose to understand the importance on why educational, corporate and religious organizations must have a code of ethics that is grounded with integrity, authenticity and accountability. In order for a code of ethics to be in alignment...
Words: 1149 - Pages: 5
... | | |Organizational Ethics and Social Responsibility | Copyright © 2010, 2009, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course provides a foundational perspective for socially responsible management practices in business. Special emphasis is placed on the inter-related nature of ethics, moral, legal, and social issues in managing individuals, groups, and the organization within a business environment. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials DeGeorge, R. T. (2010). Business ethics (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. All...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
...Ethical Self-Assessment Paper Name HCS 545 Due Date Instructors Name Abstract Ethics are paramount to the healthcare management field, and the American College of Healthcare Executives has undertaken a number of initiatives to demonstrate the organization's commitment to ethics and support its members in making ethical decisions. (ACHE, 2013). This paper will examine the influence of individual ethics on decision making within the health care industry. It will discuss what the self-assessment taught me about my own ethical decision making, the effect of professional ACHE standards on my own ethical decision making, how individual ethics influence my decision making, and what strategies I can adopt to improve my ethical decision making in the future. Self-assessment Results The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) offers a self-assessment in which you examine yourself enabling you to learn more about yourself. The self-assessment is not a scoring assessment and therefor requires each individual to recognize the areas in which they have strong ethics, and areas that may need improvement. Any questions answered with “always” identified an area of potential weakness where ethics could be compromised. The self-assessment enabled me to see my strengths and weaknesses so that I could identify the areas in need of improvement. ACHE Standards ACHE standards have been established to help educate healthcare professionals regarding ethical decision making....
Words: 886 - Pages: 4
...Evaluation of Business Code of Ethics: Walmart Nina Brown PHL/323: Ethics in Management August 8, 2011 David Rubenstein Evaluation of Business Code of Ethics: Walmart A code of ethics is a set of written guidelines issued by an organization to its employees and management regarding ones conduct and behavior (Business Dictionary, 2011). Principles and standards are important, but they are also crucial in everyday life expectancy as well as his or her work setting. The function of a code of ethics policy is to provide its personnel, administration, board of directors, and others an orientation that abides by a business course of action, principles, and ethical standards. Each business should develop a code of ethics as a standard for his or her industry to abide by daily. It should concentrate on major factors important to the individually industry requirements. The honesty of an industry and its workers is essential to the general success of the organization as a unit. This evaluation focus is on Wal-Mart the number one fortune 500 company in the world. This process will include general information about Walmart including its mission statement, ethical system, and it putting into practice on an employee, management, or board of director level. This paper will also include information on modifying the existing policy, reactions expected from employees and managers, effects of organizational culture and the effect on the organization itself. History In 1962 the...
Words: 1630 - Pages: 7
...military and the standards of ethic and integrity within the organization. Specifically, I will the Air National Guard as a backdrop to determine conclusions, access organizational climate and provide feedback as it relates to ethics and integrity. Later in the paper I will name five steps leaders can consider to prevent, control or minimize destructive behaviors. Further, I will create clear distinctions between organizational compliance and organizational integrity and list elements that must be included to improve the integrity of the organization. Finally, I will share my opinion of my personal ethical stance; cultural relativist or universal ethicist. Upon defending my position, I hope to clarify my ethical stance and support this stance in my leadership as a military chaplain and officer. The United State Air Force In 1997, I was commissioned to serve in the Air Force National Guard in the rank of 1st Lieutenant. I joined the Air Guard because I wanted to serve in ministry beyond the local parish. Additionally, I embraced the core values of the Air Force and wanted the integration of those values in my personal and professional life as a civilian. Each branch of the Armed Forces has a set of core values specifically developed to support the mission of each branch of service. The Air Force core values are: “integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do” (Myers, 1997, p. 38). As a chaplain, my mission is to support the core values of the Air Force and to...
