BUS610 ASSIGNMENT 1 Ethical Issues in Organizational behavior
Hermina Williams
Ethical Issues in Organizational behavior BUS610: Organizational Behavior
Professor Cheryl Moore, PhD
April 6, 2011
Ethical Issues in Organizational Behavior
There is no one way in defining what ethics is. According to American Heritage Online Dictionary, ethics is the code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviors of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong. Ethical behavior is something that every person will experience on the job at one point or another, but do we know how to handle the situation when we see it or once we are involved?
Ethical issues are problems or dilemmas involving moral compromise, and they can arise anywhere. Employees are constantly being in a position where they must do what is right for the sake of the company, and this means keeping their mouths shut or risk losing their job. Many employees see unethical behavior, but they choose to turn the other cheek and not get involved. Why is this? I understand that the world is in a recession and it is difficult in finding a job, but where does it say that one must give up their integrity to keep their job? According an article by Marvin Brown, he wrote a publication Ethics in Organizations and said, “When talking about ethics in organizations, one has to be aware that there are two ways of approaching the subject--the "individualistic approach" and what might be called the "communal approach." Each approach incorporates a different view of moral responsibility and a different view of the kinds of ethical principles that should be used to resolve ethical problems (Brown, 1989).”
The individualistic approach simply states that every person is morally responsible for his or her actions in an organization, and the communal approach states that upper-level management and directors are partially responsible for their employees’ actions. This is why I think discussing ethics in an organization is often a dialogue topic or sometimes debatable
Ethical Issues in Organizational behavior BUS610: Organizational Behavior
Professor Cheryl Moore, PhD
April 6, 2011
Ethical Issues in Organizational Behavior
There is no one way in defining what ethics is. According to American Heritage Online Dictionary, ethics is the code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviors of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong. Ethical behavior is something that every person will experience on the job at one point or another, but do we know how to handle the situation when we see it or once we are involved?
Ethical issues are problems or dilemmas involving moral compromise, and they can arise anywhere. Employees are constantly being in a position where they must do what is right for the sake of the company, and this means keeping their mouths shut or risk losing their job. Many employees see unethical behavior, but they choose to turn the other cheek and not get involved. Why is this? I understand that the world is in a recession and it is difficult in finding a job, but where does it say that one must give up their integrity to keep their job? According an article by Marvin Brown, he wrote a publication Ethics in Organizations and said, “When talking about ethics in organizations, one has to be aware that there are two ways of approaching the subject--the "individualistic approach" and what might be called the "communal approach." Each approach incorporates a different view of moral responsibility and a different view of the kinds of ethical principles that should be used to resolve ethical problems (Brown, 1989).”
The individualistic approach simply states that every person is morally responsible for his or her actions in an organization, and the communal approach states that upper-level management and directors are partially responsible for their employees’ actions. This is why I think discussing ethics in an organization is often a dialogue topic or sometimes debatable
References: BENDAVID, N., & Lee, C. (2011, April 8). Last-Minute Deal Averts Shutdown - WSJ.com. Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704503104576250541381308346.html?mod=WSJ_Home_largeHeadline Brown, M. (1989, December 8). Ethics in Organizations. Santa Clara University - Welcome. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v2n1/ Daft, R. L. (2008). Communication. Management (8th ed., p. 568). Mason, OH, USA: Thomson Southwestern. Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational behavior: key concepts, skills & best practices (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.