Maintaning Ethical Values in an Unethical Environment

From 3arf

Ethics and its values are not governed by law or legislature. It encompasses many aspects of acceptable human behavior and practices in any social group. Humans are still regarded as herd “animals”, influenced by peer pressure, the need for achievement, recognition, -  and to be accepted as a worthy members of any social groups, we are conditioned to conform to behavioral standards considered as “acceptable”. As the saying goes, “No man is an island”. On the other hand, to be different means - isolation, exclusion, being marginalized and ignored. Even to the extent of losing our jobs. How many of us are strong enough to withstand banishment from our social groups? To be all alone - that is how one would feel if we choose to maintain and up-hold ethical values in an unethical environment.

The most common unethical environment one could think of is surely the business environment. From the many reports of business failures arising out of the banking failures world-wide, we know that it is not a one off phenomenon, but a recurring one that’s gives many a cause for concern. Ultimately, in an unethical business environment all roads lead to GREED. The business environment as an unethical environment is generic world-wide, it does not discriminate - from developed to developing nations unethical behavior is prevalent. In some nations, the unethical political environment exacerbates the degree of unethical behavior in the business environment.

It’s time to the turn the tables around. The best way to maintain good ethical values in an unethical environment is to influence and to recruit more like minded people on to your side. You will be surprise that there are many who believes in ethical practices but feels afraid to stand up and to speak up to expose the wrong doers due to the fear of the repercussions that will befall them. It is always better to speak up in a group, and there is also less possibility of a cover-up if many people are in on the “know”. This works best if you are at the bottom of your hierarchy.

On the other hand, if you happen to be at the top of the hierarchy, you will then have more influence on promoting and maintaining ethical values in your business. Setting out ethical and proper ethics centered Corporate Vision and Mission, Code of Ethics and declare a stance on the repercussions to non-compliance is the common approaches for ethical companies. Good transparent operating procedures and clear guide-lines also help in this aspect. Support these ethical endeavors with academic researches that suggest ethical companies in the long run are more profitable than unethical ones, will convince most stakeholders that spending time and money creating an ethical company makes good business sense. But most importantly, “walking the talk” and “leading by example” is the most apt in inculcating good ethical behavior organization wide.

Laws governing some aspects of business ethics, for example in the US, the Sarbane Oxley Act 2002, on Corporate Governance would lend weight to maintaining ethical practices and its values. Sarbane Oxley Act also covers and protects whistle blowers from losing their jobs. There are similar laws on protecting whistle blowers in most developed nations-regrettably, there are almost nil in developing nations. With most global companies operating world-wide, the effects of Sarbane Oxley Act is mostly limited to US companies operating within the country. If there are laws covering ethical standards in areas of human rights, protecting the environment, information protection etc. these laws carefully enforced will enhance ethical values in an unethical business environment.

As pointed out earlier, an ethical political environment with a good and clean judiciary system will support and promote good ethical values in an unethical environment. Ethical businesses operating in unethical governance environment exposed to unethical practices will lose out to the competition. But all is not lost. There are international Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) formed  for instance, Transparency International that issues the Transparency Indices on corruption for all countries, act as pressure groups to report on and “shame” countries that are corrupt. Corrupt countries are then “punished” as there will be less foreign direct investments allocated to them. Other NGOs promoting ethical values, includes, the UN, UNHCR, ILO etc.

Maintaining ones ethical values when faced with working in an ethical environment is not an easy task. At times it may feel like a losing cause to maintaining high ethical standards, but quoting William C Butcher, Retired Chairman of the Chase Manhattan Corporation, “Ethical decision-making isn’t an option today. It’s an obligation - in business, in education, in government, in our daily lives”

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