- Taking Responsibility In The Workplace
- Personal Responsibility In The Workplace
- Responsibility In The Workplace Examples
Professionalism is the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or professional person; it implies quality of workmanship or service. Every organization knows that a professional reputation is the difference between success and failure and they seek to keep their most professional staff.
Professionalism is all about success and influence; having a reputation for excellence and being thought of as someone who exhibits professionalism under any circumstances can open doors for you either in the workplace or in your personal ambition.
Following are ten golden rules to being professional in service to your organization:
● Always strive for excellence; this is the first rule to achieving greatness in whatever endeavor you undertake this is the quality that makes you and your work stand-out. Excellence is a quality of service which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards, it should be made a habit for it to make a good impression on your bosses and colleagues.
● Be trustworthy; in today’s society trust is an issue and any employee who exhibits trustworthiness is on a fast track to professionalism. Trustworthiness is about fulfilling an assigned task and as an extension- not letting down expectations, it is been dependable, and reliable when called upon to deliver a service. In order to earn the trust of your bosses and colleagues, worth and integrity must be proven over time.
Be accountable; to be accountable is to stand tall and be counted for what actions you have undertaken, this is the blameworthiness and responsibility for your actions and its consequences- good or bad.
● Be courteous and respectful; courteousness is being friendly, polite and well mannered with a gracious consideration towards others. It makes social interactions in the workplace run smoothly, avoid conflicts and earn respect. Respect is a positive feeling of esteem or deference for a person or organization; it is built over time and can be lost with one stupid or inconsiderate action. Continued courteous interactions are required to maintain or increase the original respect gained.
● Be honest, open and transparent; honesty is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as truthfulness, straightforwardness of conduct, loyalty, fairness, sincerity, openness in communication and generally operating in a way for others to see what actions are being performed. This is a virtue highly prized by employers and colleagues, for it builds trust and increases your personal value to all.
● Be competent and improve continually; competence is the ability of an individual to do a job properly, it is a combination of knowledge, skills and behavior used to improve performance. Competency grows through experience and to the extent one is willing to learn and adapt. Continuous self development is a pre-requisite in offering professional service at all times.
● Always be ethical; ethical behavior is acting within certain moral codes in accordance with the generally accepted code of conduct or rules. It is always safe for an employee to “play by the rules”. This is always the best policy and in instances the rule book is inadequate, acting with a clear moral conscience is the right way to go. This may cause friction in some organizations but ethical organizations will always stand by the right moral decisions and actions of their employees.
● Always be honorable and act with integrity; honorable action is behaving in a way that portrays “nobility of soul, magnanimity, and a scorn of meanness” which is derived from virtuous conduct and personal integrity. This is a concept of “wholeness or completeness” of character in line with certain values, believes, and principles with consistency in action and outcome.
● Be respectful of confidentiality; confidentiality is respecting the set of rules or promise that restricts you from further and unauthorized dissemination of information. Over the course of your career, information will be passed on to you in confidence – either from the organization or from colleagues- and it is important to be true to such confidences. You gain trust and respect of those confiding in you and increase your influence within the organization.
● Set good examples; applying the foregoing rules helps you improve your professionalism within your organization but it is not complete until you impact knowledge on those around and below you. You must show and lead by good example. Being a professional is about living an exemplary live within and without the organization.
Professionalism is highly valued by every organization today and professionals are hardly out of work. Apply the ten golden rules of professionalism and enjoy a wonderful, professional and prosperous career.
Professionalism is the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or professional person; it implies quality of workmanship or service. Every organization knows that a professional reputation is the difference between success and failure and they seek to keep their most professional staff.
Professionalism is all about success and influence; having a reputation for excellence and being thought of as someone who exhibits professionalism under any circumstances can open doors for you either in the workplace or in your personal ambition.
Following are ten golden rules to being professional in service to your organization:
● Always strive for excellence; this is the first rule to achieving greatness in whatever endeavor you undertake this is the quality that makes you and your work stand-out. Excellence is a quality of service which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards, it should be made a habit for it to make a good impression on your bosses and colleagues.
● Be trustworthy; in today’s society trust is an issue and any employee who exhibits trustworthiness is on a fast track to professionalism. Trustworthiness is about fulfilling an assigned task and as an extension- not letting down expectations, it is been dependable, and reliable when called upon to deliver a service. In order to earn the trust of your bosses and colleagues, worth and integrity must be proven over time.
Be accountable; to be accountable is to stand tall and be counted for what actions you have undertaken, this is the blameworthiness and responsibility for your actions and its consequences- good or bad.
● Be courteous and respectful; courteousness is being friendly, polite and well mannered with a gracious consideration towards others. It makes social interactions in the workplace run smoothly, avoid conflicts and earn respect. Respect is a positive feeling of esteem or deference for a person or organization; it is built over time and can be lost with one stupid or inconsiderate action. Continued courteous interactions are required to maintain or increase the original respect gained.
