Most of us would agree that it is ethics in practice that makes sense; just having it carefully drafted and redrafted

in books may not serve the purpose. Of course all of us want businesses to be fair, clean and beneficial to the society. For that to happen, organizations need to abide by ethics or rule of law, engage themselves in fair practices and competition; all of which will benefit the consumer, the society and organization. Primarily it is the individual, the consumer, the employee or the human social unit of the society who benefits from ethics. In addition ethics is important because of the following: 1. Satisfying Basic Human Needs: Being fair, honest and ethical is one the basic human needs. Every employee desires to be such himself and to work for an organization that is fair and ethical in its practices. 2. Creating Credibility: An organization that is believed to be driven by moral values is respected in the society even by those who may have no information about the working and the businesses or an organization. Infosys, for example is perceived as an organization for good corporate governance and social responsibility initiatives. This perception is held far and wide even by those who do not even know what business the organization is into. 3. Uniting People and Leadership: An organization driven by values is revered by its employees also. They are the common thread that brings the employees and the decision makers on a common platform. This goes a long way in aligning behaviors within the organization towards achievement of one common goal or mission. 4. Improving Decision Making: A mans destiny is the sum total of all the decisions that he/she takes in course of his life. The same holds true for organizations. Decisions are driven by values. For example an organization that does not value competition will be fierce in its operations aiming to wipe out its competitors and establish a monopoly in the market. 5. Long Term Gains: Organizations guided by ethics and values are profitable in the long run, though in the short run they may seem to lose money. Tata group, one of the largest business conglomerates in India was seen on the verge of decline at the beginning of 1990s, which soon turned out to be otherwise. The same companys Tata NANO car was predicted as a failure, and failed to do well but the same is picking up fast now. 6. Securing the Society: Often ethics succeeds law in safeguarding the society. The law machinery is often found acting as a mute spectator, unable to save the society and the environment. Technology, for example is growing at such a fast pace that the by the time law comes up with a regulation we have a newer technology with new threats replacing the older one. Lawyers and public interest litigations may not help a great deal but ethics can. Ethics tries to create a sense of right and wrong in the organizations and often when the law fails, it is the ethics that may stop organizations from harming the society or environment.

In a business setting mangers are put to test when they face the challenge of resolving an ethical dilemma. Often certain situations do not fall in the ambit of procedures or the official code of conduct and this is when the managers feel the heat. The problem with ethical decision making is that a decision in itself cannot be taken in a vacuum; one single decision affects lots of other decisions and the key is to strike a balance to ensure a win-win situation is arrived upon. Though there are no golden rules to resolve ethical issues but managers can take a number of initiatives to resolve ethical issues. A brief description is given below.

Know the Principles In ethical decision making there are three basic principles that can be used for resolution of problem. These three principles are that of intuitionism, moral idealism and utilitarianism. The principle of intuition works on the assumption that the HR person or the manager is competent enough to understand the seriousness of the situation and act accordingly, such that the final decision does not bring any harm to any person involved directly or indirectly. The principle of moral idealism on the other hand states that there is a clear distinction between good and bad, between what is acceptable and what is not and that the same is true for all situations. It therefore asks to abide by the rule of law without any exception. Utilitarianism concerns itself with the results or the implications. There is no clear distinction between what is good and what is bad; the focus is on the situation and the outcome. What may be acceptable in a certain situation can be unacceptable at some other place. It underlines that if the net result of the decision is an increase in the happiness of the organization, the decision is the right one.

Debate Moral Choices Before taking a decision, moral decisions need to be thought upon and not just accepted blindly. It is a good idea to make hypothetical situations, develop case studies and then engage others in brainstorming upon the same. This throws some light into the unknown aspects and widens the horizon of understanding and rational decision making.

Balance Sheet Approach In balance sheet approach, the manager writes down the pros and cons of the decision. This helps arrive at a clear picture of things and by organizing things in a better way.

Engage People Up and Down the Hierarchy One good practice is to announce ones stand on various ethical issues loudly such that a clear message to every member of the organization and to those who are at the greater risk of falling prey to unethical practices. This will prevent the employees from resorting to unethical means.

Integrating Ethical Decision Making into Strategic Management Morality and ethical make up for a perennial debate and ethical perfection is almost impossible. A better way to deal with this is to integrate ethical decision making into strategic management of the organization. The way the HR manager gains an alternate perspective rather than the traditional employee oriented or stakeholder oriented view.

1. Recruit and Hire Well How often have you heard "We need to recruit board members of affluence and influence"? I contend that if the portfolios of board members don't include wisdom and integrity, their affluence and influence often translate into a liability rather than an asset. And the record shows many an organization enduring much pain because of poor (for lack of a better word) board leadership. But it is leadership at all organizational levels, including management, that establishes the organization's corporate culture. A nonprofit's leaders should provide both example and oversight when it comes to moral and ethical issues, circumstances and decision making. 2. Educate Staff about What's at Risk Believe it or not, many people don't understand what's at risk if they don't perform their jobs in an ethical, accountable manner. And ethical lapses are easy to make, especially when the corporate culture gives a wink and a nod to unethical behavior. What's at risk? Just about everything. Think Enron, Arthur Andersen, World Com, Global Crossing, and a slew of others, including numerous nonprofits that have suffered greatly because they failed to understand the risks of questionable or unethical behavior. We'll refrain from mentioning names here, but if you follow the sector you know who they are. 3. Be Transparent about Your Finances Ever since Deep Throat told Bob Woodward to "follow the money," scrutiny surrounding financial malfeasance has only intensified. Be sure that you can account to your funders for how your organization spent their money; better yet, how their gifts made a difference in helping you achieve your mission. Poor bookkeeping is no excuse. Hire a certified accountant, if necessary. 4. Speak Truth to Authority Create a corporate culture in which employees feel free to speak truthfully to management. Surveys show that a large percentage of employees who see misconduct don't speak up either because they believe their superiors won't take action or fear that they will face retaliation if they report what they saw. This hesitation tends to create an unhealthy, at-risk work environment. 5. Legal Should Not be the Litmus Test There's a difference between what's legal and what's ethical, and it is up to an organization's leadership to understand what that difference is. If you're sitting around a conference table trying to split hairs between the two, don't go to your legal department for a resolution to your dilemma. They're being paid to find you a loophole. Rather, ask yourself, "What would my mother think if this decision we're about to make finds itself on the front page of the local newspaper or on the 6 o'clock news?" Let's strive to give people something to believe in again!