Words: 2458 - Pages: 10
...Organizational culture and behavior Organizational Culture and Behavior name MGT344 Instructor University of Phoenix Introduction This paper will discuss a few of the key components of an organization. The components include; organizational culture and behavior, diversity, communication, business code of ethics and an efficient and the importance of effective change management. This paper will provide and example of each of these components from an organization I have been employed by or am currently employed with. Organizational culture and behavior Shared values and beliefs influence each organizational member’s behavior and build the organization’s culture. These shared values and beliefs build relationships within an organization. Key concepts of organizational behavior include diversity, communication, and business ethics and planned change management. These concepts vary from organization to organization and each organization has a different culture. The development company I was employed with a last year encouraged each employee to communicate with other employees and departments. An open communication setting allowed employees to voice his or her opinions and present ideas that would be beneficial to the company and the employees Diversity According to Bateman and Snell, diversity can be defined as a characteristic of a group of people suggesting differences among those people on any relevant dimension...
Words: 962 - Pages: 4
...Personal Can Ethics Get? Organizational ethics has come under much scrutiny over the last few years due to the financial crisis and misuse of organizational funds. The unethical behavior has come into the light due to the demand for government bailout and the outcry of the public for more oversight of funds. Uproar has ensued due to huge bonuses for corporate big shots running floundering companies while their employees are getting laid off and their benefits cut. All of it being plastered across the news making business and ethics anonyms. The following will discuss how personal differences and preferences impact ethics, how organizational policies and procedures impact ethics, and will examine a case study on dealing with ethical dilemmas. Discuss how personal differences and preferences can impact organization ethics. Values and principles strongly influence an individual’s decision making and behavior. Ethics are values and principles that help individuals distinguish right from wrong. A difference in an individual’s values and principles can result in a difference in what an individual considers to be ethical or unethical. The same can be said for an organization. For example, a person may value people more than an organization. Therefore, that person may not consider an action that is hurting the organization but benefiting the people within the organization to be unethical. Some may not consider an action to be unethical unless the action breaks the law. Ethics are based...
Words: 1630 - Pages: 7
...Business Ethics: The Role of Culture and Values for an Ethical Workplace FOURTH QUARTER–2009 Whether in domestic or global companies, ultimately, the commitment to business ethics and the foundation is built through organizational culture, with ethical values reflected in the workplace. Business Ethics: The Role of Culture and Values for an Ethical Workplace Abstract An ethical workplace is established through an organization’s culture, values and leadership. To promote ethical behavior, human resource professionals, people managers and senior management need to be knowledgeable about business ethics—from leadership, codes of conduct and related legislation to compliance training, ethical decisionmaking, and cultural and generational differences around ethics. Transparency, fairness and communication are key for establishing and maintaining an ethical workplace. Introduction In the business world today, issues of trust, respect, fairness, equity and transparency are gaining more attention. Business ethics includes organizational values, guidelines and codes, legal compliance, risk management, and individual and group behavior within the workplace. Effective leadership, with open dialogue and thoughtful deliberation, develops the foundation of an ethical workplace, is woven into the fabric of the organizational culture and is mirrored in ethical decision-making. Toward this end, all organizational leaders have a key role in establishing corporate values and modeling...
Words: 5913 - Pages: 24
...ETHICAL DECISION MAKING AND MORAL BEHAVIOR | | Related Links WebNote Index Leadership Overview Decision Making Values Contact information: Dr. Richard W. Scholl 36 Upper College Road Kingston, RI 02881 p. 401.874.4347 f. 401.874.2954 rscholl@uri.edu Much of the recent interest in ethics and moral behavior in business comes from Enron and Worldcom, as scholars, educators, practitioners, and the public seek to understand the behavior of executives in these firms. Many have chosen to view these cases from the perspective of ethics, that is, the behavior of these executives is seen as unethical and the explanation is that they are unethical or immoral people. Furthermore, the solution is improved moral education in business programs. “Somehow, we need to make future executives more moral or more ethical” and we can do this in the context of an undergraduate business program or MBA degree program. Some have even suggested that today’s business programs not only do not facilitate the “moral development” of students, but students leave these programs “less moral” than they were when they entered the programs. Here a couple of points to consider: What is Ethical or Moral? What do we mean by ethical decision making? Are there decisions that are not ethical in that there is not ethical component to a choice? In their review of ethical decision making, Tenbruensel and Smith-Crowe (2008) present a distinction between moral decision making and amoral decision making. Within...
