Mr. Chatanon No. 49
Business
Ehtics
Business ethics deals with what is “ right and wrong” in
organizational decision, behavior and policies. Business ethics provides
principles and guidelines that assist people in making informed choices to
balance economic interests and social responsibilities. There are several
problematic events that occur among stakeholders in rapidly changing business
environments. These environment forces affect not only the industries but also
an organization and individual. Therefore,
it is interested to study the business managers’ perception regarding to
the problems of managerial business ethics in
The following are the results of interviewing five managers of different business regarding to the ethical problem, root causes for the problem and the problem solving.
The first manager, he works
in a bank as a credit card service manager. He revealed his perception to the
questions: (1) the ethical problem, he said most of the employees had high
responsibility or ethic to their job and customers. They tried to keep the
customers’ confidential information and made them satisfaction. However, some
employees lacked of knowledge and awareness to threat their customers
(especially the new employees) and they have not been trained by the
organization before starting to work. When they
confronted with ethical problem
issue, they always were influenced by
their supervisor. (2) Root causes for the problem, Most customers didn’t want
the bank to reveal their finance status for security reason and personal image.
Moreover, The governmental laws controlled the banks that had to keep
customers’ privacy right. (3) Problem solving, Banks should strengthen their
regulation and laws that are more sufficient
to all business units and giving an ethical issue training to adjust an
attitude of the existing employees to increase awareness and social
responsibility.
The second Manager , he works
as a technology consultant for manufacture and he revealed his ethical problems
mostly occurred because relationship of customers and employees become closer,
then it increased the degree of favor or
biases. Sometimes, the subordinated
employees do by the command of his or her boss by conflict with personal
value. Root causes for the problem were
about the value and policy of organization motivate the employees to focused on
benefit more than social responsibility. Problem solving for this ethical
problem should focused on management teams or leaders to encourage them pay
attention on balancing positive and negative in lack of good managerial
business ethic for the firm.
The third Manager , he works
as a sale manager of consumer products. He revealed his ethical problems mostly
concerned with benefit from commission or motivate employees by material but
pay salary to them lower than the standard. The working environment was also
very poor, the firm didn’t encourage team player. So, the employees and their
family had to survive in society. They worked with a high pressure of lack awareness to human rights and a moral
responsibility to their customers and colleagues. Root causes for the problem
was the leader of company employs the inappropriate policy and value to his
firm and also lacked of current management knowledge. Problem solving. Giving the
leader an example of the failure
management firm with ignore to threat his employees in fair deal and the
successful ethical management firm that encouraged team player and take care
the employees as same as customer. In addition, To show a benefit and cost of unethical
results in short-run and long- run
of business management.
The forth manager, he works
in the hospital as a marketing manager of health checking service. He revealed
his ethical problems mainly came from human resource. The department hired
insufficient employees or low pay employees and ignored to give a train before
begin to work because it incurred cost to the firm. Then the employees worked
without direction to compatible with the firm’s policy and clear culture. In
order to maintain customers and keep a good image of the firm, the employees
sometimes had to tell untruth to the customers. Root causes for the problem
concerned with management team pay less attention on long–term business profit
of the firm and they lacked of current
management knowledge and appropriate attitude toward human right. Problem
solving Showing the facts of the
successful firm with ethical issue training course for management term and to improve hiring process of human resource
department for a standard requirement of the firm for developing competence of
employees in future.
Fifth Manager, He works as an
educational consultant of language
school.
He revealed his ethical problems mostly concerned about the firm policy that seek to much on a maximize profit than a social responsibility or human right . Thus, some students or customers got a worsen outcome than they expected and caused them lost their career opportunity in their life. The firm gave them an exaggerate information of a course or school, after they found an disappointed suggestions. Then, they felt unhappy to study there This problem was quite a serious problem because it affected to many people that involve in the family. The firm increased a personal pressure and pain to the employees to cheat their customer for its maximize profit. Thus, the employees had to choose this ethical dilemma whether self-interest or human right. Root causes the problem was similar to other business which leader put the firm’s value on a maximize profit by using the low cost of existing resource. So, they set up their own regulation to exploit the benefit from the event. Problem solving. Giving them a logic and facts of successful firm with a ethical course training for all level of employee and showing the successful results of the firm that employs to balance the economic interest and social responsibility in the business situation.
Conclusion
From the interview results of each business manager regarding to ethical problem show that the problem are not only a personal matter, it is also affect the different levels of business units of the organization and how it move to other business ethic levels. Ethical and moral issue in business can be examined at least five business levels including individual, organization, association, societal and international. Additional, a framework for classifying ethical dimension can help to identify and separate into three dimensions; (1) ethical system ( e.g. a country or region’s customs, value, laws and policy), (2) organization (e.g. ways of doing business or value, culture and mission) and (3) personal ethics(own value and standards). Therefore, I would conclude this study according to the five business ethical levels and separate into three dimensions which the managers have to make a decision to choose from the ethical dilemma situation.
At the individual level, all
managers feel difficulty to chose his own ethics between a business
professional and a human rights. But as a business professional, the managers
have to help their firm earn a maximize profit. So an ethical dilemma occur
because they have to choose between their job or own value.
At the organizational level,
the firm’s members should examine the firm’s policies and procedures and code
of ethics. All managers are representative of
the firms and the business leaders, so they have to confront with many
questions from their stakeholders and they also have to save the firm’s image
and solve all problems that may be harmful the firms’ reputation in order to
keep the firm survive in the existing industry.
At the association level, all managers have
to make decision whether they violate their value or they are responsible in
the role of business leader of the organization. So conflicts of interest and
conscience may arise in such situation.
At the societal level, the
managers depend on the different legal
and moral acceptability of behavior in
the organization because some business activity may be accepted by different
value, norm or regulation.
The root of ethical problem can be revealed and identified by the 3 ethical dimension of ethical system(country), ethical of the organization(ways of doing business) and ethical of the person(own value), because these dimensions(value, norm, custom, laws, policy) are most influenced to the manager to choose the ethical dilemma and make a decision in different level. They have to aware of these different level of influence on them in order to get a good outcome of their organizations.
For solving the ethical problem, the
previous study stated that value can be gained from teaching ethical principles
and training people to use them in business. Given the facts and circumstances
of balancing advantage and disadvantage
of the outcome of a situations. Decision depend on facts, inferences ,
rigorous, logical and ethical reasoning. However, a rational manager should
understand the basis ethical principles and stakeholders analysis in order to
make an accurate direction for the organization.
The
following is an example of successful ethical principle management of South
West Airlines that I will keep in mind for considering of my future management
of an organization:
1. Employees
come first, customers second.
2. The
team is important, not the individual.
3. Hire
for attitude, train for skills.
4. Think
like a small company.
5. Eschew
organizational hierarchy.
6. Keep
it simple.