GGSN01B Good Governance and Social Resposibility

Promotion of Ethical Behavior in an Organization

Mrs. Mary Mayette A. Carandang
LPU - Cavite
Promoting Ethical Behavior in Organizations
Business ethics refers to the set of guidelines or values which are used to judge an
individuals actions and behavior in organizations.
Irrespective of the nature of an organization and its function, an unethical employee
promotes corruption and could also be a liability to the organization.
Therefore, it is important that every organization provides effective ethical training to its
workforce and ensure employees adhere withethical behavior and compliance policies.
1. Develop a code of ethics
The preliminary step to promote ethical behavior among employees is by establishing a
code of ethics.
The code of ethics provides the direction and guidelines for employees ethical behavior.
It also helps employees understand the organizations ethical expectations and rules.
Through a code of ethics training, the workforce gets a clear idea of the managements
expectation with respect to employee code of conduct and enhances communication by
promoting an ethical culture within the organization.
And train them
You can't expect your staff to act ethically in accordance with your company's code of
ethics if they don't know what that code is or why it's important.
Hold regular sessions on ethics and how to approach ethical dilemmas among staff.
The more training and resources you provide, and the greater emphasis you place on
being ethical and acting accordingly, the more your staff understands exactly what you
expect in the office.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the management to deliver an effective ethical
training to its workforce to reduce wastage of time and money and ensure improvements
in employee morale and productivity of the organization.
2. Make managers role models
In ethical training, designating managers as role models is another way of promoting
ethical behavior.
For this purpose, managers need to be chosen with care and due consideration.
Expect more of your management team; employees generally follow company examples
set forth for them by management employees.
Hold your managers to a higher ethical standard so that they are credible when they
communicate expectations to their staffers to do the same.

 Challenge management staff to hold regular discussions with employees to work through
potential ethical issues that may come up and find ways to brainstorm through them as a
team.
If everyone is on the same page, it is more likely that the team as a whole will adopt the
same types of ethical behaviors.
3. Disciplinary actions for unethical behavior
If any employee of the organization resorts to any malpractice or unethical behavior after
completing the ethical training, its better to impose sanctions on them which will help
employees understand the implications of inappropriate behavior.
The management needs to lay down disciplinary actions that will be taken against
employees found guilty of violating the rules.
4. Rewards for ethical behavior:
After the completion of the ethical training program, an employee can be rewarded for
positive behavior, so that the employee will not only continue to adhere to the ethical
practices but also be an inspiration to his colleagues.
It is important that employers identify and reward employees who stick to ethical
practices, despite tempting situations.
Far too often, companies simply expect ethical behavior; however, if you want to
promote this as a prominent behavior among staff, then you need to show and prove, so
to speak.
Provide rewards for solid ethical behavior; for example, if you have an employee that
goes above and beyond to put her personal interests aside to always do what is best for
her clients, that is considered ethical behavior and she should be rewarded and held up as
an example for others to strive to do the same.
The more you reward employees for sound ethical decisions, the more likely the masses
will follow suit.
5. Consider Work-Life Balance
According to the Accounting Web website, a 2007 Ethics and Workplace survey by
Deloitte & Touche states that 91 percent of employees surveyed said they are most likely
to make good ethical decisions at work when they have a better sense of work-life
balance.
Pay attention to signs of burnout or discontent among staff, and take steps to address
these types of issues when they present themselves.