Thursday, June 28, 2012

Christian Business Ethics

In the world of business today, people are searching for a standard that is at a level above the normal greed, arrogance, undisciplined practices that are prevalent on Wall Street and in the shop around the corner today. I believe the Bible is filled with words of wisdom that can serve as a guide to those that are believers and non-believers alike in practicing Christian Business Ethics that is in line with the character of Christ. In seeking guidance from the Lord through His word on how we are to behave and do business from a biblical perspective, the bar will need to be raised on business practices that will cause the world to be in awe of the awesome power of the word of God and the benefits that one can glean from seeking advice from the Lord.

We recently saw in the news how executives from major companies like AIG (American Insurance Group) and CitiGroup were behaving of late. It is truly disgraceful to the human race. With no sense of care and leadership that they once aspired to inspire others to want to emulate them as role models. It seems as if these execs have adopted a view of total self interest and self-preservation without regard for others. There was a time when men cared about their fellow co-worker and wanted them to succeed in their jobs and businesses as much as the next guy. Now that has changed to what's in it for me.

Ethics

After watching how the economy tanked from mid 2007, I noted that if men just behaved differently, with a higher standard, I thought that it was time that someone started talking about how the bar can be raised to a level that will cause men to aspire to become as Godly men of old. Like our founding fathers. Those days when a man's word, due to his Christian Business Ethics, caused him to establish his name and his company, based on the reliability and assurance of his word. Of course this was due to the godly character that he possessed. Men had strong convictions back then that formed his business dealing practices.

Christian Business Ethics
Christian Business Ethics

It is in this spirit and with guidance from the word of God, that I will seek to encourage my fellow entrepreneurs and business executives and Leaders to display and practice business ethics that the world would want to emulate. This is what http://christian-business-ethics.com has been doing since the beginning of 2009.

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Monday, June 25, 2012

How Poor Business Ethics Led To The Collape Of Enron Ethics

The Enron Corporation was one of the largest companies which sold electricity and natural gas, distributed energy and other services like bandwidth interest connection and provided risk management and financial services to consumers the world over. This company became rich because of its initiative marketing and endorsement of power and communications bandwidth services and risk management offshoots. All these services were supervised by the operations management department but there existed other management departments which carried out half of their functions. Though these functions were purely executive in nature, there was lack of integrity, responsibility, creativity and control. The absence of these ethics led to the bankruptcy of the company. In other words, Enron ethics was ignored by the employees while working.

In an organization, the functions of the operations management department should consist of ethical values, integrity, competence and clear accountability of term papers. But Enron did not abide by these functions which led to its bankruptcy. We may say that the company's employees lacked Enron ethics. As the company's reputation grew in the global world, the competition within the employees rose and hence individual greed also generated in the atmosphere of the company's egotism. Every employee wanted to make it big, achieve a lot within the company, and thus there was high motivation to succeed and earn more. But in such an atmosphere, the tendency to distrust people around is high as each is only concerned about themselves. With the mistrust among the employees booming, highly confidential term papers got used in trade contracts. Thus, trading contracts were made in secret and its admission was also kept undisclosed. Dealings in the finance section grew rapidly without paying much attention towards the company's goals. Hence, the employees had started to ignore Enron ethics.

Ethics

As a result, we cannot say that the problem rose due to the accounting practices only. It is not the financial department which is to be blamed solely. The problem which led to the bankruptcy of the company lay in the operations management department. On one side, Enron was gaining praises from the outsiders and on the other side, it was full of decentralized financial control and decision making structure which gave an illogical and unclear picture of the company's activities and operations. But we cannot say that the managerial performance was poor but the departments were ruining the ethical values and principles of the company. It was the duty of the managers and directors to check whether Enron ethics is being followed in their company or not. If they had supervised properly then they could have escaped from this bankruptcy tragedy.

How Poor Business Ethics Led To The Collape Of Enron Ethics
How Poor Business Ethics Led To The Collape Of Enron Ethics

Russell Clark owns and operates the website The-Ethical-Corporation.com [http://www.the-ethical-corporation.com/]

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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Massage Therapy Ethics and Etiquette

There is no avoiding this simple fact about massage therapy: Providing or receiving the healing power of touch is intimate. And intimacy, even in the most professional settings, can expose vulnerabilities and lead to uncomfortable and even awkward situations.

