Ethical Values

Question

Do ethical values stand in the way of achieving organizational goals? Glennon (2014) says that ethics cannot be taught. Do you agree or disagree? How important is ethics to becoming a great leader? Why or why not?

Answer

Ethical Values

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Ethical values do not stand in the way of achieving organizational goals. On the contrary, they provide crucial principles without which an organization would find it impossible to govern the activities and decisions of its members. In most organizations, ethical values are outlined in the code of ethics, which acts as an important reference for employees who need information on the company’s programs and policies as well as decisions that govern them. Moreover, ethical values are an excellent source of every organization’s ethical philosophy, which it always uses to conduct business operations, maintain reputation, and boost productivity. Thus, organizations that have not developed a precise definition of their ethical values are high to struggle to achieve their desired performance targets and productivity levels.

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            According to Glennon (2014), ethics cannot be taught. I disagree with this view. I hold the view it is possible to teach ethics by creating learning experiences during which trainees are encouraged to discuss a wide range of ethical issues and dilemmas that they are likely to encounter in their day-to-day activities within the organization. During ethics training, learners can be encouraged to develop moral sensibilities and to be better prepared to handle complex ethical dilemmas. This is important because many employees tend not to understand the difference between legal compliance and ethical behavior (Valentine & Fleischman, 2004). They think that responsible practices will fall into place automatically once they have complied with minimum legal requirements. The only way to help such employees to understand that this is far from the truth is to subject them to ethics training.

During ethics training, employees should be informed that ethical values are best nurtured through moment-to-moment, day-to-day activities that gradually reinforce the code of ethics that they have already internalized in their individual capacities (Lozano, 2000). While learning more about ethical values, they can also understand that laws, regulations, and mission statements only provide minimum standards they must maintain in order to make the right decisions at all times (Delaney & Sockell, 1992).

            Ethics play a critical role in the making of a great leader. According to Waggoner (2010), there is a cause-and-effect relationship between ethics and leadership excellence. Leaders who form a habit of embracing ethical behavior often realize that they rarely encounter numerous challenges in their quest for leadership effectiveness and success (Ciulla, 2004). Conversely, unethical leaders can easily be rejected by followers. With ethics comes trust, and every followers wants to be led by a leader that he can trust. Leaders who have won the support of their followers by being consistent in their demonstration of ethical behavior tend to achieve tremendous success in their attempts to influence them to embrace their decisions (Price, 2008). This is because followers understand that trust is a fundamental requirement for long-term success and leadership excellence.

            Moreover, ethical leaders tend to find it easy to form relationships with followers (Porrini, Hiris & Poncini, 2009). Every follower wants to maintain proximity with a leader with whom he can forge a working relationship that ultimately develops into true friendship. Ethics can help leaders develop a strong sense of empathy and understanding towards every follower. With ethics, the leader can not only gain a deep sense of self-knowledge but also develop an in-depth understanding of his followers’ interests, emotions, beliefs, and social norms. This kind of awareness greatly contributes to the emergence of close relationships between the leader and his followers. Thus, in the absence of ethics, it is impossible for an individual to become a great leader. 

References

Ciulla, J. (2004). Ethics, the Heart of Leadership. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Delaney, J. & Sockell, T. (1992). Do company ethics training programs make a difference? An empirical analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 11(9), 719-727.

Glennon, J. (2014). Ethics Training: A Total Waste of Time. Law Officer. Online.

Lozano, J. (2000). Ethics and Organizations: Understanding Business Ethics as a Learning Process. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.

Porrini, P., Hiris, L., & Poncini, G. (2009). Above the Board: How Ethical CEOs Create Honest Corporations. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Price, T. (2008). Leadership Ethics: An Introduction. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Valentine, S. & Fleischman, G. (2004). Ethics Training and Businesspersons’ Perceptions of Organizational Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 52(4), 391-400.

Waggoner, J. (2010). Ethics and Leadership: How Personal Ethics Produce Effective Leaders. CMC Senior Theses, Paper 26. Online.