This paper will explore several different areas of an organization's concerns with ethical behavior. Both the client and the consultant should understand the importance of ethical values in order to implement a change in the way an organization operates, and what outcomes are expected. Expectancy of the client and the consultant will also be discussed, as well as some rules and regulations concerning ethical practices. Suggestions for implementing an organizational development change and how to confront the ethical issues within the organization will also be touched on. Examples of corrupt ethical practices will be shown, along with the problem of recognizing when something is unethical, how persons see themselves in the workforce, and the pressures that face employees and managers alike.
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Ethics in the Workplace.
The media is filled with headlines of the corruption in organizations around the world. One particular instance is the Enron Corporation in Houston, Texas. Although Enron boasts of having certain visions and values directed at human rights, the company was still forced to file bankruptcy. Their human rights principles include respect, integrity, communication and excellence; however, due to greed and the desire for power, these values were thrown out the window (enron.com, 2004).
Integrity within an organization should begin with the top executives and end with individual accountability. As was the case with the Enron Corporation, it is not the fault of an entire organization, but certain individuals within the organization making mistakes in order to please the boss, or to line his/her own pocket. As one critic states, "Executives who raid corporate coffers should swap their pin strips for horizontal stripes- (Barnett, 2003). There is a need for stricter laws and regulations, but legislation alone is not the answer. Individuals must be held accountable for their own action.