It is the responsibility of the massage therapist to create an environment that is conducive to a healthy, relaxing and satisfying experience for the client. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the client to communicate with the massage therapist in a manner that allows the therapist to provide the service in a manner that puts the client at ease.

Ethics

An experienced massage therapist will be able to guide the recipient through the massage process so that there is little confusion about some of the basic areas that cause embarrassment or confusion.

Massage Therapy Ethics and Etiquette

Take It All Off?

The amount of clothing worn during a massage is dependent on the type of massage being administered. It is normal to be completely undressed during a full body Swedish massage but is not absolutely necessary. If a client prefers to wear panties or briefs during the massage that is fine. Frankly, the client should be able to wear whatever makes them most comfortable. Regardless, the therapist will appropriately drape the client so that only the areas of the body being massaged are exposed.

The therapist will usually instruct the client about what to expect before they begin undressing. The therapist will then leave the room and allow the client to undress and get comfortable on the massage table under a sheet or towel. The massage therapist will then uncover only the area of the body being massaged.

Touchy Feely

There are a variety of reasons that an individual may want a massage: stress relief, relaxation, general wellness, enhance circulation, improved flexibility, etc. No matter what the reason for the massage the therapist is always under the obligation to respect the boundaries set by the client and to establish his or her own boundaries.

Therapeutic massage is, by nature, a sensual experience. However, it is not intended to be a sexual experience. If a client, male or female, makes any overtly sexual requests or suggestions then the therapist is obligated to professionally and forcefully identify the inappropriateness of these comments. Conversely, no therapist should take liberties or make assumptions relative to what parts of the body can be touched.

In general, it is never appropriate to touch the genitals during a massage session. The client cannot expect to be touched sexually and the therapist cannot touch a client in a sexual manner. Either case will betray the trust in the relationship between the two parties...to say nothing of the potential for legal and ethical issues.

And let's be clear. While there are documented benefits of breast massage, it is not, and should not be, included in a total body massage. Breasts are off limits unless a very special request is made of a qualified therapist. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork includes a specific policy in its Standards of Practice. The Board states that therapists may "only provide therapeutic breast massage as indicated in the plan of care, and only after receiving informed voluntary consent from the client." That being said, breast massage is legally restricted in some states.

An experienced massage therapist, male or female, will know how to deflect sexual advances by a client. If a subtle response does not do the job then a forceful statement or ending the session will be the correct response. Any client who feels that they are being touched inappropriately should feel confident in their right to speak up. If it is incidental contact or just an accident the therapist will apologize and continue with the client's discomfort noted accordingly.

Extracurricular Activity

As stated earlier, touch is intimate. Permission for such intimacy is accorded based on the massage therapist's professionalism and the trust of the client. At the same time, a relationship is established...a professional relationship but a relationship nonetheless. Understanding and honoring the boundaries of that relationship will allow both parties to fill their roles appropriately.

It is generally accepted that there ought not to be any personal relationship between the therapist and a paying client. Allowing the relationship to expand beyond the massage table to a social or even romantic connection is to invite a host of ethical dilemmas. A therapist could be perceived as taking advantage of a client who might be in a vulnerable state due to stress or physical ailment. In the state of Washington it is illegal to date a client within two years of the last session. That is strict stuff and is as likely to protect a therapist from misunderstandings as it is to protect a client.

Borders and Boundaries

Providing the healing power of touch is an honorable and ancient profession. The benefits of massage therapy are numerous and continue to gain acceptance as a mainstream health practice. No one should ever have to feel uncomfortable about getting a massage and they won't if they are in the hands of a well-trained and ethically centered massage professional.

Massage Therapy Ethics and Etiquette

J. Terrence McDermott is the administrator of MassageSchoolsGuide.com, a website offering resources for prospective massage therapists including articles about massage etiquette, massage career options and a complete directory of massage schools in Oregon and the rest of the U.S.

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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Virtual Worlds For Children, Tweens and Teens

Virtual worlds have become a growing power in kids' online activities. In 2008, an estimated eight million US children and teens visited virtual worlds on a regular basis. It is estimated that by 2013 this number will be doubled. These online worlds are a relatively new phenomenon, so there isn't much research on their impact on kids. As parents, we ask: Is it safe? Is it educational? Do our children benefit from this activity? In lack of long-term research the best answer seems to be that like every other activity we choose to do, when it is measured and in balance with other activities, it can be enjoyable, harmless and sometimes even educational. It is our responsibility as parents to direct our children to safe constructive activities that will help them to grow as people and become contributing citizens. The same thing is true for choosing online activities for them and specifically for virtual worlds. As parents we have to make sure that our children visit virtual worlds that are suited for their age and are safe for them. We also want to direct our children to virtual worlds that offer quality content and educational value.