● Be honest, open and transparent; honesty is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as truthfulness, straightforwardness of conduct, loyalty, fairness, sincerity, openness in communication and generally operating in a way for others to see what actions are being performed. This is a virtue highly prized by employers and colleagues, for it builds trust and increases your personal value to all.
● Be competent and improve continually; competence is the ability of an individual to do a job properly, it is a combination of knowledge, skills and behavior used to improve performance. Competency grows through experience and to the extent one is willing to learn and adapt. Continuous self development is a pre-requisite in offering professional service at all times.
● Always be ethical; ethical behavior is acting within certain moral codes in accordance with the generally accepted code of conduct or rules. It is always safe for an employee to “play by the rules”. This is always the best policy and in instances the rule book is inadequate, acting with a clear moral conscience is the right way to go. This may cause friction in some organizations but ethical organizations will always stand by the right moral decisions and actions of their employees.
● Always be honorable and act with integrity; honorable action is behaving in a way that portrays “nobility of soul, magnanimity, and a scorn of meanness” which is derived from virtuous conduct and personal integrity. This is a concept of “wholeness or completeness” of character in line with certain values, believes, and principles with consistency in action and outcome.
● Be respectful of confidentiality; confidentiality is respecting the set of rules or promise that restricts you from further and unauthorized dissemination of information. Over the course of your career, information will be passed on to you in confidence – either from the organization or from colleagues- and it is important to be true to such confidences. You gain trust and respect of those confiding in you and increase your influence within the organization.
● Set good examples; applying the foregoing rules helps you improve your professionalism within your organization but it is not complete until you impact knowledge on those around and below you. You must show and lead by good example. Being a professional is about living an exemplary live within and without the organization.
Professionalism is highly valued by every organization today and professionals are hardly out of work. Apply the ten golden rules of professionalism and enjoy a wonderful, professional and prosperous career.
- 1Introduction
- 2Examples
- 3Psychology Research
Introduction[edit]
Diffusion of responsibility, also referred to as the 'bystander effect,' is a psychological phenomenon in which people are less likely to take responsibility or take action when there is a greater number of people present.[1] This phenomenon is commonly observed under two separate perspectives. The first is that the individual in a scenario assumes that others have already taken responsibility and therefore they have no moral obligation. Or in another view, the individual might feel false security in feeling that no one can find them responsible because there is no way to single out their behaviors from the rest of the group.[2] Other individual perspectives include, an individual choosing to not get involved due to rational and irrational fears. For instance, fear of physical harm, public embarrassment, involvement with police procedures, lost work days and jobs, and other unknown dangers.[3] Diffusion of responsibility not only does explain individuals actions in everyday life but also can help explain individuals partaking in illegal or unethical activity against their own moral judgment. These individuals often deny fault, claiming they were merely acting under the orders of a superior.
Characteristic of Diffusion of Responsibility[edit]
The basic features that constitutes diffusions of responsibility: [4]
1. Lacking a sense of personal responsibility
2. Lessening the feeling of guilt
3. Looking for guidance in others
4. Increase with group size
Examples[edit]
Many real world scenerios have been explained using this phenomenon. The case of Kitty Genovese is perhaps one of the most well-known examples where bystanders failed to intervene and prevent a crime. The American soldiers involved in the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam war is an extreme example of people following unethical orders from an authority, and ignoring their own judgments.
Kitty Genovese[edit]
Around 3:30 am on March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese, a manager of a bar, was walking home from work when she encountered a man walking towards her. [5] Despite her efforts to run, Winston Moseley caught her and began to attack her. After Mosely stabbed her twice, a man in an apartment above the street called out to 'leave that woman alone,' causing Moseley to flee into a nearby ally where his car was parked. The man in the apartment above began to defy the bystander effect by taking action in an emergency situation, but unfortunately he did not follow through by either calling for help or helping Kitty himself. After yelling out to Moseley, the man turned out his lights and was not heard again. When Moseley saw this, he returned to Genovese where he continued to attack and stab her until she died.
This murder in Queens, NY would not have received as much attention as it did if the New York Times had not released an article questioning human behavior on the basis that 38 neighbors had either heard or seen the attack. It was this article that began to raise concerns of the negative consequences of the bystander effect. The murder and the related article also coined the term Genovese Syndrome as an alternative to the bystander effect.
Black Friday Shoppers[edit]
Around two thousand shoppers anxiously waited for the Walmart in Valley Stream, NY to open on Black Friday, November 28, 2008. Six employees were assigned to hold back the enthusiastic mob from the store’s sliding doors. Unfortunately the sliding doors gave way to the power of the crowd, and Wal-Mart employee Jdimypai Damour fell and was trampled by the crowd.[6] Nobody stopped to help move him out of harm’s way and even when help arrived, the mob continued to jostle and ignore the paramedics and officers. Damour was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Due to the large, eager crowd entering the Wal-mart, customers were able to diffuse the responsibility of helping Damour as they assumed another customer, perhaps one more qualified to do so, would provide assistance.
