Ethics in Organizations: Approaches to Decision Making, Culture, and Resolving Ethical Issues

To What Extent Does An Organization Demonstrate The Ethics It Espouses? What Contributes To The Ethical Framework Of a Company's Operation?

Are Values Statements Real, And Are People Held Accountable To Them?

What Role Does Organizational Culture Play In Guiding Ethical Behavior?

Should Values Dominate An Organization's Culture?

How Do Leaders Contribute To The Ethical Profile Of An Organization?

How Can Organizational Structures Create Support Or Vulnerability With Operating In An Ethically Sound Manner?

The incorporation of the ethical decision making requires a trained sensitivity towards the issues that are highly related to the ethical norms and behavior. The proper application of decisions also needs the proper analysis and exploration of the ethical aspects of the taken or thought to have taken a decision that can effectively impact the course of action or the organizational vision (Jeanes, 2017).. The appeal to the values is an essential factor that leads to the resolution of an ethical factor. The following are the main approaches identified by the critics to deal with the issue of decision making:

The Utilitarian Approach: conceived in the 19^thCentury, the Utilitarian Approach was the brainchild of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that focused mainly on guiding the legislators of the contemporary era to determine the most morally apt law for the situation concerned (Mattison, 2000).. The steps required in analyzing the moral issue under the light of this approach are first the identification of the variety of courses that are mostly available to suit the purpose, then introspecting on the matter as to who will be affected by the course of action and to what extent. The final step is the choosing of the action that would yield the maximum benefit and the least amount of harm (.Trevino, 1986).  This approach can be used to a large organizations as it creates the balance between the good and the bad.

The rights Approach: this approach is considered to be the second most important approach towards decision making that has its origin rooted with the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and other 18^th Century thinkers who stressed on the idea of Individual rights to choose their own selves. These thinkers were on the opinion that human beings has the rights to assert their own choices and cannot be manipulated from outside (.Jeanes 2017). Among the various types of rights that exists according to them, the most notable ones are:

Ethical Dilemma

The right to the truth: every individual has the right to get informed about the truth of factors that will affect the eventual choices.

Right to Privacy: Individuals poses the right of saying, believing and doing anything they chose to do in their personal lives as long as it is not violating the rights to other (Bulgaru-Iliescu 014)..

The right not to be injured: Every individual posses the right that they cannot be harmed or injured unless they willingly and consciously do something that can result to the punishment.

Thus in analyzing the decision making process in this approach, it must be considered whether the decision is violating any rights of the individual. The degree of violation is directly proportional to the degree of wrongfulness in the action.

Justice Approach: this approach bears its origin the teachings of Aristotle that has the fundamental assumption that “equals should be treated equally and unequal should be treated unequally.” This assumption basically evaluates the fairness in the actions. This is the right approach to determine whether an action has taken place out of favoritism or discriminations (.Walters,1988)Both of the parameters are however, wrong and Unjust. This approach is debated since it takes into account only the procedures and does not take into account the consequences.

The Common Good Approach: this approach correlates with the idea of Rousseau on the theory of greater good for the greater mass. This idea holds the view that the good of an individual is related to the good of the community. Thus, this approach focuses on the facts that the social system, policies and institutions are set up to cater to the greater benefits.  

Virtue Approach: the theory is on the opinion that the decision making needs to be based on certain consistent ideal virtues that are related to human development. This approach is totally based on the approaches based on humanity and thus, can often be guided by emotions. This approach also emphasizes on the importance of role models in a person’s life. (Mattison, 2000).

The business leaders often found themselves amidst argument and dilemmas that needs to be solved ethically so that the corporate social responsibility is not hampered and ethical codes prevail in the culture (Karačić, Stanić,, & Majdak,m2015). The right approach often proves to be problematic in business as safeguarding all the rights of all individuals will lead to a collapse. However, the use of Utilitarian Approach can be best suited to resolve the ethical dilemmas as it conforms to the idea that there will be definitely some good and some bad in every situation and the reactions taken. Since an organization is a large group, no actions can be taken hat will be equally good or bad for all.

Ethical Issues

Ethical issues are the state of situations where the rise of situation has occurred that is in conflict with the ethical and moral codes of the organization or institution. One of the major ethical issues that the organizations in recent times face is the racial discrimination or harassment. Since this is an ethical issue actively violating the ethical codes, there are laws implemented to the organizations that assure the equality in opportunity (Tebele,& Odeku 2014). However, there are many subtle ways where these codes are broken. This may include the harassment based on race, gender, ethnicity etc, by means of off-color jokes or a more pervasive group-think (Sangiorgio, & Pessione, 20170.

This issue can be resolved by the Utilitarian Approach. Since the particular approach focuses on the usage of the morally apt law in the organization, it can be assumed that this approach will lead the management authority in the organization to find out the laws that will subdue this immoral act. Moreover, discrimination creates a undermining of the potentials which affects the organizations negatively and does not seem to produce a better end which is the main concern of the Utilitarian Approach.

The Utilitarian Approach specifically aims at the moral codes and laws that are ethically correct. Thus the organization can use this approach and

Prepare for the performance oriented practice for the employees.

Makes a strong workforce culture and communicate those to the employees in both written and verbal manner.

Takes legal actions upon such discriminations.

In the case of Macro economist specialist, Olwen Renowden, she was discriminated because of her sex at the grade six level of ONS where only male candidates were allowed. Such discrimination led her to apply to the Employment Tribunal where it agreed that it was a case of discrimination. The company was asked to pay compensations to Renowden. (Tebele,& Odeku 2014)

Reference List

Bulgaru-Iliescu, d. (2014). Value And Limitations Of The Informed Consent. Revista Romana De Bioetica, 12(1).

Tebele, s. m., & Odeku, k. o. (2014). An Analysis Of Workplace Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation. The Anthropologist, 18(2), 609-617.

Jeanes, e. (2017). Are We Ethical? Approaches To Ethics In Management And Organisation Research. Organization, 24(2), 174-197.

Karačić, š., Stanić, t. k., & Majdak, m. (2015, September). Professional Position And Ethical Dillemas Of Social Workers In Justice System. In Ifsw European Conference And Social Services Expo.

Kovacevic, j., & Rahimic, z. (2018, October). Manipulative Leadership, Gender And Ethical Decision-Making In Organizations. In 9th International Conference Of The School Of Economics And Business (p. 175). University Of Sarajevo, School Of Economics And Business Trg Oslobodjenja–Alija Izetbegovic 1, Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina.

Mattison, m. (2000). Ethical Decision Making: The Person In The Process. Social Work, 45(3), 201-212.

Poole, g., Sangiorgio, a., & Pessione, 2017 s. Hm 14-Harassment And Discrimination In The Workplace.

Trevino, l. k. (1986). Ethical Decision Making In Organizations: a Person-Situation Interactionist Model. Academy Of Management Review, 11(3), 601-617.

Walters, j. w. (1988). Approaches To Ethical Decision Making In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. American Journal Of Diseases Of Children, 142(8), 825-830