mc565515@ohio.edu
This post will discuss why people do not speak up when there is an ethical issue present. For example, what would provoke someone to do something unethical? A lot of times there are different pressures within a company (or whatever it may be) that will cause someone to do something that they know is wrong.
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| Photo from www.forefrontmag.com |
1. Management
A lot of employees receive pressure from their management when they are facing ethical issues. Some managers do not make a good environment where people are allowed to come to them and question them when they think something unethical is occurring. These types of managers are usually the type that want everything to go their way because everything they say is right. A lot of times employees may fear being fired if they speak out against something unethical. Another reason employees may act unethically is because they are faced with the pressure to reach near-impossible goals.
2. The Culture
Culture within a company creates boundaries; boundaries meaning people learn while working what is right and what is wrong. Usually a good culture can equate to a good work environment and a good work environment leads to employees feeling more comfortable talking to their hirer ups. When employees are comfortable talking to those with higher positions than them it creates a relationship where they are able to ask questions without the fear of backlash. A bad represented culture can leave employees without the knowledge with how companies handle ethical issues.
3. Competition
Some companies feel the need to always compete. Competing with other companies brings very tight deadlines into the picture. Very strict deadlines may cause employees to skimp on their work and make them feel as though ethical issues can also be skimped on. Competition also extends to being internal as well. Employees can also feel like they are at competition with each other causing them to move vastly and not doing thorough work.
Maintaining an Ethical Environment
In order to fix these issues it is important that the company is able to create an ethical environment so employees know how to handle issues when they come up. Here are a few ways to create an ethical work environment:
1. Define the grey areas in ethical decision making.
2. Stress that ethics does not only apply to work being produced but also to daily tasks within the work environment.
3. Make sure ethical decision making stays respectful.
4. Always take responsibility when ethical issues arise.
5. Everyone in the company has to be held accountable when it comes to ethics.
6. Make sure ethics is always a topic of conversation.
7. Make sure to have a clear set of ethical standards.
8. Allow input about ethics.
Tying all of these points together can create a work environment that handles ethical issues with ease. The company would be filled with employees who never had to question whether they should act ethically or unethically; they would already know what they needed to do. I think this is particularly important for young professionals who may try to impress the seasoned employees; they need to not be afraid to speak up when they see ethical issues!
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