Wang Yue[edit]
On October 13, 2011 in Foshan, Guangdong province in China, a two-year old girl, Wang Yue, fell into the street where she was hit by two cars. She remained in the road for over eight minutes until a woman, Chen Xianmei, came to her rescue.[7] Reports claim that at least 18 people passed by Wang Yue but did not attempt to help as they saw her bleeding and in pain in the middle of the street. Graphic Video Showing the Wang Yue Incident
Taking Responsibility In The Workplace
When video and reports of the accident were uploaded to the Internet, many tried to justify the lack of intervention with Chinese culture, but behaviors related to diffusion of responsibility are apparent in most, if not all, cultures around the world.[8] Other reasons as to why people did not intervene include not wanting to being wrongfully criminalized for the crime, not hearing Wang Yues cry due to rain and just simply not seeing her on the road as they passed by. Due to an increased amount of people having the reason of not wanting to being wrongfully criminalized for the crime in many similar cases the Chinese government set the Good Samaritan Law in 2013 that 'offers legal protection to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are, or who they believe to be, injured, ill, in peril, or otherwise incapacitated.' [9]
My Lai Massacre[edit]
On March 16, 1968, Second Lieutenant William Calley killed 22 My Lai villagers in what is now known as the Vietnam My Lai Massacre. [10] This was the mass murder of about 500 unarmed civilians, mostly consisting of women, children, infants, and elderly people in South Vietnam. 26 United States soldiers were charged with criminal offenses for their actions, but Calley was the only one who got convicted.
My Lai was a peaceful, thriving village before the United States Army moved in. It was a heavily mined area where the Viet Cong were deeply entrenched. However, numerous members of the platoon had been killed in the area during the preceding weeks. The agitated troops, under Calley, entered the village for engagement with their elusive enemy. As this mission unfolded, it soon degenerated into the massacre of unarmed civilians.
At one point during the massacre, 70-80 villagers were rounded up by the platoon, forced into a ditch, and killed by Calley himself. In Calley's testimony he said that he was ordered by Captain Ernest Medina to kill everyone in the village of My Lai. There was enough evidence to convict Calley of murder, and he therefore was sentenced with life in prison. Calley's trial began on November 17, 1970 in which the military prosecution contented that Calley ordered his men to murder unarmed civilians, despite the fact that his men were not under enemy fire. After a 79 hour deliberation, the jury convicted Calley on March 29, 1971 of the premeditated murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians. [11] Many people were outraged not at Calley's guilty verdict, but that he was the only one within the chain of command who was convicted. After many appeals, Calley was released in 1974, only 3 years after he entered prison.
United States Army helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson, Jr., is an example of someone who overcame the bystander effect in the midst of bad leadership decisions. As he flew over the My Lai village on March 16, 1968, he noticed a large number of dead civilians on the ground. Thompson and his crew made multiple attempts to radio for help. After no response, Thompson landed his helicopter and confronted Calley- who told Thompson that this did not concern him. After the unsuccessful conversation with Calley, Thompson found a group of 10 civilians hiding in a homemade bomb shelter. He coaxed them out and convinced helicopters to evacuate them. Other helicopters soon began evacuating civilians as well. Thompson even went as far to tell his crew that if the American soldiers tried to harm the cowering villagers, then they should open fire upon the Americans.[12] After returning the civilians to their base, Thompson reported the massacre to his superiors. Thompson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in the aftermath of the My Lai Massacre. However, Thompson refused to accept the medal unless it was also given to his crew mates, Larry Colburn, and, posthumously, Glenn Andreotta.
In 1998, Thompson and one of his crew members returned to the village of My Lai, where they met some of the villagers that they rescued many years ago. They also dedicated a new elementary school to the children of My Lai. The decision that Thompson made so many years ago not only saved lives on that day, but also had lasting effects on the My Lai village for years to come.
Rudolf Hoess[edit]
In 1942, the Allied leaders issued a joint declaration recognizing the Holocaust. [13] Proposals for punishment included the execution of 50,000 to 100,000 German staff officers as proposed by Stalin and the summary execution of high-ranking Nazis by Churchill. It was decided that those responsible for the Holocaust would be brought to a criminal trial. The Nuremberg Trials were a series of 13 trials held in Nuremberg, Germany.
