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Yet, how do we
define this hybrid phrase with the word work meaning more than a specific outcome and
the word ethics being more than the values that enhance that outcome?
When we say we are going to work, work becomes the place of employment. When we
say we are working, the implication is that we are engaged in a work-related activity and
should be performing one or more specific tasks. However, the word work in today's
global economy does not easily denote specific outcomes much less measurable ones.
Years ago when our economy was agrarian based, farmers said they were going to work
the fields. Their work or more specifically the outcomes of their work could be viewed
from the plowed fields to the stacked bales of hay. In today's technology and service
driven economy, workers outcomes are not as nearly recognizable, but what is noticed is
their behavior.
Now, ethics is a difficult word to define, as it is more than the enhancement of outcomes.
This is aptly demonstrated by the variety of expectations such as being to work or school
on time, performing quality work, being self-directed, having self-initiative, or being
positive to both fellow contributors and customers. Ethics, from these expectations,
encompass the internal behaviors of the contributors or what I really believe are attitudes.
Let's step out of the box and construct a new and more accurate term that meets the
expectations of both the business and educational worlds. First, let's ask ourselves are we
more concerned with the behavior or the attitudes? If we recognize that it is the attitudes
that drive the behaviors that generate the outcomes, it would suggest that the contributors'
attitudes have the greater impact on the outcomes.
Next, since behavior has numerous meanings, possibly we can substitute performance for
behavior. Performance can be measured provided the organization has accurate and
complete expectations, valid assessments that do not penalize the contributors along with
a well-communicated strategic plan. Through clearly articulated goals with consistent
leadership and management, contributors have the opportunity to improve their
performance thereby achieving measurable results.
Attitudes of performance appear then to better describe the desired outcomes and
expectations that we have as employers, educators or even parents. As we all are
contributors, by focusing on attitudes early in our performance experiences, we have the
means to improve ourselves, our businesses and more importantly our communities.
As business, industry, and education face challenges to each produce students who
perform at optimum levels, all are faced with the issue of the work ethic. Nearly all
discussions with emphasis of linking or improving businesses and education captures
work ethic somewhere in the discourse. Underlying questions concerning work ethics is
the development of an acceptable definition that is current with todays environment, the
determination of whether work ethics is a teachable characteristic, and the development
of acceptable and practical pedagogy.
Work has been with humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve in Biblical text. And, with
that notion of work as a punishment for sin, came the issue of determining what are
acceptable and unacceptable behaviors toward that work. Some have come to call this
the ethics of work. Considering these notions of work and values we begin to form the
basis of establishing a foundation about issues concerning work and begin forming the
framework for work ethics.
Some researchers purport that the work ethic has not declined as drastically as it appears.
Rather, the content of the work ethic has changed. People are struggling between
success and self-fulfillment. In 1968, 69% of American workers felt that working hard
was the way to reach personal success. That figure had declined to only 39% by 1971.
However, we do find that todays youth expect much more in way of intrinsic rewards.
Yet, surveys indicate that they do not receive these rewards. Investigation indicates that
one reason could be that those persons imposing the reward and motivation structures are
operating based on principles that are no longer appropriate. Some writers state simply
that work ethics is a willingness to stay employed while otehrs focus on beliefs, values,
and principles.
Work ethics has another dimension that adds to its dynamic nature. Work ethics is
relative to the time period in which it is measured and the variables are not independently
predictive. We must redefine work ethics to reflect the attitudes, desires, and behaviors
of todays employed if we are to develop pedagogy that will foster changes in worker
behavior that will be sustained as situations change. Most contemporary research focuses
on teaching skills and knowledge, and not attitudes.
Work-related social skills and habits are the most important entry-level skills sought in
employees. Dependability and proper attitudes were ranked highest in a recent study.
Cognitive and psychomotor skills may not be as important for job survival as is positive
work ethics and values. However, over 50% of youth leave school not knowing how
work-related social skills affect their ability to find and keep a job. Because teaching
touches all lives, the teaching of work ethics is vitally important. Yet, little data exists on
exactly what technology and industrial educators teach.
