Ethical Values and Behaviors in an Organization

 

 

Introduction

Ethical values are the kind of values or actions that have to do with doing the right thing or being good. Behavior is how a person conducts himself, especially towards others. In an organization, they help the workers in a company to work together and guide the leaders on their leadership. They help workers in an organization respect one another and tolerate each other for the good of the organization. Ethical values and behaviors are important to be observed because they have an impact on an organization as a whole.

 Batson views moral leadership as a way of making people have moral standards and always behave ethically. According to Batson, having and acting in good morals means acting in the favor of others and looking out for their interests and well-being Batson & Ahmad (2002). Moral leadership is about motivating people to promote justice in society and caring for the needy, paying taxes, contribute to charity programs and any other form that will be for the best of the society. It is about focusing on developing ethical organization outcomes by influencing ethical decision making at a personal level.

Tyler concurs with Batson’s view on the ethical outcomes that can only be made possible by ethical decision making Rhode (2006). Tyler focuses more on ethical decision making on an organizational level and how it impacts how people behave individually rather than on the individual level. He recognizes the aspect of motivation in leadership. Boston pays attention to a leader motivating the people following him to act properly because it is the correct thing to do. Tyler, on the other hand, believes that individuals should act properly not because it is the correct thing to do but because the policies in an organization demand them to do so. Batson's perspectives are more inclined to utilitarianism whereas those of Tyler are more inclined to deontology. This is because the principle of utilitarianism promotes actions that look out for the wellbeing of individuals and also evaluate the ethics of their actions based on the outcomes. Deontology on the other hand bases the ethics of behavior on whether the action itself is wrong or right according to the rules rather based on the outcome of the action.

Conclusion

Ethical values in an organization help to guide moral leadership and the effect it has for the leaders and the followers. Moral leadership is important since it helps leaders inspire, motivate and look out for the interests of people and society. It makes individuals behave and live morally amongst themselves. It also makes individuals follow the policies that are placed in an organization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Batson C.D & Ahmad N. (2002) Four Motives of Community Involvement: Journal of Social

Issues, Vol. 58, No. 3, 2002, pp. 429--445

Rhode, D. L. (Ed.).  (2006). Moral leadership: The theory and practice of power, judgment, and

policy.  San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.