Rudolf Hoess was tried on April 15, 1946. [14] Hoess was the commandant of Auschwitz. During his time as commandant, he was personally given orders by Richsfáhrer SS Himmler for “a final solution of the Jewish question.” It was at that time that Hoess was also told that Auschwitz had been chosen. Hoess was restricted from telling anyone about the contents of that meeting stating that “no one was allowed to speak about these matters with any person and that everyone promised his life to keep the utmost secrecy.” When asked if he had felt any pity for the victims, Hoess confessed that he did; when asked why he continued to carry out his actions he responded, “In view of all these doubts which I had, the only one and decisive argument was the strict order and the reason given for it by the Reichsfáhrer Himmler.” Hoess was sentenced to execution. [15]
Shanda Sharer[edit]
In January of 1992, Laurie Tackett, Hope Rippey, Melinda Loveless, and Toni Lawrence abducted and tortured 12-year-old Shanda Sharer. Loveless believed that Shanda had stolen her girlfriend; she recruited the three other girls to assist in luring Shanda to her death by being burned alive. Initially unaware that the others were accomplices, Shanda asked for help in vain. [16]
The girls agreed to remain silent but were exposed by Lawrence who had become hysterical and reported the crime to police. Tackett, Loveless, and Rippey were sentenced to 60 years, Lawrence 20. Rippey and Lawrence were released in 2006 and 2000 respectively. Dr. Phil interview with Hope Rippey
Dan Applegate[edit]
Personal Responsibility In The Workplace
Dan Applegate was the director of product engineering for Convair, a subcontractor of McDonnell Douglas. [17] On June 12, 1972 a DC-10 lost its cargo door while flying near Windsor, Ontario. [18] The crew managed to maintain control over the plane enough to land safely in Detroit. After this incident, Applegate delivered a memorandum to his supervisor J.B. Hurt, Convair’s program manager. In the memorandum, he addressed the safety concerns of the cargo door latching system, that “the fundamental safety of the cargo door latching system has progressively degraded since the program began in 1968.” He noted that “we discussed internally the wisdom of [the design] and recognized the degradation of safety, however, we also recognized that it was Douglas’ prerogative to make such conceptual system design decisions whereas it was our responsibility as a sub-contractor, to carry out the detail design within the framework of their decision.” At the time, Applegate and his team assumed Douglas would assume the responsibility of their design which they did not.
Failure to fully address the issue and instead perform what Applegate called a “bandaid fix” resulted in the tragedy of Turkish Airlines flight 981. The cargo door burst open as in the Windsor accident but the crew was unable to regain control of the plane. Instead, the DC-10 crashed into the forest of Ermenonville, near Paris. Sincere corrective action never took place as the aircraft accident report noted “no efficacious corrective action had followed” after the Windsor accident. [19]
Psychology Research[edit]
John Darley and Bibb Latane's Model of Helping[edit]
John Darley and Bibb Latane are two of the first psychologists who studied the bystander effect in the Kitty Genovese case. They developed a helping model that attempted to explain the critical processes bystanders go through before helping occurs.[20] Their model of helping, which is similar to other decision models, contains five steps.
- A bystander must first notice that an event is occurring that may require assistance. Many factors contribute to whether a bystander will notice an event.[21] For example, in an urban environment, a bystander is less likely to notice something out of the ordinary due to stimulus overload.
- After the bystander notices an event, they must interpret the need for help and identify the event as some form of emergency. Sometimes, an emergency will be extremely evident, yet many situations can be ambiguous.[22] Residents in the middle of a large city are used to car alarms, yelling, and other loud noises occurring at night. However, people rarely call 911 or further investigate the sound of a car alarm. Therefore, many bystanders fail to intervene in a situation solely because they fail to interpret the severity and need for help.
- If the situation requires help, the bystander must take personal responsibility for helping. This step is where diffusion of responsibility most comes into play. If the bystander is surrounded by other onlookers, he or she is less likely to take further action. Pluralistic ignorance states that people often look to others to determine what to do without realizing that others are looking at them for the same purpose.
- Once the bystander takes responsibility, he or she must decide upon an appropriate helping response. If the bystander has difficulty determining the kind of aid necessary, they are less likely to intervene.[21] Additionally, a bystander may assume that someone else is more capable or better suited to help in the situation, passing off the responsibility to another onlooker. There are two classes of intervention in emergency situations: direct and reportorial.[2] Direct intervention often requires skill, power, or knowledge, and can involve danger. However, in a reportorial invention a witness may choose to report the situation to someone more qualified to handle the situation such as a police officer or medical personnel.
- Finally, the bystander must take action and implement the chosen response.
Darley and Latane's Experiments[23][edit]
- Subjects were asked to fill out questionnaires in a room slowly being filled with smoke. One case involved a single subject; another involved 3 naive subjects; the third involved one naive subject and 2 aware subjects who purposefully ignored the smoke. It was found that 75% of alone subjects notice the smoke and leave the room to report it. Only 10% with aware subjects report the smoke while 38% of the 3-naive-subject cases reported the smoke. Togetherness reduces fear although the danger may not be reduced.
- Subjects wait alone, with a friend, with an aware subject, or with a stranger. There is another room - separated by a curtain- in which a recorded sound of a fall and moan about a hurt leg is played. Overall, 61% checked the other room, 14% entered via another door to the other room, and 24% only called out. No one reported the accident. Again, it seems that people are more likely to act on their own accord when with friends.