What is a virtual world?

Ethics

Virtual worlds are services which offer Internet users a computer simulated environment imitating the real world. In the virtual world the user interacts by using an avatar (a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional computer graphic identity, which represent a user's alter ego or the user's real persona) in online chats.

Virtual Worlds For Children, Tweens and Teens

There are two main types:

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) -
These virtual worlds use point systems and competition in the simulation. They have winners and losers. Commercial MMOGs include Everquest and World of Warcraft.

Non-game worlds -
These virtual worlds are less game-like, or not games at all. They are more like social networking services like MySpace and Facebook, but with 3D simulation features. For example, Second Life, ActiveWorlds and The Sims Online.

What are the risks for kids in virtual worlds?
Children and teenagers can easily get absorbed in a virtual world. It is an enjoyable pastime allowing them to try different points of view and avatars. The danger is when a child is invested more in the virtual life than in real life. This may result in withdrawal from real life activities, poor social skills, loss of ability to distinguish between the real and the imaginary, etc. It is important to limit the time a child or teenager spends surfing virtual worlds in order to keep the child's base in the real world. Private information may be exposed in virtual worlds when a child is persuaded to give up his/her real identity to strangers. It is important to emphasize to the child not to give away private information under any circumstances. Sometimes virtual worlds especially ones that are intended for teens can become violent environments. Many virtual worlds have guardians - adults that have avatars in the game and are there to keep the peace. These guardians can not always stop violent behavior. It is important for parents of teens to be involved in their children's online activities and to instruct them how to behave in problematic situations. Online predators sometimes use social network services and virtual worlds to target potential victims. They pose as children and gradually seduce them into an online relationship. This relationship might end in sexual abuse. The chance of your child being targeted by online predator is low, but since such an encounter has severe consequences, parents should be aware and make sure that their kids don't get involved in online relationships with strangers. All of these risks are worrying, but it seems that the greatest risk in virtual worlds for kids is the inherently commercial nature of many of them. Kids are encouraged to buy clothes, toys, food, books and more for their avatars using the virtual world currency. In some worlds they have to play games in order to earn "money", in some they buy the virtual world currency with real money. You can see in many virtual worlds, avatars that are dressed in high fashion clothing and have expensive cars and homes. Many virtual worlds have a strong correlation between consumption and citizenship. Kids are learning that in order to be a good citizen they have to buy the right stuff. Many virtual worlds also have a lot of advertisement. In order to avoid this commercial nature, parents should direct their children to non-commercial virtual worlds that usually have more educational value.
What are the Benefits of Virtual Worlds for Children?

In virtual worlds kids are involved in informal learning. By trying different avatars, points of view and jobs they play out scenarios over and over from different angles. They can see what approach is best for them. They learn how to socialize, how to be Internet savvy, how to buy and sell online and how to be members of a society. They learn skills that they'll need in the future workforce.

Matching the Virtual World to the Child's Age

When choosing a virtual world for your kids or checking the ones your kids use, it is important to keep the age factor in mind. Today children surf in online worlds from the age of three (usually with adult help) to 18. It is important to see that the virtual world they enter is safe for their age and offers appropriate content.

There are three major age groups:
Young children - age 3-10. Kids in this age group are just starting to discover the cyber world. They often need help from an adult in order to surf. It is not recommended to let children at this age surf without adult supervision. It is important to make sure that the virtual worlds the child surfs are safe, enclosed environments. There should be no advertisement (or very little). Online chats and forums, if such exist, should be limited and monitored. Tweens or juniors - age 10-14. Tweens are kids who are stuck in this phase between being young kids and being teens. Children at this age range usually have good technological and language abilities that allow them to surf freely. On the other hand, they lack the maturity and experience to help them understand the content that they encounter when surfing-they need adult guidance. They are a vulnerable population. Their high technological abilities and desire to socialize exposes them to risks, as well as their PC and private family information. Tweens will usually look for more complex online worlds that will allow them to chat with their friends freely. It is important for parents of tweens to be involved as much as they can in their kids' online activities. Parents should direct their tweens to virtual worlds they find suited for them. Guidelines for Internet use should be defined. These guidelines should emphasize Web ethics and privacy protection. Include the child when defining the guidelines in order to make the child more committed to them. An Internet-use policy may help in making those guidelines clear. Parents should talk to their kids about Internet threats, such as: malware attacks, online predators, harassments, and give them examples of immediate solutions, for example: turning off the PC and notifying a parent. Most important is to give your children confidence about approaching the adults in the family in case they encounter suspicious behavior when surfing. Teenagers - age 14-18. Teens have fully developed technological and language skills. They are confident surfing the Internet (sometimes more than their parents). The Internet becomes a strong social and educational tool in their life. Teens are usually more aware of the risks that exist on the web. On the other hand, in this age group there is a tendency for risk taking. In addition, teens usually use a PC in the privacy of their own room, or they go to places that allow them to surf without supervision. So it is nearly impossible to monitor the teenager's Internet activities. Teens will usually be attracted to adult virtual worlds. Adult virtual worlds are not always suited for teenagers. In some you can encounter cybersex activity and violence. It is important for parents of teens to keep being involved in their kids' online activities. Offering teens appropriate websites that may interest them could be a great solution. There are virtual worlds for teens that offer great content and are non-commercial. Parents should also emphasize Web ethics to their teenagers and warn them about Internet threats.

In order to find a suitable virtual world for your kids you can check out - SafeWeb directory [http://safewebforchildren.com/pages/sub_category.php/?sub_category=Virtual%20Worlds]. This is a web directory that offers safe websites for kids.

Virtual Worlds For Children, Tweens and Teens

For more information on how to protect your children on the Web see - In3go.com Internet Security Info [http://www.in3go.com/pages/cs_main.php].

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Why Business Ethics Are Important?


Before we seek to find out some of the business ethics that business people should embrace, it is needful to first understand what the word 'ethics' refers to.

Ethics are a set of moral principles which are recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, for instance the medical ethics, legal ethics, teaching ethics that brings together people of the same profession.

Ethics

These principles deal with values relating to human conduct with respect to concepts such as being good or bad, noble or ignoble, right or wrong etc. These values guide members of a group to act in a manner that is consistent with the values and standards as established. Business ethics are those virtues that business people apply when making business decisions. They are the standards expected within the business world, even if they are not written down and which business people ought to adopt. For instance business people are expected to afflict least suffering to their customers, being fair in their dealings and nurturing an enduring virtuous corporate character in totality.
Why Business Ethics Are Important?
Business ethics are important because they keep business people to operate within a moral and legal pedestal which not only leaves them satisfied internally but also increases sales because most people like dealing or doing business with honest businessmen. Also if the public or your potential customers perceive you to be engaging in improper business deals, they will shun you.
Good business ethics should be embraced by all businessmen because engaging in unethical practices, which may include breaking the law, may lead to heavy fines or lack of trust by members of the public. Some of the business ethics include the following:
1. Being trustful by recognizing that customer is the king. Customers want to do business with companies they trust and which they perceive to be showing them respect. When a business entity is trusted, it creates a loyal clientele.
2. Business people should be ready to meet the obligations of their customers and business partners regardless of anything else. Business people should offer their end of the bargain at all cost because this is the only way to cement customer and business partner's loyalty.
3. Engaging in fair trading practices like guaranteeing a safe workplace for your employees, fair pricing for your products, that will at least cover the cost of production and treating you customers well among others will guarantee a high business turnover.
4. Every businessman wakes up every day with the intent to make profit. When a business operates within ethical realms, there will always be clear indications for growth. Equally, a business needs to make profit so as to meet its ethical obligations to the company, its employees, the authorities and customers.
5. In essence, being ethical as a business person builds the image of reliability and establishes reputation with your customers, the two things that are very important to a business.
Most business people do not take a keen interest in implementing business ethics. Most of them think that making profit is the most important thing but as they realize later, no matter how hard they try, they do not achieve their objectives.
Why Business Ethics Are Important?
Ryan Fyfe is the CEO of http://www.shiftplanning.com/ - An intuitive and free online employee scheduling tool for businesses of all sizes in all industries.
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Monday, June 11, 2012

Human Resources Job Description

The interesting role of a Human Resources (HR) Manager ranges from interviewing prospective candidates, to providing the best possible environment for task efficiency at a minimal cost to the company.