Students today are lacking in areas known as work ethics. Research also indicates that
affective skills are just as important as psychomotor and cognitive. Current literature
offers many suggestions for the teaching of work ethic attributes. However, more
research must be conducted.
The methods used by educators have a definite direct impact on the moral development
of students. If so, teachers must understand the strategies employed and how student
moral development is affected. Most teachers of technology and industrial content
courses teach work ethics unintentionally. Most of these educators believe they are
prepared to teach work ethics. Those educators also believe that work ethics is a
teachable characteristic. However, most only teach work ethics as the situation arises and
many do not exhibit the expertise to teach work ethics effectively.
Components of work ethics instruction must include work habits, values, and attitudes. Three instances of
when work ethics can effectively be taught are: throughout the instruction, as a separate course, or as a
combination.
Critical reflection is also a method of enforcing work ethics. The curriculum must include critical
reflection, appreciation for moral deliberation, empathy, interpersonal skills, knowledge, reasoning, and
courage.
Certain types of work values and attitudes should be taught. The most frequently taught
values and attitudes are punctuality, dependability, reliability, responsibility, dedication,
honesty, conscientiousness, ambition, cooperativeness, helpfulness, adaptability, and
resourcefulness.
Some researchers suggest that a formal code of professional ethics be established. Others
state that an emphasis on a code of ethics is not equivalent to institutionalizing a process
of reasoning. Instead of a formal code of ethics, that may be enforceable but not
necessarily teachable, work ethics education should include punctuality, attendance,
conducting quality work, respect for fellow workers, honesty, and showing initiative.
Research suggests that work ethics begin with a study of the belief systems around a
culture or occupational environment. These belief systems, regardless of the content,
should be taught in coordination with psychomotor skills.
While much of the literature has a variety of viewpoints concerning the content of work
ethics instruction, researchers and writers of contemporary work ethics literature tend to
gravitate toward the democratic teaching methods as opposed to the indoctrinal methods.
The democratic teaching methods as described by John Dewey are operationally different
from the indoctrinal methods of Sneddin and Prosser. Democratic methods include
hands-on activities, practical cases, critical reflection, and real-life scenarios. Either
method, democratic or indoctrinal, can be ineffectively used and result in no
improvements or a decrease in desired behavior.
Research on the approaches most commonly used by technical and industrial educators
illustrates that educators use a combination of democratic and indoctrinal. Democratic
methods include group discussions, one-on-one counseling, role-play, team building,
problem solving, and individualized instruction. Review of teaching methods employed
indicate that 90% of the educators report using group discussion and 90% report using
Manipulative or indoctrinating methods should not be used for instruction of work ethics.
Educational practices should instead develop critical judgment by students to participate
in a free and open discourse. Discussions in classes should be limited and should be
coupled with role modeling and role-play. When indoctrinal methods are used, reward
systems and role modeling seem to be the only two methods that have proven to be at all
effective. Research indicates that the other indoctrinal methods, especially lecture, have
proven to be ineffective.
Real cases and real problems which students are likely to encounter are most appropriate
and effective. Other researchers and practitioners believe in the use of case studies as
well. While others advocate case studies, some researchers warn against the irresponsible
use of them. If not carefully administered, case studies presented for the purpose of
teaching work ethics may only focus on or address symptoms of a larger social ill.
Methods that consistently demonstrate a pattern of behavior that, if emulated, will cause
success in teaching work ethic seem to be most appropriate. The teacher as facilitator as
well as participant or role model is effective for teaching work values and attitudes.
When the educator can serve in this capacity and make training relative to work, learning
and behavior change relative to work ethics has been observed.
Pedagogy that takes place within the naturally occurring situation has proven effective.
Community service projects, internships, cooperative education, and apprenticeships are
appropriate. These methods promote democratic participation. Cooperative based
education, especially when group size is between five and fifteen individuals appear to be
most effective. These methods work well because the individuals do not remain ignorant
to workplace demands and abuses.
An excellent model for teaching work place ethics is the model by Berryman (1991). Berryman proposes
seven strategies.
1.
