MGT301A : Ethics And Sustainability

Introduction

Ethical Behaviour refers to the behaviour which is appropriate within the organization. Ethical behaviour helps in indicating the right manner of behaving and it helps an individual in choosing the right path. Ethical behaviour is suggestive of the conduct which is beyond any reproach and it is based on the standard of the society (Valentine, Hollingworth & Schultz, 2018) This report focusses on certain ethical issues within an organisation and the ethical frameworks associated with these issues. This report highlights on the future workplace behaviour and how the organisational culture can have an influence on my behaviour.

Issues and the frameworks associated with it

The issues that has been discussed in Part A of the assignment relates to social ethics in the organization Coles.  The new employees who used to join the organization were ill-treated by the senior employees that destroyed the morale of the new people joining the organization. The bullying of the new employees went against the ethical consideration because moral ethics states that all the employees should be treated in the equal manner in the organization. The Justice Approach is the ethical framework that can help in finding solution to the ethical issue.   Another issue that has been discussed in Part A of the organization is that the accountants tamper with the accounting books so that it reflects false profit (Culiberg & Miheli?, 2016).  It can spoil the relationship between investor, customer and the stakeholders. The duties approach is the ethical framework that can be applied to this issue because it is the duty of a company of presenting fair financial statements for maintaining integrity within the organization.

Reflection on future workplace behaviour

In my future workplace, I shall lend a helping hand to the new employees that can help the new employees in adjusting successfully in the organization. The justice approach states that everyone has the right to be treated on equal terms in the organization and bullying goes against the ethical norms in the organization. I shall provide one-on-one support to the new employees and make them learn about the company policies so that they can report in case of bullying or any other kind of unethical behaviour. Trust should be built from the beginning that can provide the new employees with support that can reduce the stress of the new employees within an organization. I shall abide by the justice approach and help the new employees in adjusting to the culture of the company. I shall assign a mentor to the new employee that can help him in understanding his responsibilities in the organization (Mitonga-Monga & Cilliers, 2016). The senior management should review the policies of the company for ensuring that the employees respect one another within the workplace. They should be capable of providing easy communication channel that can help the new employees in reporting about any incidence of harassment in the company.

I think that the senior management should implement an investigation process that can help in the evaluation of any kind of reported incident. The disciplinary policy should be universal for the instigators of bullying that can help the new employees in easily adjusting in the organization. There should be a Harassment Contact Officer where the new employees who have been the victim of bullying should report that can help in the promotion of a healthy workplace culture (Al-Saggaf, Burmeister & Weckert, 2015). The senior management in the organization should ensure commitment in the workplace and they should not tolerate the unacceptable behaviour in the organization that can help in taking care of the fact that the justice approach have been abided by in the organization. The organizational process called socialisation can be used that can help the new employees in adjusting to the organisational culture. The supervisors and the co-workers in the organization should support the new employees that can ensure the fact that they can feel comfortable in the organization (Tormo-Carbó, Seguí-Mas & Oltra, 2016).

It is important that the professional accountants should act in a responsible manner and review the sensitive financial information that can help the organization in working along ethical lines. I shall take care of the fact that I do not deceive the financial information and abide by the code of the ethics in the company. Accountants have great responsibility for the clients and any kind of breach on the part of the accountant can be detrimental for the reputation of the organization (Alleyne, Hudaib & Haniffa, 2018.)The accountant should ensure the fact that the financial records comply with the accepted procedure at corporate level. I shall maintain the financial database in a transparent manner that does not jeopardise the reputation of the company.

The senior management should ensure the fact that significance of any threat is detected at the initial stage and appropriate safeguards should be put in place that can eliminate threat in relation to accountancy in an organization. The senior management in an organization should demonstrate with the help of their directives and actions that the accountants stay ethical in the organization. The senior management should ensure that processes have been put in place that can evaluate performance of the individuals in the organization.

The behaviour of the employee is conditioned by the structure and the policies of the organization. The organizational culture should be able to adapt to the external changes and it should ensure integrity in the organization with the help of its objectives and goals. The organizational culture should be developed based on strong ethical principles that can become a competitive advantage for an organization (West, 2018).  The accountants in the organization should abide by the ACCA code of the ethics that can help to maintain the fact that the accounts behave in an ethical manner within the organization. The organizations should be instrumental in publishing the ethical guidelines that can take care of the fact that the accountants behave in the ethical manner in the company.

Conclusion

The justice and the duties approach should be abided by the employees in an organization that can help employees in working on ethical grounds. The new employees in an organization should be provided with extensive support that can help them in adjusting within the new cultural environment. The financial databases should be maintained in a transparent manner by the accountants that can maintain the element of integrity in the organization.

References:

Alleyne, P., Hudaib, M., & Haniffa, R. (2018). The moderating role of perceived organisational support in breaking the silence of public accountants. Journal of Business Ethics, 147(3), 509-527.

Al-Saggaf, Y., Burmeister, O., & Weckert, J. (2015). Reasons behind unethical behaviour in the Australian ICT workplace: An empirical investigation. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 13(3/4), 235-255.

Culiberg, B., & Miheli?, K. K. (2016). Three ethical frames of reference: insights into M illennials' ethical judgements and intentions in the workplace. Business Ethics: A European Review, 25(1), 94-111.

Mitonga-Monga, J., & Cilliers, F. (2016). Perceived ethical leadership: Its moderating influence on employees’ organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviours. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 26(1), 35-42.

Tormo-Carbó, G., Seguí-Mas, E., & Oltra, V. (2016). Accounting ethics in unfriendly environments: The educational challenge. Journal of business ethics, 135(1), 161-175.

Valentine, S. R., Hollingworth, D., & Schultz, P. (2018). Data-based ethical decision making, lateral relations, and organizational commitment: Building positive workplace connections through ethical operations. Employee Relations.

West, A. (2018). After virtue and accounting ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 148(1), 21-36.