Words: 2569 - Pages: 11
...encouraging and producing an ethical organization. Ethics refer to the moral standards set that enables an individual to tell what is right from wrong and what is good and bad. In today’s organizations, the importance of the code of ethics is more prevalent than ever. Code of ethics consists of various factors such as being honest, building trust, and upholding the ethical standards. Organizations that exercise ethical codes not only feel that it is a way to portray a positive image to the stakeholders, but also because it highlights its own organizational virtues and values. It is believed that such culture could cultivate and encourage more ethical behavior for the employees in the organization (Stevens, 2008).Code of ethics are also used to articulate the restrictions for the organization, and to set a benchmark of what is acceptable and unacceptable, boosting responsibility, and conveying the standard expectations demanded from the employees as well as the leaders in the organization (Stevens, 2008).The ethical codes can be described as an effective tool to promote ethical behavior in the organization(Stevens, 2008).However, researchers have came up with reports that hints that the practice of ethical codes are unproductive and they have failed to create an impact in an employee’s behavior(Stevens, 2008). One of the studies suggested that ethical codes are not suitable and were ineffective especially in IT firms due to the misuse of codes, as it largely functioned as a control system...
Words: 2459 - Pages: 10
...Personal Values and their Interaction with Organizational Ethics Carl Stevens Old Dominion University Abstract Boone and Kurtz (2011) define business ethics as “the standards of conduct and moral values governing actions and decisions in the work environment” (p. 34). This paper discusses how an individual’s value system may clash (both positively and negatively) with the ethical standards dictated by an organization. Our exploration deals with the study of how organizations define ethical behavior and what employees must do to adhere to those standards. On occasion, what an organization may view as ethical behavior does not correspond with an employee’s personal belief system of what is right and wrong. This is especially true when Upper Management openly ignores what a reasonable person would view as unethical. But despite what they think, employees are not immune to unethical conduct and could find it very easy to be swayed into making the wrong decision. (Anderson, Escher, 2010) When these opposing value systems collide during the decision making process, an ethical dilemma occurs, (Hellriegel, Slocum, 2011) We will discover more about this contrast in morality with a case study of Valarie Young, a marketing manager faced with a difficult decision. Personal Values and their Interaction with Organizational Ethics The purpose of an organization’s Code of Ethics is to provide employees with guidelines for making ethical decisions in the conduct of their...
Words: 1801 - Pages: 8
...An Introduction to Ethics * Ancient Greek translation of Ethics is it is a “Theory of living”. * Ethical deliberation is a process of consciously reasoning out what is right and what is wrong. Individual is accountable for their own actions * It’s a process of moral judgment * Ethics is cultural, community, nation, fundamentally human consideration * Problem arises when there is disagreement in facts of the case, values and principles, in framing( reasoning )the case in question * Levels of Ethical inquiry – Individual actions add up to a another level/higher. Conflicts between levels. * Society – Larger economic good, the way the society needs to be structured * Corporation and their policies –Suppliers, consumers, employees, local community, stakeholders of a specific company. Obligation owed to each specific group. * Stakeholders – relationship concentration to specific stakeholders * Personal – how people treat each other in their roles in an organization * Design Ethical framework – set of questions a manager can use to decide under a given situation. Framework should include question concerning the Character, consequences and principles * Decision making process – Why the decision makes a difference * Accountable to stakeholders – Ability to defend the decisions to various stakeholders the firm is committed to * Ethics is everybody’s business - Resolving conflicting demands and obligations *...
Words: 1086 - Pages: 5
