Brenda Franklin has spent the last eight years working for Allied Tech, where she always had lunch with her coworkers and discussed various topics. She and her fellow employees were having lunch one day when they discussed corruption and politics. Brenda began to consider a few issues and created a list titled Ethically Dubious Conduct the following day and displayed it on the company’s bulletin board. Among the points on the list were taking office supplies back to the house for personal usages, using the phone for lengthy individual calls, and making personal printouts on the office machine, among others. Brenda’s workmates were taken aback by her actions, but she was looking forward to the following day’s lunch break, where she expected her list to be discussed among her coworkers. This article will examine some of the ethical and unethical concerns emphasized in Brenda’s list of questionable behavior.
In regards to the above question, suppose the firm does not enact a precise regulation from the list above. In that case, the workers may start adapting to such behavior, and the corporation may face many issues in managing employees. At the same time, the code of ethics and morals among personnel would deteriorate, which is critical for any organization (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). However, there are two sides to the above mentioned above.
On the one hand, the argument is correct because employee activities can be assessed as being either moral or immoral depending on the regulations put in place by the company. Hence, if the corporation wishes to avoid specific types of behaviors in the firm, it should develop suitable policies to prevent such actions from occurring (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). On the other hand, the statement is incorrect since every worker is aware of the proper conduct that must be observed in a workplace environment, and no regulations are required for the same reason. As a result, workers should be able to make sound judgments without consulting the firm.
Concerning the claim that no single item on the list is immoral not unless the organization has a categorical regulation contrary to it. Firstly, the reasoning may be valid since defining activities as right or wrong is highly subjective; thus, the organization must have standards that designate the actions as correct or incorrect (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). As a result, the firm should not penalize the staff for any wrongdoing because there were no standards to identify and make employees aware of acts that were not allowed in the corporation. Secondly, the idea might be incorrect since every essential item connected to ethical conduct cannot be stated in the form of regulations; employees must comprehend and demonstrate ethical conduct in the employer’s premises (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). Thus, workers are adequately informed of what is fair and unfair, and the firm has no responsibility to educate individuals on the distinction between wrong and right behaviors.
A peaceful environment should be fostered in the place of work, and trust should be a key value in the business. Employees owe their bosses a duty of care and accountability in their workplace conduct (Cesário & Chambel, 2017). Personnel have numerous obligations to their companies, including the duty to be honest in their corporate interactions and to exercise integrity when executing their work. Other requirements include a responsibility to conduct oneself respectably in that one would be able to behave sensibly in any emerging circumstance. One must also be rational and courteous and avoid disrupting company activities by participating in any illegal activity (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). Furthermore, members of staff have a responsibility to execute the company’s delegation, an obligation to be discreet and preserve secrecy on topics pertaining to their work environment. They should also exhibit care and competence while doing their duties (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). Finally, employees should be loyal to the organization and be responsible, honest, and avoid vices such as corruption.
In general, every firm must be morally accountable to its employees, which is a critical aspect that rules its operations. By doing so, the company gives its staff moral rights, which some employees sadly prefer to breach instead (Arora, 2017). For example, a company should be concerned about the health of its workforce. By doing so, the corporation is obliged by legislation to provide protective clothing such as masks to personnel subjected to toxic substances. However, some individuals violate these rights, laying themselves at risk for their negligent actions. If anyone took no care, the firm would not be held liable for the workers’ carelessness. As a result, while at work, a person must take appropriate precautions with their health and safety, as well as those of their coworkers (Qiu & Rooney, 2017). They must also follow any instructions and directions, rules, and procedures issued by the bosses, company, or worksite supervisor.
As per the above issue, the moral distinction between taking property possessed by a person and the one belonging to an organization is that, in the case of personal items, the person provides the consideration and regulations guiding the property’s usage. Furthermore, the owner of the object has the right to sue for harm done to the commodity. In contrast, the rights to company property are defined by the shareholders of the corporation. They concur on the conditions of use and write a legal document containing rules and regulations (Philip Adekanmbi & Ukpere, 2021). Thus, in the event of potential losses, the guilty party is held accountable under the terms of the contract’s legislation and requirements.
In conclusion, regardless of the circumstances, it would be acceptable for any firm to establish code of conduct guidelines for its personnel. Employees should be actively listened to by management, who should use moral terms to explain concerns and challenges. The management team should communicate the intentions, quality standards, and business practices. In the most fundamental sense, the importance of business rules and regulations is to safeguard both the firm and the workforce. Furthermore, abiding by standards and procedures helps employees realize what is demanded of them and what would happen if the instructions are not followed. Organizational rules assist in avoiding chaos and messiness, guaranteeing that all is done evenly and efficiently. In terms of workers, having moral integrity at work may help one become a sort of employee that inspires others. Honesty aids one to be in touch with their interests and gives them the desire to do the right thing at all times. Employees that have high moral standards provide a positive illustration for their coworkers.
Reference
Arora, R. (2017). Usage of E-networking sites at workplace: An empirical study. Asian Journal of Management, 8(3), 432. Web.
Cesário, F., & Chambel, M. (2017). linking organizational commitment and work engagement to employee performance. Knowledge and Process Management, 24(2), 152-158. Web.
Philip Adekanmbi, F., & Ukpere, W. (2021). Influence of frugality, materialism and employee demographics on workplace deviant behaviors. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(2), 183-193. Web.
Qiu, J., & Rooney, D. (2017). Addressing unintended ethical challenges of workplace mindfulness: A four-stage mindfulness development model. Journal of Business Ethics, 157(3), 715-730. Web.