- A shoplifting theft was staged at a liquor store. The variables were one or two customers and one or two robbers. 20% of subjects reported the theft of their own accord while 51% reported when prompted by the store owner. Interestingly, 65% of single customers reported the theft while 56% of the two-customer setups made a report. This is in contrast to the previous 2 experiments in which it was observed that people are more likely to act when not alone. It was found that responsibility is reduced per individual when in a group.
- This experiment tested the actions of people when witnessing an emergency while knowing others are present but cannot see or hear them. 95% of all subjects responded to the sound of a victim within minutes. 85% of subjects who perceived that they were alone, left to report. 31% of subjects who thought there were other bystanders reported. Again, responsibility was reduced for a person when they were in a group- assuming that someone else would take actin.
Leveraging Diffusion of Responsibility[edit]
Knowing the principal of diffusion of responsibility allows the often frustrating inaction with which one finds themselves faced on an almost daily basis, to be explained. But it also points the way to change the inactivity.[24]Targeting individuals rather than groups can help leverage diffusion of responsibility.[24] When requesting help, asking someone specifically will likely result in the most useful response. A study completed in 2002 observed the relationship between private email requests and the diffusion of responsibility, anticipating that the probability of receiving a helpful response is an inverse function of the number of simultaneous addressees. Results of the study showed that not only were there more responses to emails addressed to a single recipient, but also the responses to those emails were more helpful and lengthier.[25]
It is also important to find a way to make the present situation seem personal.[24] Truly great companies know this, which is why they put incentives in place to motivate their employees to provide great customer service.[24] A bystander will most likely have no personal stake (i.e. financial, emotional) in an event that they witness. Thus, a bystanders incentive to help often comes internally. Respectable ethics and moral judgments can help motivate a bystander to provide or seek appropriate assistance.
A professional attitude that one can use by knowing the principal of diffusion of responsibility is to take advantage of the whistleblowing programs provided by some companies, or the anonymous programs that allow people to give tips to others. By reporting the violation, the whistleblower is being more responsible to the public than to the violator. This is a potential breach of professional ethics. While professionals are held to these standards, when they come into conflict, by one definition of professional, it is their duty to exercise their judgment and choose which to follow.
References[edit]
- ↑Cherry, Kendra. 'What is diffusion of responsibility?' http://psychology.about.com/od/dindex/f/diffusion-of-responsibility.htm.
- ↑ abDarley, John M., & Latane, Bibb (1968). 'Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility.' Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4), 377-383. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/8/4p1/377.pdf.
- ↑Milgram, N., & Hollander, P. (1964). 'Murder they heard.' Nation, 198, 602-604.
- ↑CMazarin, J. (2016). Diffusion of Responsibility: Definition, Theory and Examples.http://study.com/academy/
- ↑Reviving Kitty Genovese Case, and Its Passions. (1995, July 25). http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/25/nyregion/reviving-kitty-genovese-case-and-its-passions.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
- ↑Black Friday turns tragic for Wal-Mart. (2008, November 28). http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/28/news/economy/blackfriday_walmart/index.htm
- ↑Chinese Toddler’s Hit and Run: Mother Praises Rescuer. (2011, October 11). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/my_lai.html
- ↑Toddler incident in China shows 'volunteer's dilemma'. (2011, October 18). http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/18/opinion/kreuger-china-incident/index.html
- ↑Dan Legal Network. (n.d.). The Good Samaritan Law. http://www.daneurope.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=c09228f3-a745-480b-9549-d9fc8bbbd535&groupId=10103
- ↑The My Lai Massacre. (2005, March 25). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/trenches/my_lai.html
- ↑William Calley. (2007, March 29). http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1808937/posts
- ↑My Lai American Legacy Library Learning Center. (2016). http://www.childrenslibraryinternational.org/my-lai-american-legacy-library-learning-center/
- ↑History.com Staff (2010). “Nuremberg Trials.” History.com. Accessed May 8, 2016. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nuremberg-trials
- ↑ “Testimony of Rudolf Hoess, Commandant of Auschwitz.” Accessed May 8, 2016. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/nuremberg/hoesstest.html
- ↑”Rudolf Hoess the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, is hanged next to the crematorium at the camp, 1947.” Rare Historical Photos. Accessed May 8, 2016. http:// http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/rudolf-hoess-commandant-auschwitz-concentration-camp-hanged-next-crematorium-camp-1947/
- ↑Lewis, Bob. (1993, January 31). 'Thinking the unthinkable: What led 4 teens to torture, murder child?' http://articles.latimes.com/1993-01-31/news/mn-1053_1_murder-child
- ↑Applegate, Dan. (1972). “Memorandum”
- ↑”Aviation Safety Network.” Aviation Safety Network. Accessed May 9, 2016. https://aviation-safety.net/
- ↑” ASN Aircraft Accident McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 TC-JAV Bois d’Ermenonville.” Aviation Safety Network. Accessed May 8, 2016. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19740303-1.
