Organizational Behavior Trends
As the world changes and organizations respond to that change, so does the behavior of employees. Technology and ethics are two areas whose impacts on organizations have risen in recent times. In the wake of some highly-publicized accounting scandals, ethical decision making is becoming an established trend. There is no doubt that technology has and continues to change how we do business. It can be debated whether its impact in the long-term is beneficial or detrimental.
Ethics and Decision Making
As Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborn say "choosing to be ethical often involves considerable personal sacrifice" (2005, p. 384) and there are many ways that employees at all levels find to justify unethical behavior. According to Cavanagh, Moberg, and Velasquez, in order to make an ethical decision, an employee's behavior should satisfy certain criteria (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborn, 2005, p. 384). It should ensure the greatest good for the greatest number of people both inside and outside the organization. The rights of all concerned parties should be respected and people should be treated equitably and fairly. Adhering to these criteria will have an impact on how a company does business. Some unethical managers intentionally look for the outcome that provides them with the most personal gain. Others may begin with a desire to make decisions that are ethical towards all concerned but find that the parties involved have conflicting interests. A manager may be faced with a choice between increasing profits to satisfy shareholders or increasing employee satisfaction which would result in lower profits. In reality, decisions are often complex and not clear cut. Those managers who fail to adequately analyze the data involved in ...