Ethics & Organizations
Good ethical practice is a key piece to a productive workplace built on trust.
Today’s legal system takes too large a role in ethics. Rather than following true principles expressed by a person, we simply do what will not be considered illegal. Principles should be something we actually believe in, something that we stand for. It should not be something that we stand for simply for our self interest, but for the good of everyone as a whole. For organizations, this is a critical thought.
Principle-based ethical education is important for the future of ethics in our society. Most ethics education courses today are simply comprised of a bunch of ethics cases and code of conduct teaching. Unfortunately this kind of teaching will never really be applied in real organizations because of doubts and fears that what is taught won’t actually work in "the real world". Were there to be a passion, however, instilled in students to implement the kind of principles they’ve learned, maybe new workers wouldn’t immediately throw in the towel as soon as they step into “the real world”, where the going gets tough.
We can break down ethical persons into two forms, utilitarians and deontologists. Utilitarians do not see anything to be absolutely wrong. In fact, even murder will be considered a moral action, if in the end it produces a benefit greater than the harm caused. Neither do they see anything as absolutely right. If maintaining a citizens right of speech will cost more than its benefit it will not be preserved. Therefore, what is considered just is what produces the most benefit in relation to harm. General rules can never truly be set, because harms and benefits vary by each situation. Utilitarian thinking has caused a great deal of harm in the past. One example could be genocide. The perpetrators subjectively believe the benefit for the whole to be greater than the harm of the one being eliminated. People should rather see objective benefit and harm.
Deontologists hold that there are certain duties that are unquestionable. Essentially, certain actions become black and white. Murder is bad, while protecting speech is good. These duties are based on an inner sense or conscience that tells us what is right and wrong through our feelings. However, those feelings may differ based on the cultural context. In one country, an act may be considered gravely wrong, while in another it may be considered okay. Additionally in another country the act could be considered wrong, but not grave. Deontologists will also base morality on religion. If God says the action is forbidden, the society can consider the action immoral.
Utilitarians and deontologists can both follow principles. Utilitarians can find principles by creating generic situations that most usually bring more benefit than harm. Without these generalizations, people can read into each situation ad infinitum, and find a way to make it seem that the benefits are greater than the harms, whichever way is more beneficial to them subjectively. Therefore, principles in a utilitarian framework can be useful.
In an attempt to find basic principles that can be universally applied, the Golden Rule and the Silver Rule are effective. The Golden Rule -Do unto others as you would have them do unto you- is a positive rule, as there is a positive action associated. While the Silver Rule –Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you- is a negative rule, describing something you should not do. Put together, they can provide a solid foundation for moral decision making.
Even without set laws, people generally have a feel for what it right and wrong. Some issues often arise however, when profits come into play, and individuals try to look deeper into the situation to make their action just. If we want consistent ethical action, integrity must always be held as the first priority above the profit. Otherwise a precedent is set as decisions are manifested, and ethics succumbs to profits. When organizing a strategic plan, it is crucial that managers ensure they are minimizing harm, keeping their word, and being as fair as possible. If everyone together upholds integrity together, ethics in action becomes stronger. Trust is strengthened, as everyone aims in a common direction.
It is in the best interest of an organization to help its community. Organizations should not only consider employees, customers, or suppliers as its concern. The community can be a proponent of the company as well. If the company helps others, then others will realize that without the company, that help will disappear. Thus the community will have a personal interest in helping the company, as in a sense, they will be helping themselves. Not only can such help be done in ways that cost little to the firm, but it can also be a unifying force that can drive the success of any organization.
The Greek virtues can help us form more ethical organizations. Virtue can be defined as a good habit that we practice, as opposed to a vice. A critical virtue for any person that translates to equal importance at the organizational level is self discipline. A disciplined person can resist the lower or base pleasure, in order to achieve the higher pleasure at a later time. An organization should do much the same, for example, refraining from taking quick profits in order to stay targeted on the main goals of the company. Another important virtue is humility. A person within an organization who does not exercise humility will be overly concerned with their own ego and advancement. If that person were to be more focused on the success of the organization they are a part of, the goals of the organization would be more readily attained. With sounds principles and the practice of virtues such as these, we can successfully follow the Silver and Golden Rule.
With all this being said, how does it apply to “the real world”? In the workplace we often find ethical dilemmas. A dilemma is created from indecision, resulting from a conflict of our principles. An ethical decision can be made by separating your choices into two. Once each path is separated one must ask, what are the principles at stake for each choice and which do I value most? Prioritize each principle, and maintain the highest one.
Inspired by, “The Spirit of Leadership”, Ch. 13, by Robert J. Spitzer