Creating an Ethical Organization Culture

Organization Theory And Behaviour study

1. Be a visible role model  

Employees  will  look  to top  management  behavior  as  bench  mark  for  defining appropriate  behavior.

2. Communicate   ethical expectations 

Ethnical ambiguities can be minimized by   creating and disseminating an organizational code of ethics. It  should state  the  organization’s  primary  values  and  ethical  rules that  employees  are expected  to  follow.

3. Provide ethical training 

Set up   seminars   ,workshops   and   ethical training   programs   .Use   the training sessions   to   reinforce   the   organization’s   primary   values, rules   and   standard   of conduct  .

4.  Visibility rewards to ethical acts and punish unethical ones 

Performance  appraisals  of managers  should  include a  point  by point  evaluation  of how   his   or   her   decisions   measure   up   against   the organization   code   of   ethics .People who act ethically should be visibly rewarded for their behavior and unethical  acts  should be  punished .

5. Provide protective mechanisms

The  organization  needs  to provide  formal  mechanisms  so that  employees  can discuss ethical dilemmas  and  report  unethical  behaviour  without  fear  of   reprimand.

Creating a Culture

A  culture  is  created basically by  a  founder  or  top-level  manager  who  forms  a  core group  that  shares  a  common vision .

Stage I

i. Recruitment of like minded individuals  These people will be attracted instinctively to the founder’s visions and aims.

ii. The development  of groups  norms  These are likely to be strongly influenced by founders in the formative stages

iii.     Statement  of  espoused  values  The founders  or  initiators  will  have  the greatest  influence  on these  values  in the early stages  , subsequently, the   organizations  leadership  must  demonstrate  to other stakeholders  that  what  is saying  truly  believes  and not  accordingly .

iv. Production  of  mission  statement  These  provides  visible  evidence  of espoused  values  and  norms  and  the  platform for  the  organization’s  relationships  with  various  stakeholders.

Stage 2

These  comprise  of habit  and  tradition  building  activities,  aimed  at embedding  the culture  in the  day   to day  activities  of  the  organizations  by  means  of  procedural and  ritualistic  measures such as:

i. The  introduction  of appropriate  communication  systems  and  decision  making to assist  integration

ii. The   installation   of   organizational   procedures   and   rules   which   promotes integration  by setting  standards  for members  to follow.

iii.     Promotion  of  organization  symbols  Battle  flags  national  emblems  demonstrates  the  unity  of  the  organization which  come  to  embody  a  certain  reputation  e.g.  Red Cross.

iv. Development of key rituals, helps  to establish  the organizations  ethos’s  i.e.-  the part  of  culture  to do with  organization  climate. v. The  production  of  policy  statements  on the  key  issues  .These  lay  the  basis for  relations with  stakeholders.



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