...and preference can impact organizational ethics. Ethics is a part of an individual’s philosophy which concerns about “Right” or “Wrong”. Personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics many ways because people are divers and has different preference. When they come to work in organization, they also bring their own belief, values, vision, and preference with them. The leaders and the fellows who concern ethics would bring the success to the company rather than unethical workers. Individuals’ moral also includes living good, having a positive attitude and being a good person, and doing the right ways such as helping others and being friendly with other individuals. Ethics has personal and social dimensions. (Christoph, C., Richter, & Holzinger, 2007) The organizational ethics is directly dependent on the personal understandings and preferences of all the individuals that are working in the company. In this specific case the example is, Valerie and her boss Waters, which determine that the team members have different financial positions, work experience and represent different circles of society. They both carry a different understanding of ethics and cultural morality. Lionel Waters, the wealthy and neglected leader believed that with money everything is possible to buy. He thought that hiring his closest friends for the highest positions with salaries well above industry standard while the company underwent a major reorganization due to cost...
Words: 1313 - Pages: 6
...dilemmas and stressors that Valerie faced, I will suggest what my actions would be if in her shoes. Finally reflecting on the behavior of Waters showing how corporate greed does in fact lead to unethical behavior. Valerie Young, an immigrant worker holding a special visa has a successful job as a marketing expert for an international fragrance company. Her boss, Lionel Waters, has been in industry with fourteen years of service. They work for a company called Wisson that specializes in perfumes. New to the cosmetic industry, Ms. Young was eager to learn all she could and with the start of a new masters’ of science program, her goal was to receive a degree. After a year of service with the Wisson Company, which had made reductions in staff and departments, she noticed that a switch in procedures has caused her to question her superior but that could only be done in her mind. The availability of perfume samples now came from only two fragrance companies whereas before samples were flowing in from eight prospects with the goal of bringing diversity to the new product to be created. Not knowing the true reason, Valerie continued about her responsibilities until she traveled to the copy room where the truth would be silently told. She has discovered unethical behavior involving her boss, who is receiving kickbacks from the two remaining fragrance companies. Her discovery has placed her in a position of doing what...
Words: 1692 - Pages: 7
...organization. People come from different places, backgrounds, cultures and religions. Each person’s knowledge and ability to understand principles and distinguish right from wrong are different. Therefore, it can create serious ethical issues in organizations because those personal characteristics influence people in their making of daily life decisions. However, the organization must abide by the law and order rules that are the standards of determining ethical behavior in the organization around the globe. People develop stages of moral behavior throughout their lives, and most are aware of their degree of Ethical Intensity. These people know how harm or benefits will be influenced by their decisions or behavior. Some of the unethical behaviors are legal. Many people are capable of manipulating things in the organization to suit their preferences. They do not always have a feeling of integrity, responsibilities, or compassion to others. Some of them, in positions of power, use their power without respect to others, and do not follow the professional standards principles; for example, giving a favor to a client in exchange for a bribe. If everyone in a company, including those in high level positions, behave according to their personal preferences and concern themselves only with their own self, then the organization will be facing a dilemma. These persons will create so many issues and conflicts in the work place that it may cause the company not to grow. The...
Words: 1360 - Pages: 6
...Ethics are the moral principles used in an individual’s decision making process that influences a right or a wrong behavior. Ethical decision making is different for all individuals. Every individual thinks differently and behaves differently in various situations. “If individuals are products of biology, life would have no higher meaning and purpose. It is personality that gives individuals meaning and purpose.” (Hellriegel, 2011). Personality differences, policies and ethical dilemmas all affect decision making when making choices in organizations. Discuss how personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics. It is nearly impossible to treat individuals alike because of this difference in personality. Culture, child and adult experiences and family and friends shape individuals into the beings they are today. Personality may be affected by emotional stability, self esteem, attitudes and emotional intelligence. These differences in personality impact organizational ethics because individuals faced with the same situation will behave in a different manner. What may seem right for one may not be the best decision for the group. One individual could be making self-serving decisions acting only in their own best interest. Another individual could base their approach solely on the balancing interest principle and base their decision on what is good for the group. “Organizational ethics is concerned with the structures, systems, practices, and protocols necessary...
