Morals in organizations and corporations

Morals refer to a mode of behavior or a set of rules which societies are based on. In the world of modern capitalism, among the greatest debates is on the importance of morals in organizations. These debates often include two questions; the first is whether the purpose of corporations or organizations is directed to good? Or whether corporations and organizations should solely focus on maximizing the returns of shareholders, within what is allowed by the law. The first question means that corporations, like individuals, ought to adhere to moral standards. The second question means that there is a separation between the player and referee; the state outlines the playing field, while the game is played by corporations to the best of their abilities. This is a way of looking at morality in organizations, though it is very myopic. A better way of looking at morality in organizations is rather than perceiving corporations as “entities,” which is what the above questions do, we should think of organizations as a collection of people. Once we do this, we will be able to view morality differently because moral purposes motivate people. This way we will have the ability to see the importance of morals in organizations.

The morals which leaders in organizations utilize to manage their employees tend to affect the loyalty and morale of workers. The morality of leaders often determines the procedures of discipline as well as the acceptable behavior for all employees in the organization or corporation. When organizational leaders possess high moral values, this tends to encourage employees in the organization or corporation to meet the same level. Moral leadership additionally enhances the reputation of a company in the financial community and market. A solid reputation for integrity and morality in the society goes a long way in improving the business of any company. Moral values in an organization or corporation also ensure that workers complete their duties with integrity and honesty. Workers who have moral values that help guide their conduct often adhere to the rules and policies as they strive to meet the goals of their corporations or organizations. Employees with good moral values tend to meet the standards for quality in the work that they accomplish, which tends to enhance the reputations of organizations for quality services and products.

Organizations with morals also tend to have managers and workers who adhere to the code of ethics of their organizations create a moral organizational culture. The leaders in organizations may create moral organizational cultures through displaying the kind of conduct that they would like to see in other workers. The organization can then reinforce this moral conduct through rewarding workers who display the integrity and values that coincide with the code of conduct of ethics of the organization while at the same time disciplining those that make wrong choices. A positive culture tends to improve the morale of employees in the organization which then tends increasing employee retention and productivity. This, in turn, tends to have financial benefits for the organization. The efficiency of the organization also tends to improve due to the high levels of productivity, and the cost of replacing workers also reduces as a result of the increased levels of employee retention.

Morals in organizations and corporations are also important since these moral values tend to align the behaviors of employees with those priority values which are preferred by organizational leaders. Organizations often find surprising disparities between their preferred values and the values that are reflected in the workplace behaviors. Continued attention to morals in the workplace tends to build community, integrity, and openness which are important ingredients of unity and strong teams in organizations. Workers usually end up feeling strong alignment between their moral values and those of their organizations. They thus often react with strong performance and motivation. Morals in organizations or corporations have an important role public relations. However, organizations should not pay keen attention to their morals for the sake of creating a good public image in the society. Nevertheless, the fact that corporations give attention to their morals tends to create a positive image to the public. Individuals often see these organizations as valuing people more than they value profits, and as striving to operate with the utmost honor and integrity. Morals in organizations are often important and effective the public relations and marketing programs of organizations.

Also, paying attention to the morals of organizations tends to help employees face reality whether it is good or bad, in themselves and the organization. These morals assist employees in feeling confident that they can deal and admit to whatever they face. Additionally, there many lawsuits connected to personnel matters as well as to the effects of products and services of an organization to its stakeholders. Moral values are often applied to major ethical matters that become legislation. Organizations paying close attention to moral values often ensure that the organization has high ethical policies and procedures. It is better to endure the expense of mechanisms to make sure the company has morals now rather than later suffering the costs of litigation. Morals in organizations ensure that employees are morally treated in matters such as disciplining, hiring, evaluating, etc. organizations with morals tend to detect ethically and morally wrong issues and violations early and to report them or to address them. There are situations where some organizations without morals discover actual or potential violations and do not report them to the authorities, and this is normally considered as a criminal act. However, moral organizations tend to report such violations, and the authorities tend to lower the fines if a corporation has made efforts to operate ethically.

In conclusion, as outlined above morals in organizations tend to possess some benefits to both the organization itself as well as to the employees and employers. However, the way in which an individual approaches morality is linked fundamentally to who the individual is as a person. If one’s character is morally good, it is due to their ethics and virtues. In organizations, good morals are necessary to the relationship between employers and employees, the morale of employees, and to the growth of an organization. Behind all successful organizations, one can see a set of moral values which have stood the test of time. It is important for organizations to figure out how these morals are communicated within organizations and what can be done to support them since morals are quite important in organizations or corporations.