Ethics and Hrm

Description
The role of ethics in hrm and business world....how ethics is shoved out of the door in businesses and what are its consequences.

Prithwiraj Deb

Ethics, Morality and HRM
? Ethics is the study of morality
? Morals are the standards used to judge right and

wrong

? Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization's most valued assets - the people working there

Costs of Corporate Ethics Violations
? $7 trillion in stock market losses
? Loss of jobs and retirement savings of employees

Human Costs
? Unethical business environments can: ? Demotivate individuals ? Make good employees leave the company ? Attract unethical employees ? Lead to the lack of trust by the employees for the company

? Over the last decade, ethical scandals in business have

been on the rise:
? Enron ? WorldCom ? Tyco ? Big tobacco ? Satyam

How To Stop Unethical Behavior
? A combination of external regulations and compliance

programs and voluntary corporate ethics programs is the most effective way to combat inappropriate corporate behavior (Trevino, Weaver, Gibson, & Toffler, 1999).

External Regulations
? Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) ? Requires CEOs and CFOs to sign statements making them personally responsible for the accuracy of the quarterly financial statements ? Knowingly misrepresenting the financials opens them up to punishments including fines and jail time ? Protection for whistleblowers

Other External Regulations
? Other external regulations include regulations related

to:
? Minimum wage ? Overtime compensation ? Discrimination ? Health and Safety ? Privacy

Corporate Values Statements
? Describes the core values the company wants its

employees to exhibit including:
? How employees are to treat one another ? How employees are to treat customers and stockholders

Effective Values Statements
? Must come from the top with the CEO being directly

involved in its development ? Top management must actively disseminate the values statement and then live by it

HR Responses
? Take steps to eliminate and discourage reasons for misbehavior and introduce and encourage reasons to behave ethically
? Develop an appraisal system that rewards individuals for ethical behaviors and punishes those who act unethically ? HR can use its expertise to communicate with the workforce to get out the ethical message

Guidelines for Fostering an Ethical Culture
? Have a well developed policy and procedures manual
? Enforce policies ? Reward compliance

? Recruit ethical employees
? Create a division to oversee ethics

Conclusion
? Whenever you are required to make a difficult

decision, especially one that is ethically challenging, select an option that you would be comfortable describing to the nation on the evening news

? Thank You



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