Ethics refers to a guiding code of conduct that employees are expected to follow when determining how they should behave and what choices they should make. An ethical employee behaves in a way that benefits the organization and its clients, patients, and other stakeholders. In addition, an organization’s ethics should be modeled after the highest moral standards, not just those of its employees, to ensure that the organization operates ethically due to its set culture. On the other hand, an organization’s culture is comprised of the beliefs, norms, and customs that are universally held by its members and serve to direct and instruct their work. An organization’s culture impacts both the quality of the patient’s experience and the level of satisfaction experienced by suppliers and other stakeholders. Relationships between employees and supervisors in the workplace benefit from a culture of positivity within the organization. Productivity is increased, employee turnover is reduced, and morale is boosted.
The culture of a hospital influences everything from on-time service and friendly attitudes to employment agreements and compensation packages. Employees are more likely to feel at ease, supported, and valued when the culture is similar to theirs. A strong organizational culture is resistant to disruption and change, allowing businesses to survive and thrive. An organization’s culture shapes its internal environment and the strategic plans that drive it toward its vision (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). It helps dictate the policies and processes that allow it to live its mission daily and foster ethical behavior in its employees. On the contrary, a healthcare facility’s productivity and quality of care can plummet due to a lack of motivation among employees and other stakeholders due to a negative organizational culture.
Strategies That Will Improve Employee Ethical Behavior
Motivating employees to report unethical behavior when they observe it is the first step in creating a workplace culture of openness and responsibility. It helps avoid unethical actions and identify them when they happen. A policy of open communication and environmental transparency aids in the establishment of a culture that does not tolerate unethical behavior (Ghillyer, 2021). Doing so ensures they behave ethically and follow the company’s rules and regulations.
Employees better understand what constitutes ethical behavior and how to make ethical decisions with the help of training. Consequently, they will be better able to recognize when they are in a situation that presents them with a moral conundrum and to choose the appropriate course of action. Ethics training programs boost employees’ morale, and as a result, they can collaborate and get things done more effectively individually and as a team (Kuenzi et al., 2019). Employees who make ethically sound decisions benefit both the external image of a company and the morale of its workers internally.
Changing Organization Culture Not Fostering Positive Ethical Principles
Defining what constitutes ethical behavior and the procedures for implementing these standards is critical to developing a culture within an organization dedicated to upholding these values. All organization members should approve and sign a formal code of ethics, regardless of rank. The company should have a policy that outlines its ethical practices and priorities (Mittelstadt, 2019). Its goal is to ensure that all employees are familiar with the company. Furthermore, the company’s actions should reflect its stated values. If a disagreement arises, it must be resolved quickly to restore trust in the company and its leadership. Creating an environment that encourages open dialogue is essential to ensure that employees report unethical behavior to their managers without fear of retaliation from coworkers with different ethical standards (Mittelstadt, 2019). Fostering an ethical culture in an organization necessitates the organization’s leaders’ commitment to ethical standards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an organization’s culture significantly impacts the ethics that prevail within its walls. Therefore, fostering a positive culture is in the institution’s best interest. Consequently, an organization’s culture influences both the level of satisfaction felt by stakeholders and the quality of the customer experience. Upholding a culture of positivity and ethical behavior within the company is critical, as this is directly correlated with the latter.
References
Ghillyer, A. (2021). Business ethics now. McGraw-Hill Education.
Kuenzi, M., Mayer, D. M., & Greenbaum, R. L. (2019). Creating an ethical organizational environment: The relationship between ethical leadership, ethical organizational climate, and unethical behavior. Personnel Psychology, 73(1), 43–71. Web.
Lubis, F. R., & Hanum, F. (2020). Organizational culture. Proceedings of the 2nd Yogyakarta International Conference on Educational Management/Administration and Pedagogy (YICEMAP 2019). Web.
Mittelstadt, B. (2019). Principles alone cannot guarantee ethical AI. Nature Machine Intelligence, 1(11), 501–507. Web.