Words: 1039 - Pages: 5
...According to (Merriam Webster, 2010) ethics is the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. When faced with a dilemma in a professional environment, we are often searching for the right way for it to be solved. The conflict with this issue is determining if our method or “right way” is aligned with the “right way” of the organization. In recent years there has been an insurgence of people from multi-cultured backgrounds appearing within all types of organizations. They not only bring varied experience levels, which add opportunities for growth and development to a workplace, they also bring their individual cultural views. An individual’s culture, religion, gender, or personal beliefs may greatly influence the development of his or her unique viewpoint on values and ethics. They can affect one’s work ethic, communication style and how they make decisions. Employers should be concerned with all of these factors as they will directly affect the organization’s success. Another reason for the increased need of organizational ethical standards is the company size. According to Ferrell and Fraedrich (2009), The Ethics Resource Center conducted the National Business Ethics Survey (NBES) of about three thousand U.S. employees to gather reliable data on key ethics and compliance outcomes and to help identify and better understand the ethics issues that are important to employees. The NBES found that observed misconduct is higher in large organizations...
Words: 1288 - Pages: 6
...Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 - Questions and Exercises Chapter 1 (pages 26-27) 1. What are the potential ethical issues faced by Acme Corporation? The potential ethical issues faced by Acme Corporation is giving gifts can lead to dilemmas about whether the gift being given will be perceived as a bribe or simply a gift. If gifts are given, it shouldn’t be given to one person, but instead, an entire team or division. As this could cause other members of the team to feel that there is something more is happening. In this specific case, Frank is giving personal gifts only to Otis, which could cause problems for Frank and/or Acme Corporation in the future. 2. What should Acme do if there is a desire to make ethics a part of its core organizational values? Acme Corporation should make sure that all the rules and guidelines are in writing as well as communicate them to all the personnel as part of its core organizational values. These guidelines should detail items including the giving of gifts to customers as far as a maximum dollar amount or the number of times you are allowed to do it per customer. 3. Identify the ethical issues of which Frank needs to be aware. The ethical issue that Frank needs to be aware of is the fact that, Otis can perceives the gifts he is being given as a bribe. It seemed as Frank was unsure about Otis’ request in Vegas, what will happen if he doesn’t satisfy this request? It’s good to go with your initial feeling and if needed, say no in a professional...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...bound by the same code of ethics, they are not all bound by the same laws. Depending on the type of business, they will either be governed by Federal, State, Local, or a combination of the three law governing bodies. This paper will discuss an example of issue and demonstrate where the law, ethics, or both was violated by a company or its employee(s). First, is to discuss a bit about Ethics. Resisting Acts to Perform Unethically It is of the utmost importance that not only managers, but all employees, act and perform ethically while carrying out their duties. A manager or employee should try to recognize unethical acts, and also bosses. Although, an employee may not always be able to recognize unethical requests or bosses; therefore it is best to thoroughly consider what is being asked of them. It is possible that a boss may ask an employee to perform the unethical task for them in hopes that the employee does not realize or is just a “team player”. If this occurs, the employee should take action. An employee may “buy time” in order to fully understand what is being asked of them and if it is ethical or not. During which time the employee may research to find out what is expected of them and what the best outcome would be for all involved. This time also provides the employee with an opportunity to gain all of the facts so they do not make a bad decision. There are severe consequences that may occur if one is to perform an...