Those who are interested in becoming a Human Resources Manager, or beginning their career in this field, must possess Master's degree in the area. They must acquire the skills of short listing candidates for various job positions and interviewing candidates to find out how far they are suitable to perform the tasks in the company and many others. Once a new employee enters the company, they should be made to integrate their work so as to become a part of the well-organized work culture of the company. This is important as the new employees often bring their old habits or work ethics into the new office, which may be at odds with the existing work atmosphere. By being a part of the team, the new employee must assimilate their qualities and must exhibit a give and take attitude to perform better.

Ethics

The manager, or those employed in the Human Resources section, must work closely with those in the production team of a company to find out the requirements for temporary staffing and other needs. This assumes urgency at the time when there is most demand for the product. For instance, the demand for heaters goes up tremendously just before winter sets in. In this case, if the heater company fails to stock the products in the market well in advance, their competitors will walk away with the sales and leave the company in financial straits. Therefore, the Human Resources Manager must co-ordinate with all the departments, including the Management and Marketing departments, to know their latest requirements in staffing, and must start the necessary process accordingly.

Human Resources Job Description

In addition, Human Resources departments must also develop retention strategies for skilled workers. To keep such talented persons, the HR department must revise the promotion guidelines with the help of management, and reward all important persons involved in key areas of the company. Frequent reward and making sure the company meets the expectations of the employees mostly results in employees continuing in the company. Instead of an external recruitment drive, retaining the existing workforce in a company's key areas is most profitable to the company. The HR department must always work to promote senior, experienced workers to fill such vacancies. This will improve the employee loyalty and also improves the productivity.

Working in Human Resources is an important and rewarding job, which simultaneously helps the employer to serve the employees as well as helping the employees serve the employer.

Human Resources Job Description

Job Descriptions provides detailed information about job descriptions, accounting job descriptions, free resume-writing tips, how to write a resume and more. Job Descriptions is the sister site of Personal Time Management.

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Friday, June 8, 2012

Aromatherapy - Air Freshener and Deodorizing Room Spray

Pure essential oils have a wide range of therapeutic uses and benefits. The method applied can affect your results. In this article I will talk about how to use an aromatherapy spray to enhance the health of your living environment, as well as its ambiance.

First, please remember that essential oils should never be applied neat (undiluted) to your skin. There are absolutely NO exceptions to this! This includes the soles of your feet or palms of your hands. When using oils neat for inhalation purposes please exercise care and dispense your oils on a tissue or cotton ball for direct inhalation.

Ethics

Allow Your Senses the Healing Presence of Your Own Personalized Room Spray. Scent Your Personal Space using the following recipe to create an aromatherapy room spray. Please use glass colored bottle misters.

Aromatherapy - Air Freshener and Deodorizing Room Spray

BASIC RECIPE FOR YOUR AROMATHERAPY ROOM SPRAY: To freshen and deodorize your personal and private space, as well as promote a germ free living environment simply add your essential oils to 4 ounces of distilled water, shake well and spray. The amount of oil used will depend upon the purpose of your aromatic mist.

Air Freshener ~ 40-60 drops essential oil in 4 ounces of distilled water, shake well and spray

Suggested oils to use: Lavender, Sweet Orange, Atlas Cedarwood

Deodorizer ~ 60-80 drops essential oil in 4 ounces of distilled water, shake well and spray

Suggested oils to use: Lavender, Lemon, Himalayan Cedarwood

Anti-microbial ~ 80-100 drops in 4 ounces of distilled water, shake well and spray

Suggested oils to use: Lemon, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon Bark

Properly administered essential oils are a natural, safe and effective way to enhance your health and well-being and can produce satisfying results where other methods have failed. Please consult with your physician regarding your health concerns.

KG has utilized essential oils in her energy medicine practice for more than 30 years. During that time she has facilitated healing for thousands of people suffering from personal trauma, illness and injury. Through her unique AromaTest(TM) system KG formulates essential oil blends that heal.

PLEASE NOTE: There are many cheap chemical copies of essential oils available, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results always use ethically wild crafted or pure, organic essential oils that are pesticide free!

Aromatherapy - Air Freshener and Deodorizing Room Spray

KG Stiles is a certified Aromatherapist practicing in Ashland, OR USA PurePlant Essentials is her line of pure organic essential oils. KG formulates aromatic remedies for: colds and flu, insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, menopause, anti-aging, skin care and more.

