Ethics are established as formal guidelines for encouraging ethical behavior. Workplace ethics act as aspirations goals. The Code of ethics is broad in nature and subject to interpretation by the practitioners. Code of ethics guides individuals in different ways. In situations requiring discrete decisions, such as police cases, ethical behaviors might have varying impacts compared to when these standards are employed in the business platform. This indicates distinct purposes of establishing codes of ethics at the workplace (Marianne & CoreyGerald, 2015).
Purpose of Codes of Ethics
Codes of ethics help professionals to emulate sound behaviors, such as integrity and honesty. Reading and reflecting on morals can assist professionals to expand their awareness of daily challenges and clarify their values in overcoming such challenges.
Moreover, codes of ethics present reliable mechanisms for evaluating the accountability of the practitioners. Marianne and CoreyGerald (2015) indicate that practitioners are obliged to not only examine their behaviors but also push their colleagues to maintain ethical values and standards. Living within the spirit of codes of ethics is necessary since it enables professionals to influence the behaviors of their clients.
Additionally, codes of ethics act as a medium for improving working practices in any setting. When practitioners act in a particular manner, based on their understanding of codes of ethics in those areas, they can clarify their position by interpreting the standards, hence getting through dilemmas. If there were no ethical codes, the conflict would be occurring at workplaces.
Codes of Ethics in Decision Making
Ethical codes encompass all principles of accountability in daily work practices. This has a great impact in determining the benefits of following certain policies while avoiding retrospective ideas. Codes of ethics are irrelevant if one does not implement them in daily activities (Marianne & CoreyGerald, 2015). In an organization, implementing codes of ethics enhances proper understanding between the employees and management, thus working with a common goal. For instance, a rotational program between departments would never be effective if the authority never implemented the practice. Besides, codes of ethics cannot work on their own without a drive for achievement.
Supporting ethical codes in working practices brings active involvement in discussions and attention to respond to emerging questions on working behaviors. The form of support may include online support, a telephone connection, or direct reporting on events whenever they happen. By supporting the program, it becomes easier for the followers to adhere to the codes without violations. A person is likely to follow the working standards to engage workers in daily production activities. It means, therefore, that integrating the program into the daily practices will promote rational decisions (Marianne & CoreyGerald, 2015).
Codes of ethics may also be applied to daily practices through a periodic review of compliance. This behavior helps to uncover areas where the violation has occurred, thus evoking corrective measures to prevent damage or unpredicted consequences. For instance, employers may not realize their behaviors may conflict with the organization’s standards until the matter is brought to their attention. Reviewing behavior changes determines areas that require changes, thereby maintaining the morale and positive attitude of employees at the workplace.
Finally, developing a culture helps individuals to comply with the appropriate working habits. Culture plays a significant role in determining the code’s effects at the workplace. For instance, whenever the employees report about certain events, managers encourage open discussions between the workers and the management of the means to deal with the matters. Supporting such a culture impacts decision-making practices.
References
Marianne, S., & CoreyGerald, C. (2015). Becoming a Helper: Cengage Learning