Good Essay About Ethics In The Workplace

Business ethics remains an important issue in determining the success of a business. No one wants to be associated with a company known for unethical misconduct, which makes it necessary to embrace ethics.
There are several factors that may contribute to the unethical of a company. It is important that the company assesses its vulnerability points and rectifies them before it causes harm. Unethical misconduct may occur at different levels. It may occur with the employees or the management. A company is supposed to set up measures that will curb the level of unethical misconduct. One of the most common reasons that would lead a company to getting involved in ethical issues is greed. A company may want to make more, through ways that are wrong, or corrupt.
In a review of companies that are likely to be afflicted with unethical misconduct issues, we will look at the chocolate industry as a whole, and then narrow down to a specific company. The chocolate industry has been involved in several ethical issues. The ethical issues start from the raw material itself, which is cocoa. There have been issues on the use of child labor to cultivate the cocoa plantations. While the issue of child labor remains a major one, researchers are unsure of whether it is close to an end, or whether it will loom for longer.

A Look at Nutella

Nutella is the brand name of an Italian chocolate spread that has been sweetened and enriched with hazelnuts. The company made its first appearance in the market in the year 1964, by the Italian company Ferrero. The company has been making major sales of its products. The company has also with no doubt been involved in heavily promoting its products. Many describe it as addictive. However, it was not until recently that the company was involved in a scandal affecting its ethics.
The company broke the virtue of honesty and proper communication. The company, since its commencement had been making false advertisements concerning its health value. It is not until recently that the company was found to produce foods that are very high in saturated fats, sugars, and calories. It led to a class-action lawsuit of the company following the misleading advertisements about its product.
The presence of this issue could also insinuate that the company does not establish proper business relations with its customers. If anything, the company should train its workforce on manufacturing proper foods. Its management should take responsibility to ensure that Nutella manufactures a healthy paste.

Question 2:

Promoting ethical behavior is a factor of significance. There are several ways through which one can promote ethical behavior in the workplace.

Ethical Awareness:

Ethical awareness is the will and capacity to single out ethical and moral contexts. It is important to understand what ethical issues entail before taking on any measures to solve ethical misconduct in a workplace. It is important to train employees about ethical and moral issues. When their awareness of what is wrong or right is heightened, they are more likely to judge correctly. It would also come in handy if the employees are rewarded when they behave ethically.

Trust:

Trust is an important element in the building of any relationship. In the workplace, building trust starts by building proper relationships between the staff and management. Managers in any firm should be able to demonstrate good leadership skills and ethical standards. It is important that a good employer-employee relationship is established. Cultivating trust begins with showing transparency, accountability and honesty in the workplace. The employees are likely to follow their seniors. Worker-worker relationships should also be enhanced by establishing good relations with the seniors. When there is ample trust in the workplace, everyone will watch over the other. It will in turn enhance an ethical working environment.

Justice:

Justice is closely related to fairness in the workplace. Conducted surveys provide findings of unethical misconduct among managers, which revolves around justice. First, the presence of managers who harass and exploit their employee calls for disciplinary measures. In the workplace, managers may give employees a hard time by being unjust and mishandling them. Employees may in turn feel exploited and bitter, and involve themselves in activities that will jeopardize the credibility of a company. When an employee is treated unfairly, he is likely to want to avenge or tarnish the firm’s name. However, when the injustices that happen in the workplace are handled fairly, employees are also likely to keep off ethical misconducts.

Locus of Control:

This concept relies on the belief that an individual’s failure or success is controlled by their actions. Internal locus of control bases its beliefs on the fact that an individual’s success or failure is influenced by their behavior while the external locus of control is founded on the basis that the success or failures of a person are influenced by fate or luck. It has been observed that those that have an internal locus of control take responsibility for their actions in the workplace. Those with an external locus of control are less likely to take responsibility for their actions. Therefore, it would be right to conclude that promoting an internal locus of control is more likely to cultivate proper ethical conduct than an external locus of control will.

Collaboration:

Collaboration in the workplace is demonstrated when people work together to achieve a common goal. Collaboration is likely to promote a cohesive workforce. Collaboration also enhances the outcome in a workplace. The seniors should also collaborate with the employees, especially in the decision-making processes. It will normally cultivate a family feels in the workplace. The cohesiveness will eliminate any chances of ethical misconduct.