- ↑Darley, J.M., Latané, B. (1968a). Group Inhibition of Bystander Intervention in Emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 215-221.
- ↑ abSchroeder, D. A., Penner, L. A., Dovidio, J. F., & Piliavin, J. A. (1995). The psychology of helping and altruism. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
- ↑Kafka, P. (2009, May 6). The psychology of helping: Understanding how crimes are witnessed and not reported or stopped.
- ↑ Latane, B., & Darley, J. Bystander 'Apathy', American Scientist, 1969, 57, 244-268.
- ↑ abcd Lickerman, A. (2010, June 14). The Diffusion Of Responsibility. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201006/the-diffusion-responsibility
- ↑Barron, Greg & Yechiam, Eldad (2002, September). 'Private e-mail requests and the diffusion of responsibility.' Computers in Human Behavior, 18(5), 507-520. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563202000079.
Your Legal and Ethical Responsibilities as a Manager in the Workplace
Introduction
Opening prayer for an event. This page has four examples of prayers you can pray for different life occasions and events. As well as the video prayer, there is also a short prayer suitable for. Aug 13, 2018 - Here are five powerful opening prayers to help focus our efforts on striving for. Pray these over your meeting, church and events to ask God to guide. These are prayer examples or as Jesus did, when His disciples asked.
Managers at all levels are held to a high standard of ethical behavior. Every day, these individuals make key decisions that affect the companies for which they work, its shareholders, and all other stakeholders involved, including society as a whole. As a manager yourself, it is essential to understand and adhere to the ethical and legal obligations of your position in order to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, and to set an example of such behavior for others.
What follows is a history, explanation and overview of business ethics and business law. We will subsequently discuss the responsibilities of management in both areas, and what you as a manager can do to ensure that you are acting both legally and ethically. You'll likely discover the parallels that exist between both business ethics and business law, which are indeed complimentary in many ways.
What are ethics?
Ethics are the set of moral principles that guide personal or group behavior. Ethics is actually a discipline of philosophy, and is sometimes referred to as ethical theory, moral theory, philosophical ethics, and moral philosophy.
The roots of ethics as a branch of philosophy can be traced as far back to Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and other early Greek philosophers; many of whom developed the framework of modern ethical thought as it pertains to the Western World. The word 'ethics' itself originates from the Greek word ethikos, derived from ethos, meaning the 'character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.'
What are business ethics?
'Business ethics' integrates the core elements of ethical philosophy into business activities, institutions, and organizations. Business ethics focuses on the study of moral standards - of right and wrong - and how these standards are applied (or not) to the production, distribution and utilization of goods and services. These standards are applicable to both individuals within an organization and the organization as a complete entity.
In today's business world, managers are expected to behave morally, to know what is right and wrong, and to know what is potentially good and bad for all stakeholders involved. Businesses can either positively or negatively affect its stakeholders through its activities, objectives, and policies. Likewise, stakeholders can also positively or negatively affect businesses.
A stakeholder can be defined as any group, organization, or person that has an interest in the activities of an organization. Stakeholders can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary stakeholders are those that have a contractual, formal or official relationship with the organization and are a central part of its operations. Examples of primary stakeholders include customers, employees, owners, and suppliers.
Secondary stakeholders are not employed by the company, yet are affected by their actions. Examples of secondary stakeholders include consumers, environmental groups, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil rights groups, society as a whole, the media, community groups and special interest groups.
As an example, a company that unethically disposes of its waste product is negatively affecting the environment; and therefore negatively affecting secondary stakeholders such as environmental groups and society as a whole. An employee who does something against company policy, such as stealing or discrimination, harms primary stakeholders such as other employees and ownership.
Both in the United States and the world, there is an underlying mistrust and skepticism of business institutions. A seemingly incessant occurrence of ethics scandals and corporate malfeasance has resulted in defunct companies, trillions of dollars in lost wealth, a reeling national and global economy, and governments that are scrambling to provide some semblance of a solution in hopes of protecting its citizens from such damaging events in the future.
The aforementioned events have reminded companies the important role ethical standards play throughout their respective organizations. As managers, you too have a crucially important responsibility in that you are the 'gatekeepers' in this respect for your organization.
The Role of Business Ethics in Management Responsibilities
Organizations place a considerable amount of trust in their management. From the CEO on down, managers have a responsibility in ensuring that both they and their subordinates behave ethically and in the best interest of both primary and secondary stakeholders.
As a manager, it is considered one of your primary responsibilities to both understand and practice ethical behavior in order to: meet the company's expectations for conduct, set an example of appropriate behavior for subordinates, and to minimize the ambiguity that often comes along with the practice of ethics.