Words: 2515 - Pages: 11
...do if they are having an attack. It is illegal to lease a car or an apartment in your name for someone else who otherwise would not qualify but it is an ethical thing to do if it is going to help them succeed in life. It is legal to mislead people when selling a product or service provided that you did not directly lie about it even though it is unethical to make them believe that what you are offering is not what you represented it to be. It is perfectly legal to operate multi-level marketing and pyramid-type operations even though it is unethical to promise people that they will make $40,000 a week. It is perfectly legal to initiate a hostile takeover on a small business yet it is unethical to forcibly acquire what someone had worked so hard to build. It is perfectly legal to "pump & dump" stocks even though it is unethical to con people out of their money. Behaviors that are illegal but are thought by many to be ethical include jaywalking, mixing food and paper waste, cheating taxes, spitting inside a city and driving over the speed limit. Legal but ethical Unethical but illegal Some unethical acts can also be illegal. For example, an employee who has access to a company's financial records, such as a bookkeeper or accountant, could use her access and expertise to embezzle company funds. An employee having access to personnel files, such as a human...
Words: 2676 - Pages: 11
...1. Discuss how personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics. To discuss how personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics, one must first define organizational ethics. According to Wikipedia, organizational ethics is defined as “how an organization ethically responds to an internal or external stimulus.” Personal differences and preference of people can create biases and conflict of interest since people have different likes and dislikes as well as different attitudes about culture, morals, and the way an individual carries theirself. If organizational ethics are not clearly defined within an organization, then chaos can occur. Companies need to make sure that there is a set standard of ethics and codes of conduct to assure an organization remains consistent and compliant. For example, preferences of a high-level manager on the gender of the people of whom he/she would like to work with, a specific type of educational background, or a certain income bracket of a person can lead to discrimination and prejudices against employees within that company. Personal differences of one’s culture, race, or even their appearance or characteristics should not come into play when working at a company. Diversity of an organization is vitally important and if someone is bias to a person’s personal difference, then someone can be treated unfairly or overlooked when that said person may have valuable input and resources that could help a...
Words: 2610 - Pages: 11
...regarding her husband’s condition and the reason why she did not want other employees to know what was going on because she did not want others, including her boss, to think that she could not handle or do her job. This obviously was not true because Alicia and Maya both were considered for a higher position in the company. The dilemma now becomes will Alicia use the information regarding her husband’s condition to her advantage? Or will she do nothing with this information because Maya has done well so far and if she is chosen it is only because she has deserved it? Ethics and Morals in Competition In terms of competition, whether it is with another company or between employees, ethics and morals should always be stressed. For example, if two employees are pitted against one another in competition for a raise or a promotion, the potential for immoral or unethical behavior is there. The same is true when dealing with a competitor. The temptation to get ahead in any way possible can be strong. It is necessary for small business owners to stress that integrity cannot be compromised in any way, shape or form. Being the president in this scenario and using the information that was previously stated, If Alicia did come forward and told the president about Maya’s situation he should look at Alicia’s behavior as being unethical and immoral because Alicia is only seeking the best interest for herself and not necessarily seeking what is best for the company. If Maya chooses to reveal the...
Words: 797 - Pages: 4
...How Personal Can Ethics Get? Abstract This paper will discuss the ethical dilemma that Valarie Young faces as she discovers that her boss, Mr. Waters, has been involved in unethical behavior. It will provide an overview of how personal differences and preferences impact organizational ethics, how organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics and provide a recommendation for the actions that Valarie should take. How Personal Can Ethics Get? Valerie Young is a non-U.S. citizen working under a special work visa for a fragrance company Wisson in Chicago. She has discovered that her boss, Mr. Lionel Waters, is involved in kickback activities with the two fragrance companies that Wisson works with. Valerie is in the difficult situation of having to decide if she should report this or keep this information secret because of the possible personal costs to herself. Kohlberg’s model of moral development held that people develop morally, much as they do physically, from early childhood to adulthood. Individuals evolve, ranging from the lowest stage (obedience and punishment orientation) to the highest stage (universal ethical principles). Kohlberg also states that what defines a person’s stage of moral development is not the specific ethical choice, but the person’s ethical reasoning used to justify that choice (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, p.34). Ethics are the values and principles that distinguish right from wrong (Hellrigel & Slocum, 2011, p.10). Every...
