Ethics in Business
Introduction
This paper intends to discuss ethics in business. In order to develop a detailed discussion, the essay will develop a program for Company X’s ethics.
Acceptable and Unacceptable behavior
Notably, operations at Company X will be guided by applicable standards along with procedures whose elements are as indicated below.
Walking the walk:
It is expected that managers and high-rank officers of Company X, should influence the tone of the organization, through demonstrating in actions what they are requiring of junior officers at Company X. Thus, managers and high-rank officers should be an example to junior officers (Giddy, 2015).
Trusting one’s own feelings:
When something does not feel right, then there is a high likelihood of that thing not being right (Michalos, 2013). Thus, if any employee of Company X is not sure of how to act in a given situation, it is recommended that the employee speaks openly, in order to gain guidance regarding all questions he/she might have or advice for any subject relating to Company X.
Retaliation is not allowed:
At Company X retaliation against an employee reporting an ongoing policy violation case or a possible policy violation case should not be tolerated. However, disciplinary action should be subjected to employees of Company X who intentionally fail to give information regarding an ongoing policy violation case at Company X or gives false information regarding the matter. Hence, all employees are mandated with upholding the values of Company X.
Avoidable conduct:
Both the high-rank officers and junior officers at Company X should avoid performing actions and uttering words that may be assumed to be intimidating to others, unpleasant or improper. At Company X all actions by an employee that offend another employee or unreasonably cause disruption to another employee in his/her working capacity are considered as harassment. Thus, all employees are mandated with reporting harassment cases (Poruthiyil, 2013).
Dress Code:
All employees of Company X should dress in a way that acts as Company X’s mirror to the society. Additionally, employees should dress in a way that does not unreasonably cause disruption to another employee in his/her working capacity.
Training Program
Company X will also be providing different training programs for its employees, as a way of providing employees with the chance of exploring and discussing the policies of Company X, along with different procedures required by Company X. Furthermore, training programs will also help in ensuring that the rules of Company X are always being followed. Consequently, components of the training programs are discussed below.
Training frequency:
Company X will be providing training programs for its employees two times annually. Generally, the first training program will be done at the beginning of every year, while the second training program will be done six months after the previous training program. Moreover, each training program will run for a period not less than two weeks. The people responsible for conducting the training programs include Company X’s management officials and visiting speakers who are temporarily invited to join Company X’s management team.
Gift Acceptance:
Among the programs to be regularly provided training on is gift acceptance. Company X highly discourages taking of gifts from clients in form of bribe in order to give the client favored treatment. Hence, the programs will train employees what government policies are in place regarding gift acceptance, and how the government policies align with policies of Company X. Moreover, the programs will also illustrate existing penalties by both the government and Company X regarding gift acceptance. Notably, acceptance of gifts plays a role in clients’ decision making (Vazquez, 2016).
Sexual harassment:
Most of the cases reported regarding harassment in many organizations are based on sexual harassment (Wolcott, 2014). Thus, Company X will be providing training programs on sexual harassment to its employees. The program will involve making employees aware of their constitutional rights and the protections provided to them by Company X’s policies. Furthermore, the programs will educate employees on where they should report any case of sexual harassment. Notably, the aim of providing training programs on sexual harassment to employees is to advocate for employees equal treatment.
Confidential Information:
Training programs at Company X will also illustrate the need for maintaining the company’s confidential information. Different laws relating to confidentiality of companies information are provided for in the constitution. Moreover, the policies of Company X also provide guidelines relating to confidentiality of the company’s information.
Thus, it is important to educate employees regularly on the penalties accorded to confidentiality of the company’s information by the constitution and Company X’s policies. The aim of educating employees regarding confidentiality of the company’s information is to ensure that they do not have a conflict between their personal interests and the interests of the company (Wolcott, 2014).
Monitoring of misconduct
Monitoring of misconduct at Company X will be done through a policy of Company X allowing employees to confidentially talk to the company’s manager of human resource. Furthermore, employees will be allowed to secretly report misconduct cases. Notably, Company X will mostly address misconduct in form of discrimination of employees, and sexual harassment of employees.
Furthermore, Company X will also address causes of hostile working conditions, abuse of the internet, employees stealing the company’s property, violation of Company X’s policies regarding breaks, and employee misconduct when attending to clients. Outstandingly, monitoring will be conducted by the officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X.
Reporting misconduct
Reporting of misconduct at Company X will involve a thorough process. The officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X will be mandated with documenting of all comments made by complaining employees and the evidence that the employees provide regarding the complaint. Moreover, the officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X will be required to identify if the employee who complains are raised against has a disciplinary record with Company X.
Thus, before engaging the employee who complains are raised against the officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X is expected to interview co-workers who also include other managers. Notably, employees will be allowed to report their co-workers who engage in acts of violation of Company X’s policies. The employees will do the reporting through a confidential talk with the officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X.
Ethics program audit
The ethics program at Company X will be audited in order to determine its effectiveness. Therefore, different tools will be used in performing the audit. The first foundation is detailed foundation benefits, where the actual behavior of Company X’s employees will be compared to the policies of Company X. The second tool is the development of metrics where ethics goals will be developed for Company X and reviews made annually regarding the ethics goals performance, with compensation being made on ethical behavior.
The third tool is creating a team which is cross-functional that includes the officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X. Notably, since training programs for employees of Company X will be provided two times in every year, then audits regarding ethics programs will be done once per year. Mostly, audits will be done towards the end of the year. Hence, reviews will be made by a team which is cross-functional that includes the officer responsible for managing human resource at Company X.
After the audit, improvements will be applied through developing a code which prioritizes ethical performance. Furthermore, the management team of Company X will be mandated with demonstrating leadership in upholding ethical values of Company X.
Company X’s employees will also be trained on how to act more ethically with different routes of supporting the employees being created, after which the effectiveness of the program for ethics at Company X is measured again. Consequently, communication of changes at Company X regarding ethical behavior will involve training of employees and role modeling acts by Company X’s management.
Conclusion
Ethics determine in a great way how a business performs. Consequently, the essay above develops a discussion on ethics in business by building up a detailed discussion on a program for Company X’s ethics. Furthermore, the essay provides applicable standards for Company X aimed at guiding the conduct of employees at Company X’s workplace.
The essay also illustrates what a training program by Company X should encompass. Moreover, the essay has also provided the need for conduct monitoring and illustrated how misconduct reporting should be done at Company X. Markedly, since upholding of ethics at Company X is expected to be done through a program for ethics the essay provides an appropriate way of performing the ethics program audit.
References
Giddy, P. (2015). Proportionality reasoning in business ethics. African Journal Of Business Ethics, 8(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.15249/8-2-88
Michalos, A. (2013). The Business Case for Asserting the Business Case for Business Ethics. Journal Of Business Ethics, 114(4), 599-606. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1706-2
Poruthiyil, P. (2013). Weaning Business Ethics from Strategic Economism: The Development Ethics Perspective. Journal Of Business Ethics, 116(4), 735-749. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1818-8
Vazquez, P. (2016). Family Business Ethics: At the Crossroads of Business Ethics and Family Business. Journal Of Business Ethics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3171-1
Wolcott, G. (2014). Business Ethics and Ideals. Business Ethics Journal Review, 36-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.12747/bejr2014.02.06
Wolcott, G. (2014). The New (Old) Case for the Ethics of Business. Journal Of Business Ethics, 132(1), 127-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2314-5
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