Six Sigma: Deliverables at the end of the Define Phase
Well Defined Scope of the Project: A well-defined scope of the project is perhaps the most important deliverable of the Define phase. Scope document goes a long way in finding the solution. A lot of organizations resources have been wasted and no substantial results have been obtained because of the failure to correctly scope a […]
Role of HRD in Facilitating Learning in the Organizations
Learning encompasses a wide variety of terms and concepts. This article looks at the meaning of learning in an organizational context. The key point to note about learning in an organizational context is that unless employees continually learn and pick up skills, they would be left behind as well as eroding organizational competitiveness. Especially in […]
Job Enlargement – Meaning and its Benefits to the Organization
Job enlargement is a job design technique wherein there is an increase in the number of tasks associated with a certain job. In other words, it means increasing the scope of one’s duties and responsibilities. The increase in scope is quantitative in nature and not qualitative and at the same level. Job enlargement is a […]
Retail Management – Meaning and its Need
What is Management? Management refers to the process of bringing people together on a common platform and make them work as a single unit to achieve the goals and objectives of an organization. Management is required in all aspects of life and forms an integral part of all businesses. Retail management The various processes which […]
Clarity of roles within a team
A major characteristic of effective teams is clear expectations about the roles played by each team member. In such a team, action is taken and clear assignments are made. These roles are duly accepted as well as carried out. Work needs to be distributed fairly among team members, as per each person’s skill and capability. […]
Practically business ethics at the workplace connotes an alignment between what the organization values and how to go about it. It means that the all the day to day operations or activities carried out by employees are in tandem with the organizational policies without any deviations. There are however lots of myths that surround business ethics and their relevance and effectiveness.
Many management thinkers and philosophers believe that business ethics alters people’s values. They cease to be what they are, which comes in way of realization of their full potential. Instead business ethics should be about managing values and conflict resolution. Conflict management is what they stress the most upon.
There is a continuous tension between individual and organizational ethics. Many organizations believe that most of their human resources are ethical already and need not be trained upon. When such an ethical dilemma arises, it arises because there is a clash of principles that differ in their result priorities. Again there ethics to counter that are equally reasonable! So what do you choose?
One more myth that surrounds business ethics is that it is well managed and the prerogative of philosophers and theologians. They say that there is no such term as business ethics that can decide how organizations go about their day to day activities. Most of this may be attributed to lack of participation of business leaders in ethical decision making process and their interest in the same.
Business ethics is also criticized as being nothing new. It is believed to something that only avows what is good and which is logical and known to everyone. But when we look at the same from the perspective of stakeholders, the society and employees who work at the bottom of the pyramid, it safeguards the interests of all these groups. Organizations cannot function in a programmed manner ensuring there is no breach of a certain code in the absence of ethics and values.
Business ethics in the context of corporations is recent, but it is fairly old if we talk of general business transactions. Cicero wrote about business ethics in his book ‘On Duties’. It looks recent because of the corporate social responsibility movement that started in early 1970’s.
Yet another myth that surrounds business ethics is that business ethics cannot be managed which is totally wrong. In reality business ethics is managed or exercised indirectly in some way. Organizations priorities can also be reflective of the ethics followed in the organizations. For example a sales driven organization is bound to be aggressive naturally, whereas one that is into the business of hospitality is bound to be different.
Certain other sections of people in management believe that business ethics and social responsibility are the same. They are not! In fact corporate social responsibility is only a small part of it. Corporate social responsibility concerns itself with managing business dealings and the interface with the society; it does not deal with ethics at the workplace. However both fall under the continuum of business ethics.
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