2.
3.
Scaffolding support for the students so that they can carry out the tasks.
4.
Fading gradual removal of support so that the students finally come to perform
their tasks on their own.
5.
6.
Reflection any technique that allows students to compare their own problem
solving process with that of an expert or another student, and ultimately an internal
model of expertise.
7.
Exploration any devise that pushes the students into a mode of problem solving
on their own.
Summary
Current literature supports the belief that work ethics is a behavior characterized by many
attributes. If this behavior is monitored and evaluated, appropriate intervention methods
can be utilized to produce desired changes in that behavior. Educators must understand
the nature of behavior modification and the framework in which the work ethic functions.
Curriculum must be designed which provides the opportunity for students to explore and
develop in a democratic approach to learning with every possibility for instruction within
a natural setting. The future of business, industry, and individuals is dependent upon the
research and exploration into the development of work ethic instructional methods.
Students will become employees who:
Characteristics
Of
A Good Teacher
others and effective
Communication At Work
communication. Essentially,
How To Feel Good About Yourself
work ethics regulate what an
employee would do in different How To Make A Girl Feel Good
Environmental Ethics
situations in office. The habit
of following good work ethics
is intrinsic - it comes from within. It involves our morality and other values, apart
from what our parents have taught us. Workers exhibiting good work ethics are
considered eligible for better positions and more responsibilities. Hence, it
becomes important to be honest, responsible and dependable. Read on to know
what good work ethics are.
Ethics
Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or seem like they
benefit you but are the 'right' choices to make. They are the choices that are
examples of 'model citizen' and are the examples of 'golden rules' like; don't hurt,
don't steal, don't be dishonest, don't lie. But if we take Ethics as a subjective
philosophy then what will happen to these golden rules. Especially at the time of
facing any ethical dilemma how one should decide - what is ethical and what's
unethical? Organization provides rules, regulations, code of conduct, protocols which
provide guidelines to work, it shows how to walk, but it does not show the correct
path to walk on. Ethical dilemmas faced by managers are often more real to life and
highly complex with no clear guidelines, whether in law or often in religion.
Ethics is the part of philosophy that talks about good and evil but today rarely any
business school would have left which does not provide lessons on Ethics
Management. Some philosophers call ethics the "science of morality", morality is
what someone thinks or feels is good or bad. However, other philosophers believe
that ethics is subjective. This means that they think what is right for me is whatever
I say is right. This means that ethics is just a person's own morality. These
philosophers do not think that ethics is the same for all people.
Morality
Again, what morally correct is not always ethically also. Morals and the expression,
"moral values" are generally associated with a personal view of values. Personal
morals tend to reflect beliefs relating to drinking, gambling, etc. They can reflect the
influence of religion, culture, family and friends. These concepts and beliefs about
right and wrong are often generalized and codified by a culture or group, and thus
serve to regulate the behavior of its members. Conformity to such codification may
also be called morality, and the group may depend on widespread conformity to such
codes for its continued existence.
Law
When we talk about Law at work place, we discuss the set of rules imposed by
authority. In other words, law is a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in
organization and essential to or binding upon all the employees.
Ethics + Morality + Law
The systematic study of morality is a branch of philosophy called ethics. When Ethics
seeks to address questions such as how one ought to behave in a specific situation
("applied ethics"), how one can justify a moral position ("normative ethics"), and
how one should understand the fundamental nature of ethics or morality itself,
including whether it has any objective justification ("meta-ethics").
Ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave. Ethical values are beliefs
concerning what is morally right and proper as opposed to what is simply correct or
effective. An individual may personally believe that drinking is immoral. However,
drinking is not, in and of itself, unethical. Game shows are a sophisticated way of
gambling thus immoral but not unethical. Further, it is unethical to impose your
personal moral values on another.
guidelines to cultivate and maintain ethics in work life. Some of the guidelines listed
below may be followed by a company for the said purpose:
i. A company and its employees should always believe that managing ethics is a
continuous process and it is inherent like any other management function in the
organization.
ii. The ground of ethics management is relationship and behavior is the root, thus
without fair and just behavior an organization cannot make their employees follow
ethical practices.
iii. As the Mc Gregor's Red hot stove rule says, the administration of discipline should
be more like touching a hot stove i.e. immediate, impersonal, consistent, and
foreseeable; in the same way the act of breaking ethical norms/ code must be rooted
out in its very initial stage. The codes must be applicable to each and every
employee without discrepancy.
iv. Value forgiveness. It's better to try operating ethically and committing few
mistakes than not trying at all.
v. Participation of employees in such programs must be sought out. Employee must
feel that working with ethics is as much necessary for the good health for the
organization as fresh air is for human being.
