Preview

Giving Voice to Values Script

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
16682 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Giving Voice to Values Script
Mary C. Gentile, PhD Director Giving Voice to Values

Giving Voice to Values
WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT OUR VALUES IN THE WORKPLACE
This note begins with the assumption that most of us want to find ways to voice and act on our values in the workplace, and to do so effectively. We focus here on situations where we believe that we know what is right and want to do it, but we experience external pressures – from our boss, our colleagues, our customers – to do otherwise. As a result, we are not sure how to raise our concerns. The focus here is not on situations where we are tempted to do something we believe is wrong, for our own personal gain and because we believe we can get away with it. While this is a relevant topic, it is for another day. Now some might say that what we really want is to be able to feel like we have voiced and acted on our values. And this desire may lead us just as easily – perhaps more easily – to focus our energy on finding ways to rationalize what we say and do such that it appears consistent with our values, as opposed to focusing our energy on finding ways to actually be consistent with our values. Research on self-bias would tend to support this view.1 Others might point out that the real problem in the starting assumption is the idea of voicing and acting on our values “effectively.” That is, given the organizational and personal barriers to acting on our values, success in this arena is elusive. Thus even if we don’t succumb to the selfjustifying bias noted above, many -- if not most of us -- will abandon attempts to follow our values simply because we don’t believe it is possible to do so2 We may believe that despite our
David M. Messick and Max H. Bazerman, “Ethical Leadership and the Psychology of Decision Making,” Sloan Management Review, Winter 1996, Volume 37, Number 2, Reprint 3721, page 11. 2 “A 2003 study conducted by the Ethics Research Center uncovered that workers do not raise ethical issues on the job for two main reasons:

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    people’s individual views and wishes. To make the right responses when there is a clash between your views and those of the people you are working for you have to identify and understand your own views and values.…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Williams Institute for Ethics and Management (2003). Ethics Awareness Inventory. Retrieved May 9, 2006, from University of Phoenix, Resource, GEN/480—Interdisciplinary Capstone Course Web link: http://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/eai/0-eai-title.asp…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethical Decision Making

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Making the ethical decision is the duty of ethical leaders to instill these principles and face its sequential challenges. Business leaders must energize employees at all levels, utilizing a comprehensive set of methods to promote and recognize ethical actions.…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This paper compares three empirical articles about ethical leadership practices that relate to the use of ethical power, authority, persuasion, and/or motivation. Article one was entitled “The relationship between ethical leadership and core job characteristics” and written by Ronald F. Piccolo, Rebecca Greenbaum, Deanne N. Den Hartog, and Robert Folger (2010). The second article was entitled “Impact of Ethical Leadership and Leader-Member Exchange on Whistle Blowing: The Moderating Impact of the Moral Intensity of the Issue” and was written by Kanika T. Bahl and Anubha Dadhich (2011). Article three was entitled “When Leadership Goes Unnoticed: The Moderating Role of Follower Self-Esteem on the Relationship Between Ethical Leadership and Follower Behavior” and was written by James B. Avery, Michael E. Palanski, and Fred O. Walumbwa.…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In my own opinion ethical issues are a major concern because of the people trying to sell products. They have to build trust and integrity with their employees and consumers about their product. According to Knicki & Kretner, “ethics involves the study of moral issues and choices” (Knicki & Kretner, 2009, pg.23). Knicki & Kretner states that “Moral implications spring from virtually every decision, both on and off the job”. Managers are challenged to have more imagination and the courage to do the right thing to make the world a better place. (23).…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    My Self Assessment

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages

    According to the online self-assessment, “values are basic convections of what is good, right and desirable” (Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). In my work, values are important to the organization as the company places much of its practice on ensuring that all things are done the right way with the highest standards.…

    • 1301 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Management Week 6 Quiz

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Week 6 Knowledge Check Concepts Mastery Score: 13/13 Questions Differences Between a Firmâs Social Obligation, Social Responsiveness, and Social Responsibility 100% 1 2 3 Green Approaches/Shades of Green Model 100% 4 5 6 Factors to Determine Ethical Behavior 100% 7 8 9 Ways Managers can Encourage Ethical Behavior 100% 11 12 13 10 Concept: Differences Between a Firmâs Social Obligation, Social Responsiveness, and Social Responsibility Concepts Differences Between a Firmâs Social Obligation, Social Responsiveness, and Social Responsibility Mastery 100% Questions 1 2 3 1.As a university student, your institutionâs social principles and practices reflect on you, as a stakeholder, in the organization.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In a smaller, co-located organization, the behaviour of individuals is much more visible than in larger, disparate ones. In these smaller groups, the need for articulated values is reduced, since unacceptable behaviours can be challenged openly. However, for the larger organization, where desired behaviour is being encouraged by different individuals in different places with different sub-groups, an articulated statement of values can draw an organization together.…

    • 573 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    | |could not teach me integrity, but they |groupthink of “It’s ok because everyone else seems to |…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many different types of ethical dilemmas in the workplace. For example, conducting personal business on company time, taking credit for other’s work, harassment from coworkers or management, high pressure sales and theft* I have been in the situation to experience each one of these at my former job, Petsmart. Even though they are a large corporate company there are problems that fall through the cracks.…

    • 1239 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    As a recently unemployed administrative professional, I have witnessed and engaged in the process of ethical decision making. Foremost, I pride myself on looking out for the welfare of people outside of myself. While I strive to achieve success in my career, I refuse to do so at the cost of others. The guilt I would feel as a result of stomping fingers on my way up the corporate ladder is just not worth the gain of advancement. As a result, I consider myself to follow more of a virtue ethical philosophy. However, I have witnessed firsthand the ethical decision making of others in the workforce who…

    • 1173 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bshs/332 Ethical Dilemmas

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ethical Dilemma’s in the work place are common issues, and can be a daunting issue. It can cause an employee not to like their job, or cause a bad impression on others. Many of the different dilemma’s that can…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Jones, T.M. (1991). Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: An issue-contingent mode. Academy of Management review, 16 366-95.…

    • 7163 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tale Of Two Stories

    • 1670 Words
    • 7 Pages

    My objective in the following paper is to reflect on my previous experiences of instances of voicing and acting on my values in the workplace. I am going to do this by first writing about an instance in my career when management gave me an assignment that went against my values and I spoke up and did something about it. I will then reflect back to my decision by first discussing what I did and what the impact was, I will discuss what motivated me to speak up and how satisfied I am with the decision, and finally I will discuss a few things that may have made my decision easier, some of which I could have controlled and some of which I could not have.…

    • 1670 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ethics During Change

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One of the major challenges companies face when it comes to ethical issues is the self-control of its employees. Whether it's an ethical issue that is monetary in nature or one that revolves around devotion to company policy, the reason this is a difficult issue for many companies is because it is out of management's hands. While a company can give its employees rules, policies and other directions, it cannot guarantee that employees will exercise self-control when it comes to ethical decisions. We all can relate to many employees being unethical in many situations.…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics