CREATING AN ETHICAL ENVIRONMENT

Reporter: Baibon, Johar, Johaina

How do you get people to act ethically in the workplace?
It begins with ETHICAL LEADERSHIP
-Ethical leaders have a tremendous impact on how people in their organizations behave and
what they achieve.
-Effective leaders focus on what’s right and exemplify to their people that they are there to help,
and not to exploit the vulnerabilities of others.
Factors (need to consider) in Creating an ETHICAL ENVIRONMENT
1. TRUST 5. CHARACTER
2. ETHICS 6. PRINCIPLES
3. INTEGRITY 7. GRAY (Middle)
4. MORALS
Factors that Influence a Work Environment
-(D. Vidaver-Cohen 1995)
 Work climate
 Culture
 Senior Executives
 Perceived values of management are the best predictor of how employees handle moral
dilemmas.
Why an Ethical Environment is Important?
 Promotes RESPECT and GOODWILL inside and outside of the organization.
 Acts as a psychological constraint against unethical and criminal behaviour.
 Acts as an internally derived SOCIAL CONTROL.
 Impacts Viability and Profitability.
Tips in Creating an Ethical Environment
1.Face the complexity involved in making ethical choices.
>> Don’t oversimplify decisions.
2. Talk about the right thing to do in the context of your daily challenges.
>> Don’t separate ethics from day-to-day business.
3. Demonstrate respect for everyone all the time.
>> Don’t allow negative interpersonal behaviours to erode trust.
4. Take responsibility broadly, and reach for the highest level of ethical leadership.
>> Don’t think about ethics as just following laws and regulations.
5. Hold everyone accountable, and expect leaders to model the standards.
>> Don’t exempt anyone from meeting ethical expectations.
6. When you talk about ethics,
>> don’t just talk about the negative. Celebrate positive ethical moments.
7. Talk about ethics as an ongoing learning journey, not a once a-year training program.
>> Don’t ever stop!
References:
• Linda Fisher Thornton
- CEO of Leading in Context LLC and one of the 2013 Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy
Business Behavior.
- Author of 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership.
- http://www.forefrontmag.com/2014/02/creating-ethical-work-environment/
• D. Vidaver-Cohen 1995
Title: Creating and Maintaining Ethical Work Climates: Anomie in the Workplace and
Implications for Managing Change
-https://slideplayer.com/slide/4470544/