Ethics Codes Review

Ethics Codes Review

Ethics Code: A written code of shared values that can

1. Serve as a guideline for dealing with ethical dilemmas, and

2. Serve as a framework for employees' behavior.

Goal: To create an environment conducive to ethical behavior.

Four Step Method of Problem Solving

1. Identify the ethical dilemma in a case study

2. Identify the stakeholders

3. Determine possible solutions

4. Implement the solution

Developing Ethics Codes

1. Identify the ethical principles relevant for the operation.

a. Find other organizations' ethics codes and modify them.

2. Write the principles in a simple clear format that relates directly to the organization.

3. Organization Policies and Procedures must be consistent with the ethics code.

4. Share the draft with department heads & representative employees for input.

5. Write the final draft.

6. Design an implementation and training program for the new ethics code.

A code of ethics is a list of rules we agree to live by either in our personal or business lives. They aren't necessarily laws, but we can treat them as such, in that we choose to adhere to them always. We can share them with our employees and ensure that they also adhere to them.

An ethics code is a written code of shared values that can serve as a guideline for dealing with ethical dilemmas, just like the ADA served as a guideline for dealing with the AIDS situation we discussed earlier. An ethics code also serves as a framework for our employees' behavior. In the Conclusion of the Case Study, it was pointed out that John had no established guidelines for his employees, so they didn't know what behavior was appropriate for FOI.

The goal of any ethics code and program is to create an environment conducive to ethical behavior. We begin by first developing an ethics code that is relevant for our particular operation. We can do this by looking at ethics codes for other organizations and then modifying them to better match our organization. It's easier to do this than to just start from scratch.

We write the relevant principles in clear, concise language, and we make sure that all of our existing policies and procedures are in line with the ethical principles. If they are not, we modify them so that they are. We either do this as a group project with department heads or an "ethics committee," or do it ourselves and then share it with department heads, managers, or selected employees, so that their input can be considered. The department heads and/or managers will be modeling, training, and enforcing the ethics code and must buy in to it.

Once the final version of the ethics code is written, we must design an implementation and training program for the new code. We can teach our employees the Four Step Method of Problem Solving: (1) how to identify ethical dilemmas, (2) how to identify the stakeholders who may be affected by any decisions they make or by their behaviors, (3) how to determine possible solutions, and (4) how to implement them.

Conclusion

We decide, as a society, to establish laws protecting individual safety, rights, and property. Laws are mandatory and everyone must follow them or be subject to punishment. Ethics and laws are both rules we live by, but ethics are voluntary, and all laws aren't necessarily ethical. For instance, slavery in the U.S. was once legal, but it was not ethical.

We can be within the bounds of the law, but be dishonest, have no integrity, be unworthy of trust, have no loyalty, be unfair, show no concern and respect for others, not be committed to excellence, be a poor leader, hurt the reputation and morale of those around us, and not be accountable for our actions. Those are the type of people who were involved in the scandals noted in Chapter Two of the text. Did those executives help or hurt their companies? Did those executives help or hurt their employees? Did those executives help or hurt their communities and families?

If we do not devise and implement ethics codes, our employees may not know what is the right thing to do or what is expected of them. As educated professionals, it is our responsibility to foster ethical working environments so both customers and employees are satisfied and trust us to do right by them. Our business will be less successful if we do not.