Words: 1834 - Pages: 8
...intriguing, in that our thoughts make up who we are as a person. Today’s society throws around the word integrity loosely these days. This paper will explain identifying situations that might lead to unethical practices and behavior in accounting. I will also share what I learned about the effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on financial statements. Examples of unethical behaviors involved injured parties, how the unethical behavior affected the organization, individual and society, and how the unethical behavior could be avoided will be discussed. Situations That May Lead to Unethical Practices There will be someone who will ask the person doing the books in business to ignore or change something in the books, when a person is in the accounting or finance field long enough. Choices like this are measured to be unethical practices and behavior. The practice of changing the books for whatever the reason is just one of many different ways that this can happen. The broad-spectrum of unethical occurs when employers do not obey the rules of their professions approved standards. Amazingly at times, though unethical it may not necessarily mean that it will be illegal. The people doing things right find this very frustrating in their industries. A popular example of an unethical practice may be a person whom manipulates businesses finance, or has different ways of controlling the net income to either make the business look better, or for their own personal gain, especially when...
Words: 891 - Pages: 4
...prevail in all American jurisdictions except Montana. An employer can terminate an employee for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all (Bagenstos, 2013). The employment at will doctrine is void if reason states that it is specifically forbidden by some external source of law, such as an antidiscrimination statue (Bagenstos, 2013). Employees formed unions during the industrial revolution, in order to toughen their negotiating power against large corporations, which fired employees at will to keep labor cost low and profits high (Muhl, 2001). Before employees formed unions the working conditions were unethical, and favored the employer who could fire the employee at will (Muhl, 2001)The 1960’s was where Federal legislative protections started to play a major part in protecting employees. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act put a damper on the unethical treatment of employees by their employers. The Federal legislation protected employees from illegal discharge based on race, religion, sex, age, and national origin (Muhl, 2001). These Federal protections changed the way that employer and employee relationships where being viewed. Courts and governing bodies gradually began to recognize that employers repeatedly have organizational and fiscal advantages when negotiating with employees (Muhl, 2001). Public policy is an exception to the employment at...
Words: 1470 - Pages: 6
...Discuss how personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics Ethics in any organization plays an important role in how employers make decisions and how employees perform their job on a day-to-day basis. As noted in our text, “Organizational Behavior,” ethics is defined as “values and principles that help individuals distinguish right from wrong” (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). On a broader level, it also includes morals, principles, and a consideration of the norm of how to behave and an obligation to people and the organization (Ethics, 2011) ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form There are so many factors to take into consideration when examining the role of ethics. There is for example religion and culture where individuals have different beliefs and values. What might be acceptable to one group of people may not to the other. An individual’s personal difference is the combination of their physical and mental characteristics of how people behave, thinks and act. There is also gender preferences which I think could be a huge impact on organizational ethics. In the business world males are predominantly favored over females. On an average they have a better chance of being promoted and receiving higher salaries than females. The central assumptions are that employers force or pressure women to take less-skilled, lower-paying jobs and that society encourages young girls, not to mention young boys, to view these arrangements as...
Words: 1240 - Pages: 5
...Assignment 1: How Personal Can Ethics Get Judy Thompkins Business 520 04/21/11 Abstract: Most organizations are facing and increase in ethics issue with the recent economy. With more diversity within organizations there is an increase of unethical behavior to occur if management has not enforced a strong ethical foundation. Some of these issues include employee embezzlement, falsifying company numbers, taking kickbacks, stealing time, and taking credit for work done by co-workers. They vary from being severely unethical to minor ethical issues. No matter how severe the act it’s still unethical. An organization has policy and procedures in place as a guideline for employees to follow. When these procedures are not followed unethical activity can occur. 1. Discuss how personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics. Personal differences such as sex, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender are primary categories that make an organization diverse. More complex categories of organizational diversity are education, work experience, income, behavioral styles, and religious beliefs. There are both positive and negative attributes of a diverse organization. Some positive attributes of a diverse organization is the greater creativity, ability to reach broader markets, better decision making and a better work environment. For example, my current employer began bringing in younger employees as well as more people of different ethnic backgrounds. The...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