A company may adopt different ways and methods to bring in work ethics in work
life.
Further, the other side of the coin is "Good people do not need laws to tell them to
act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws": Pluto.
Whether the circumstance is business or life, ethical values should be ground-rules
for behavior. When we live by these values we are demonstrating that we are worthy
of trust.
Integrity At Work
Honesty
The old adage, "honesty is the best policy" is true today more than ever. It's not just lip
service. Employee business ethics manuals from most scandalized corporations are likely
to contain slogans touting its commitment to honesty and integrity at work. Claiming to
be honest and have good business ethics in an employee manual is pass. You're either
honest or not. Even if you haven't got caught yet, most people know who is and who isn't.
Integrity at Work
Integrity connotes strength and stability. It means taking the high road by practicing the
highest busine ss ethics stan dards. Demonstrating integrity in the workplace shows
completeness and soundness in your character and in your organization. It shows that you
have solid workplace behavior ethics that matter in the real world that promote positive
work ethics.
Responsibility
Blaming others, claiming victimhood, or passing the buck mays solve short-term crises,
but refusal to take responsibility erodes respect and cohesion in an organization. Ethical
people take responsibility for their actions. Workplace stress issues are no excuse.
Likewise, actions show the ability to be responsible both in the little and big things. Good
work ethics show a deeper commitment to personal responsibility.
Quality
Quality should be more than making the best product, but should extend to every aspect
of your work. A person who recognizes quality and strives for it daily has a profound
sense of self-respect, pride in accomplishment, and attentiveness that affects everything.
From your memos to your presentations, everything you touch should communicate
professionalism and quality. Don't let workplace stress issues rob you of striving for
quality in everything you do.
Trust
There's no free ride to good work ethics. Trust is hard to earn and even harder to get back
after you've lost it. Everyone who comes in contact with you ors your company must
have trust and confidence in how you do business ethics. Conflicts of interest in the
workplace must not be on your radar screen.
Respect
Respect is more than a feeling, but a demonstration of honor, value, and reverence for
something or someone. We respect the laws, the people we work with, the company and
its assets, and ourselves.
Teamwork
Two or more employees together make a team. It is a business necessity to work openly
and supportively in teams whether formal or informal. You need each other for effective
problem solving in the work place.
Leadership
How many hardworking, honest employees have been tainted and led astray by corporate
leadership failings? Managers and executives should uphold the ethical standards for the
entire organization. A leader is out front providing an example that others will follow.
Problem solving in the work place must be your first response.The real test of these
values comes from the resulting action. It takes a concerted, company-wide effort,
Delegate on Time
What if you are the man on the other end of the line--the one who actually delegates these
tasks and gives the deadlines? Bear in mind that the responsibility does not rest fully on
the people you set deadlines for. It is imperative that before delegating tasks, you have a
full comprehension of the nature of the tasks you are giving out. Know exactly how to go
about each and how long it would take for your people to accomplish their assignments.
Mindlessly throwing tasks here and there shows a lack of good work ethics and will
cause frustration on the part of your people and eventually, loss of respect for you by
your team.
I try to learn the mission statement and vision of the organization that I am
working for before I commit my time, my passion, and my energy to it. If I
believe in the mission/vision statements and I am reasonably sure that the
supervisors abide by most of it, I will give my time, my extra hours, and my
positive attitude to the agency. I need to be able to transmit that mission even on
the worst days and to remember that you must balance your love for work with
your love for health and take time to reflect, relax, and play.