Ethics refers to moral philosophy which guides an individual or a company’s behavior. Ethics define what is right and wrong depending on the views and fundamentals of society. Code of ethics offers an ethical framework that guides all decisions within a company (Rossouw & van Vuuren, 2020). Code of ethics consists of common values that are considered in strategic planning and goals that are accomplished through an ethical perspective. The limitations of the code of ethics occur when the entire organization is not committed to the set moral obligations.
Code of ethics promotes a positive and comfortable workplace where employees are motivated to be successful. It promotes teamwork and productivity because the employees are guided by openness, honesty, and integrity (Rossouw & van Vuuren, 2020). This aligns the values of the team with those of the organization leading to improvement in performance. Code of ethics helps employees to acquire full confidence that they can deal with all challenges. Full commitment to a code of ethics promotes a company’s public image due to efforts to ensure responsible actions are taken in every action. It outlines the company’s stance, and if any individual fails to adhere to the set ethics code, the company can protect itself by claiming it does not support such actions (Rossouw & van Vuuren, 2020). Code of ethics enables easy decision-making at different organizational levels by promoting clarity.
Limitations of the code of ethics may occur when different departments or individuals lack proper guidance leading to the wrong interpretation of the code, which devalues its significance. Another issue is that the introduction and implementation of the ethical code require strong dedication from the senior management (EAPA, 2018). Even after successful implementation, the code may raise the expectations of the public to the degree that the company cannot achieve. People cannot be forced to follow ethics, but they can be educated on the importance of adhering to ethical conduct.
References
EAPA, U. (2018). Code of ethics. Employee Assistance Professionals Association
Rossouw, D., & van Vuuren, L. (2020). Codes of Ethics Handbook. The ethics institute