Code of Ethics, Case Study Example

In implementing a code of ethics, the ideally successful communication plan is a platform whereby the shareholders, managers, and employees interact honestly, openly and with regard to internal and external parties. The communication takes place in regular training and procedures that honestly respond to queries from employees. The management should enable a platform whereby the employees make queries on the ethics as regards employee implications.

The management should promote open forums whereby the employees attain the awareness on ethics. To begin with, the management should inform the employees of the importance to following ethics. In this perspective, the ethics should be instrumental towards maintaining the welfare of the employees (Kubr, 2003). Besides, the management ought to inform the employees of consequences of given ethics and how code of conduct changes the operations of a company. In order to ensure compliance, both positive and negative consequences should be set as an incentive for following the code of conduct. To begin with, the management should set a reward system by having the employees vote for an employee who unwaveringly follows the code of conduct. Besides, the organization should enforce a learning culture whereby employs who falter on the code of conduct continue with their education on ethics.

Normative ethical theory is instrumental since it exactly tells what ethics ought to be. This suggests that the management should clearly outline what the ethics entail such that individuals are accurately aware of their obligations. Ethical considerations must cover all the possible situations in a working environment thereby incorporating all the parties. For instance, a code of conduct should be flexible to different cultural and religious associations.

In order to manage conflicts of interest, the moral principles should follow certain conditions. To begin with, they should subject minimal harm to complaints. In addition, the code of conduct should build on credible arguments and reasoning. Such moral principles should affect each employee fairly. In turn, the management should be open in cases where it falters.

The most vital step towards solutions regards forming clear guidelines and a mission statement of ethics. The statement articulates a purpose and describes the possible expectations of every involved party. This is a prelude to an interactive process that allows for clear discussions and adequate scope of the involved principles.

It is crucial to realize that not all the employees come from the same background. The different lifelong teachings and culture means that employees will interpret the code of ethics and related benefits differently. Providing a unifying practice helps integrate everyone on the organizational level (Boylan, 2004). Moreover, the management should have a correspondence program whereby all the employees can report about concealed misconducts among the senior officials.

Implementing a code of ethics relies on the corresponding perception that the general employee population will share. A practical solution regards involving an external quality assurance team which must also instill the ethics of care in their strategies. The external team can analyze ethical records to determine whether the values are consistent with an organization’s operations. The external team should also ratify whether transgressed values are consistent with internal values and also respond to common ethical principles that other organizations hold.

Compliance to ethical principles significantly relies on the managers’ conduct on espousing the same values (Second, 2003). This depends on charismatic leaders who may inject perceptions of influence and behavior for emulation. These moral leaders are critical in creating a culture for compliance rather than enforcements that punish employees.

References

Boylan, M. (2004). A just society. Lanham, MA: Rowman & Littlefield.

Kubr, M. (2002). Management consulting: a guide to the profession. Geneva, CH: International Labour Organization.

Secord, H. (2003). Implementing best practices in human resources management. Ontario, CND. CCH Canadian Limited.