Click to learn about & order http://kgstiles.com/essentialoilskitbasic.htm AROMATHERAPY BASIC ESSENTIAL OIL KIT

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Contact KG Stiles Springhill Wellness Center, 2520 Springhill Drive Ashland, OR USA (541) 941-7315 Mahalo!

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Monday, June 4, 2012

Ethical Behavior

Ethics play a quiet, yet large part of our lives. Ethics come into play when we work, when we play, and at any time that we are interacting with others. Ethics are a set of rules that we each live by, essentially, although they are generally unwritten rules. Ethical behavior means that you are living, working, or playing in an ethical way - by the set of standards that are generally considered to be right or good.

Because we each have our own moral code, laws were written to protect us. Many of these laws are based on ethics, while others are not. However, most laws are there to more or less force us to practice ethical behavior, for fear of repercussions or consequences. Not all ethical behavior, however, has become law.

Ethics

Take lying for instance. Yes, it is against the law to sit in a witness box, in a court of law, and lie. In fact, that is called perjury. However, it is not against the law to tell an acquaintance a lie. It is, however, unethical behavior. Cheating on your taxes is against the law, and unethical. Cheating when you are playing a game with friends or family members is not against the law, but it is still unethical behavior.

Ethical Behavior

Most of us develop our own moral code - our sense of right and wrong - when we are growing up. We often base our morals on what we see around us. For example, if a child grows up with a parent who is prone to lying, that child may very well grow up to tell lies as well. They know that lying is wrong, but they don't necessarily see it as something that is unethical. In some cases, they won't even see lying as wrong, but instead as a way of life that they know.

Often, despite what you were raised with, you can redevelop your moral code and practice ethical behavior as a grown up. This is first done by establishing what ethical behavior - or unethical behavior - is exactly in the world that you live or work in. As a general rule, lying, cheating, stealing, or otherwise harming any other individual is considered to be bad ethical behavior. But there are other actions that constitute unethical behavior as well.

For example, if you don't lie, but you don't tell the whole truth - leaving certain parts out - this is unethical behavior, because you didn't give someone else the opportunity to make an informed decision, or to act on accurate information. Unfortunately, many people will simply say 'but I didn't lie.' It is true that you didn't lie, but again, you withheld the truth, which may be considered the same as a lie.

Again, we begin learning about ethical behavior - or unethical behavior - as soon as we are old enough to take note of our surroundings as small children, but this doesn't mean that we are stuck with those values. Many people have near perfect ethical behavior taught to them, but fail to use those ethics after they reach adulthood, or in some of their life or business dealings. So, you must ask yourself if you are practicing ethical behavior each and everyday. If you aren't, correct the problem and try to do better in the future.

Ethical Behavior

This and other topics that deal with corporate communications, business to customer relationships, and sales training through Collective Vision are just some of the topics discuss.

And now I would like to offer you one of my book chapters absolutely free. You can get instant access at http://www.jedreay.com/freechapters

From Jed A. Reay - The Communicator/Connector and Visionary Master Sales Trainer.

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Friday, June 1, 2012

The Role of Ethics in 21st Century Organizations

In recent years a competitive global environment, the inability of some organizations to maintain a competitive advantage and other pressurizing factors have forced many organizations and their leaders to pursue unethical practices in a bid to remain successful. Can organizations survive within this very complex/competitive era without resorting to unethical practices, and how? This paper provides readers with an understanding of the necessity of the role of ethics in contemporary organizations. It addresses the importance of leadership in establishing and maintaining ethical principles in the organization and culminates with a set of recommendations to which leaders can ascribe in order to ensure that organizations remain ethical.

What is ethics?

Ethics

Ethics is defined as the ability to distinguish between right and wrong and to act accordingly. According to Rand, a 20th century Russian/American novelist, it is a code of values which guide our choices and actions and determine the purpose and course of our lives." It revolves around others and hence...may be understood quite easily when analyzed from the perspective of Matthew 7:12 "do to others what you would have them do to you."

The Role of Ethics in 21st Century Organizations

Old Problem, New People: Judas selling Jesus for 30 Pieces of Silver

In contemporary organizations we see many leaders and followers whose behaviors bear marked resemblance to that of Judas (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13, 18, Acts 1:18). There are Organizations that are deliberately violating the ethical standards that are necessary for the successful functioning of any society. Hoyk and Hersey postulates that within one year Enron, Adelphia, Tyco International, as well as the conviction of the CEO of WorldCom by federal court represents only a small segment of organizations, and people implicated in unethical practices in organizations. An examination of the recent election in Zimbabwe highlights the height of unethical practices that exist even at the helm of organizations governing a country; which has led world government according to Lauren decrying it as an outright charade... The urge to succeed at any cost, greed, and selfishness are just a few of the causes of unethical practices; these practices condemn the poor to be even more impoverished, while the rich becomes better off. It should be noted that unethical practices undermine not only the trust of the stakeholders but also the general populace and create an unhealthy organization and a society that is not subject to rules and regulations; the end result anarchy and gargantuan proportions of mistrust in society, which ultimately will shorten the organization life span.

The Call to Act: Inspire to take action

The creation of an ethical organizational culture resides with leaders and followers; leadership by nature demands that leaders be the front runners in establishing an ethical organizational culture. We recognize the mammoth task leaders face in a fast paced society with rocket-like changes even as they fight to maintain a competitive advantage. However as the demise of many organizations becomes a reality due to unethical practices, the onus resides with contemporary leaders to create and sustain ethical organizational cultures even as they compete to survive, because it is the ethical/social stance to take. The issue of ethics is a solemn issue in leadership; its nonexistence can create a vacuum in the organization, fostering a climatic condition in which any action is acceptable. It is important for leaders to create an ethical environment, in doing this; decision making will rely on ethical standards which in the end gives ethical outcome. For such an environment to be created ethics has to be the foundation of the organization's vision, composition and mission. With such a proposition, leaders are forced to cosset themselves in a discourse of collective ethical codes. Such code enables the leaders to act with morals and to foster an organization that relish itself in the laws of right.

The role of an ethical leader is to foster an organization that enables all stakeholders to act responsibly, to be conscientious of their environment and those around them. Johnson postulates that, leaders have a duty to achieve ethical standard through the use of organizational aspirations that must be effective, efficient and excellent. Therefore, the burden is on leaders to captain the ship, take charge and be in charge. The premise is that ethical leadership and ethical principles begins at the top of the organization then spreads throughout. Leaders should not assume that employees intuitively know and will comply with ethical principles set out by the organization. It becomes the leader's responsibility to ensure that ethical practices are modeled as well as communicated orally...training employees on ethical issues should be mandatory. Leaders can foster an ethical environment by employing what I refer to as critical factors:

Critical Factor One: Vision

A clear and concise vision that incorporates ethical principle set the foundation for all stakeholders to realize exactly what the organization stands for...

Critical Factor Two: Open Communication

A channel of communication in which leaders and followers feel at ease in discussing or examining behaviors or issues that may "in question." This promotes trust and confidence in the organizational efforts.

Critical Factor Three: Ethical Team

Creating a team that looks out for unethical action: This team is responsible for identifying and addressing ethical problems confronting the organization. They craft an environment in which difficult ethical issues can be discussed and corrective measures put in place. This should allow stakeholders to have trust/confidence in promoting the organizational values.

Conclusion

In light of recent unearthing of unethical practices in many organizations, contemporary organizations are now faced with a serious problem. We are now faced with the challenge of how to combat the epidemic of unethical behavior in our organizations. The role of ethics in the 21st Century is integral in that, all organizations need a firm foundation to stand on, and a base that is rooted in an ethical framework, which when tested can survive. It becomes the responsibility of leadership to consider ethics as part of their organization dynamics. It is this move that will enable the organization to set itself apart from the predecessors that sunk through the times of unethical confronts. The price we pay for poor ethics has eroded the very fabric of our society as well as our organizational culture, producing mistrust and chaos. It becomes imperative that leaders promote an organizational culture that values/fosters ethics. Commitment to ethics is the definitive factor that will create a successful lasting organization.

References:

Ciulla, J. B. (2004), Ethics the Heart of Leadership 2nd Edition, Praeger Publishers. West Port, CT.

The Role of Ethics in 21st Century Organizations

Sergeant First Class Camuy Guama Heremuru is an Active Duty Army Sergeant stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. He is currently assigned to the United States African Command. He holds a Doctoral Degree at Regent University; his area of specialty is Strategic Leadership.

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