Therefore, it is essential for managers to understand Codes of Conduct, Codes of Ethics, or any other official set of rules and to attain and keep records of related documentation laying out the expectations and guidelines for ethical behavior. Managers also have a responsibility to ensure that those who report to them understand these rules.
An ethical manager is also obligated to set the expectation that any and all ethically unsound practices are not acceptable. As such, anyone that either conducts or witnesses such an act has a responsibility to report it through the appropriate channels.
Leaders that consistently apply a company's 'Code of Conduct' or a similar program, along with other known and documented expectations of behavior, provide a foundation of moral conduct and trust in their relationships with stakeholders.
As managers, you must also ensure full understanding of your company's expectations for managers in general, specifically those placed within your assigned role. Ethical ambiguity is not something that a manager at any level should consider acceptable. If uncertain about a specific policy, procedure, or other matter, the manager should ask for clarification and attain the appropriate documentation as needed.
Managerial guidelines for ethical dilemmas
In some instances, what is 'ethical' and 'unethical' is rather unclear - this is what is known as an ethical dilemma. Ethical dilemmas are very common in today's workplace. Most studies done on the topic conclude that managers face these dilemmas on a frequent basis with competitors, customers, subordinates, supervisors, regulators, and suppliers. Among the most common types of dilemmas faced by managers are truthfulness in communication and agreements, pricing policy, perks and kickbacks, management of employees and employee termination.
Ethical dilemmas are so common because they are often situations involving decisions that will likely benefit the manager or their organization. The problem is that this decision may be not only unethical, but illegal. Despite its vague nature, managers are responsible for ensuring ethical conduct in these situations as well.
As managers, you can set a framework that will help you responsibly make the right decision when faced with an ethical dilemma. This framework consists of three methodologies: the human rights, justice, and utilitarian methods.
Management that uses the human rights method base decisions on the premise that human beings are entitled to moral rights. This method includes the entitlements of the most basic rights - freedom, health, life, privacy, and property rights, for example. Denying these rights to anyone, anywhere, is a violation of these rights and is considered unethical. The potential use of child labor outside of the United States as a means of production is an example of a serious human rights dilemma.
Managers also use the utilitarian method in deciding what is ethical. This decision method involves the manager gauging the overall amount of good that will result from a decision. This method is unique in that it can include the evaluation of economic, human, and social costs or benefits. Many businesses classify this method as the 'Cost-Benefit analysis.' An example of this would be when a company prepares a budget and decides what amounts should be allocated to charitable causes, pension benefits, employee health benefits, and so on.
The third and final method that managers use is the justice method. This method focuses on the equitable and fair distribution of costs and benefits among persons and groups. Managers have the responsibility their employees pay, benefits, and work schedules are fair and balanced. Managers also have a responsibility to customers, making sure that prices are fair and that their products do as advertised reliably and safely.
At the organizational level, the culture of ethical business practices relies heavily upon management's willingness to model the behavior and take personal responsibility for its implementation. Management is responsible for encouraging such behavior by rewarding those who behave ethically and by punishing those who do not. In fact, ethical and responsible managers are probably the most important component in developing an ethical organizational culture.
Yet, some people contest that ethical standards have little if any value. These people argue that too much focus is put on ethical codes themselves, and that such provisions alone are not persuasive enough to encourage moral behavior within work environments. This brings us to the next topic: business law.
An Increased Demand for Accountability
In 2002, managers at all levels from companies such as Enron, Tyco and WorldCom engaged in ethically shameful, irresponsible behavior such as conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading, making false statements, and accounting fraud, and were subsequently punished through various civil and criminal judgments. Employees, investors, creditors, and shareholders all demanded that action be taken through courts of law, which is what happened. Some former management from these now-defunct companies remain behind bars, serving up to nearly 25 years in prison.
As a result of these scandals, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which established increased criminal penalties for those convicted of corporate wrongdoing. The Act also requires CEO's to certify all financial statements, and enforces internal rules of governance on public companies.
While the above examples are the most well-known cases demonstrating the relationship between ethics and law, they are just a few of many.
In a more recent case, in late August of 2014, the CEO and Chief Financial Officer of ArthroCare Corporation, a company that develops and manufactures medical device products, were sentenced to twenty and ten years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a security fraud scheme.
The point here is that external stakeholders demand that businesses and its managers behave ethically. Severe laws are in place to punish those who do not abide by the rules of society. It is the responsibility of managers at all levels within an organization to implement, abide by, and enforce behavior that is conducive to the law.
What is law? Business law?
Law is defined as 'the principles and regulations established onto a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognized and enforced by judicial decision.'
Every society makes and enforces its own laws that govern the conduct of its people, businesses, and other organizations that operate within it. The United States sets and enforces such laws through the collective actions of its legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
The origins of law within the United States are: the U.S. Constitution, federal and state laws, administrative agency (Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, etc.) rules and regulations, federal and state judiciary decisions, and executive orders. All managers and officers of organizations are obligated to obey all laws, rules, and regulations of the United States.
