Help opinions wanted!

[wxcrazytwo]

I am doing my final in ethical and spiritual foundations in management.

My topic of choice is "Who is Ultimately responsible for ethics in the workplace?"

I need opinions on this subject for this who know. Thanks a bunch. I do not need answers, nor am I looking for one, I just need positive feedback in the form of opinions.

[Stephanie]

To me, ethics begin at the top. HOWEVER, it's everyone's responsibility to act ethically.

[azskyman]

At our place of business, as GM I set the tone. The culture that has evolved among our workforce is largely the result of the ethics I practice.

If you want more detailed info on the topic from my perspective, drop me an IM.

[Persepone]

Everyone in the workplace is responsible as an individual and collectively.

And, yes, the tone is set from the top down.

In truly good, ethical places to work, the CEO and top level executives are not only ethical themselves, but actually state that they want and expect ethical behavior--and spend some time actually discussing what that is in practical terms.

All the managers, in turn, are charged with not only behaving ethically, but keeping the lines of discussion open with those who report to them.

Ethical workplaces are ones in which the topic can be discussed and debated openly. When this is true, and when all can comment, when none are punished for their opinions, etc. then you have the best chance of a truly ethical workplace.

I actually worked in two such workplaces. Very interesting experience. And there were corollaries. If you tried to do the right thing and it did not necessarily have the best result--but it was ethical, etc. you were not punished. Suppose, for example, a customer had a complaint and the complaint seemed valid and you issued a return authorization. And later it was discovered that the customer was not honest. But you were. You did the "right" thing. No punishment. Other companies I've worked for would have punished this. If you discovered a problem with a product, you reported it. It got investigated and dealt with. They did not "shoot the messenger."

But, yes, in the end, everyone is responsible for ethics--but the CEOs and high level managers have a special responsibility in making sure that the message comes through loud and clear that the company is ethical.

By the way, companies that are ethical do not hire "seagull managers." These are, by definition, unethical. (Seagull manager: flies in, cr*ps all over everything and leaves. Others get to clean up the mess.)

PM me if you want further opinions or examples from my perspective.