In the age of globalization, managers must also take into account the laws of other countries. In most cases, the business laws of other countries are reciprocated and enforced by the country is which business is being conducted. Foreign businesses whose operations includethe territories of the United States are bound by U.S. law.
Businesses that originate in another country (example: Toyota, in Japan), yet are doing business within the United States, are subject to the laws of the United States, not the laws of Japan. Businesses that originate within the United States, for example McDonald's and that also operate in other countries, such as France, are subject to French laws, not American laws.
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U.S. law and how it is applied to business is complex and detailed. A comprehensive examination of business law is well beyond the scope of this work. It is sufficient to state that laws and regulations exist that govern nearly every business activity.
Activities governed by U.S. law includes: e-commerce, torts, intellectual property, contracts, banking, credit, bankruptcy, employment, worker protection, hiring and termination, equal opportunity and affirmative action, immigration, labor law, accounting and financial recording, collective bargaining (unions), consumer protection, antitrust law, trade practices, product safety and environmental regulation, among others.
What is the relationship between business law and business ethics?
Business ethics and business law are interrelated in the sense that the ethical conduct of a business is often enforceable by legal means. This relationship is not unique to the United States; international entities such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN) legally enforce ethical conduct across various countries.
Using the example of contracts, ethical behavior stipulates that those who enter into an agreement have an obligation to honor the agreement except in the case of rare and extenuating circumstances.
If you as a manager explain a contract to a customer, and that customer signs the agreement, you are both obligated to adhere to the stipulations of that contract. Failure to do so by either party will likely result in legal action being taken. Using this example, it is both ethically imperative per your company's Code of Conduct to be honest and forthright about the contract, and legally binding in a court of law.
On a larger scale, business ethics also intersects with business law in areas such as the minimum wage, false claims on a product or service, and the hiring of illegal immigrants. All three examples are cases where the law plays a part in regulating behavior and likely goes against a company's Code of Conduct.
Business law and Managers in the workplace
In addition to the above examples, when managers both practice and enforce ethical guidelines, they also follow the rules of law. If you were to look at your company's Code of Conduct, you will likely find many more parallels with ethical behaviors and laws currently on the books.
As managers, you are not expected to be legal experts. You should, however, have a basic understanding of labor and discrimination laws; such as how many hours someone can work, the laws on equal opportunity and affirmative action, and laws that regulate the safety and security of the workplace.
Most likely, the majority of your time in the workplace deals with the direct management of your subordinates. Managers are often the ones responsible for the recruitment, hiring, training and firing of workers. You should understand the laws as they pertain to these responsibilities.
When in question about a certain law or regulation, seek the advice of your company's legal department or consult a reputable business attorney of your choosing.
Conclusion
Congratulations! Through the reading and understanding of this material, you now have a general understanding of the origin, definition, history, application and relationship of both business ethics and business law, along with the methods by which they are conceptualized and enforced. In addition, you now have a framework by which to help you make the correct legal and ethical decisions as they pertain to your managerial responsibilities.
Furthermore, you should now have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the special responsibilities placed upon you as a manager of people in the workplace, and of the significant impact that your legal and ethical responsibilities as a manager play for all stakeholders and society in general.
References:
Lewis, P., Goodman, S., Fandt, P., & Michlitsch, J. (2007). Management: Challenges for Tomorrow's Leaders (Ed. 5 ed.). Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.
Mallor, J., Barnes, J., Bower, T., & Langvardt. (2010). Business Law: The Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Environment (14th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Responsibility In The Workplace Examples
- ↑https://www.sunyjcc.edu/student-life/student-responsibilities/student-responsibility-statement
- ↑http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/beverlywoodsES/Documents/Octresponsibility.pdf
- ↑http://www.panhandle.k12.il.us/PBIS/ElPBS/PBIS%20brochure%20-RGS.pdf
- ↑http://4h.missouri.edu/showmecharacter/responsibilityc#gsc.tab=0
- ↑http://4h.missouri.edu/showmecharacter/responsibilityc#gsc.tab=0
- ↑https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-confident-be-confident/201106/think-you-react
- ↑https://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/citizen/citizen.pdf
- ↑https://www.acuitymag.com/people/eys-clare-payne-says-to-earn-trust-start-by-telling-the-truth
- ↑https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200207/the-power-apology
- ↑http://4h.missouri.edu/showmecharacter/responsibilityc#gsc.tab=0
- ↑http://4h.missouri.edu/showmecharacter/responsibilityc#gsc.tab=0
- ↑https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/volunteering.html
- ↑http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/beverlywoodsES/Documents/Octresponsibility.pdf
- ↑http://www.goodchoicesgoodlife.org/choices-for-young-people/accepting-responsibility-/
- ↑http://4h.missouri.edu/showmecharacter/responsibilityc#gsc.tab=0