Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Ethics in Business
Part One
Question One
I interviewed to find out how some of the employees in different organizations felt about the whole situation. I gathered information from three employees from different companies who will be named employee one two and three. From the case scenario, employee one after being asked the question of how Alex should report her expenses, he said that Alex should report her costs according to the company’s requirements. “She should not pad her expenses even if there is the risk of being noticed and questioned.” Was his exact words. He continued explaining that some of the expenses being included by the employees are unnecessary and do not relate directly to the operations of the company, for instance, tipping expenses. “Taylor , for example, tips twenty percent, which is a lot and also unnecessary.” He then concluded by saying that it is unethical to report expenses that are higher for reimbursement purposes, as it is regarded as a fraudulent practice. It is like stealing from the company.
Question Two
The next question of whether Alex should report the practice was directed at employee two, who said that Alex should not report the work practice to the managers since it is seen that a person who reports the others is fired. He illustrates this by saying that ” an employee was fired just because he was trying to do the right thing for the company, but the company does not appreciate the deeds and fire him.” He explained that instead of the employee going straight to the human resource managers and accountants, thereby revealing his identity, he should have tried reporting the practice anonymously. That way, his job will be secure, and he will have also done the ethical action supposed to be taken.
Question Three
The third question was directed towards employee three, and he responded by saying, “My employer has a values statement, which are the ethics and principles to which the organization and its employees are supposed to adhere to.” She went ahead and gave some of the values in her organization that is enacted by her employer that included inclusiveness, where the company is supposed to respect all people and also commit itself to equality, where everyone is supposed to be treated equally. The other value that she mentioned was that of participation, whereby the company recognizes and values the contribution of the employees and the volunteers within the community. She stated quality as the last value of her employer. She explained it as a situation where the company strives for excellence through the continuous development of the products and services offered. She concluded by emphasizing the importance of the value statement as seen from her employer saying that ” a value statement is essential to an organization as it has served as a reference point for the organization, and it also provides the necessary information on how an organization performs.”
Question Four
The fourth question was directed towards employee one, which was on whether his employee has clearly stated rules. “My employer does have clearly stated rules, and I think it is essential for an employer to have these rules since it enables an organization to run smoothly and effectively.” Was how he answered the question. He stated that the laws govern the operations of the organization and also how employees should conduct themselves (Bordo 42). I then asked him if there are any penalties if a person fails to follow the rules, and he responded by saying that “Some of the clearly stated rules set out by my employer include the arrival time of each employee, which should 8 am. Failure to adhere to this rule without any reasonable excuses can cause one to be fired, especially if one comes in later than 8 am several times. “ I was curious to know what happens in if an employee is late with a good reason, and he replied by saying that if one cannot avoid being late, one has to communicate with the human resource department before the start of one’s shift. This was necessary for the provision of a substitute, for instance, which will cover for a person to ensure that the workflow is smooth. He finished by saying that “The rules aid in the development of culture in the organization and also guide employees on what should be done and the consequences if the rules are not followed.”
Question Five
The third employee answered the next question on whether her employee expects the employees to comply with the laws. She said that “My employer expects every employee to comply with the laws and regulations set out by the organization. There are, however, some exceptions that are given to some people under different circumstances if need be. Every employee, regardless of their level, is supposed to follow the rules, for instance, a department manager is not exempted from the rules, but he should also follow the rules. If he fails to do so, he is acted upon accordingly. ” she then explained that the exceptions are only given to an individual who is physically impaired in the accountants’ department to accommodate the shortcomings of the person.
Question Six
The next question was directed to the second employee who answered by saying, “It is every employer’s expectation of their employees to do everything in their power to ensure that their actions are in the best interest of the company. For instance, my employer expects an employee to report a case of conflict of interest in the line of performing their duties.” He gave the advantages of this by saying it is essential since a person may put his interests before the interest of the company, which may affect the company negatively. Their responsibilities may then be assigned to other employees who do not have any interest in the matter being handled. Employers also expect this from their employees since the failure of the employees to take actions that ensure the enhancement of the firm’s interests may cause a bad reputation of the company and may also affect the profits of the company.
Question Seven
The last question was addressed by employee one saying, “My employer does offer ethics training for the employees. Training of ethics is relevant as it, for instance, helps to protect the company’s bottom line. “ he also explained the effects as unethical practices by the employees affect the company when the company issued, and it has to pay hefty fines, which then affects the profits of a company. Unethical practices can also cost the company in other ways, such as losing customers, lowering the stock prices, and even scaring the suppliers. Ethical practices also make the workplace a great place to work in for the employees. My employer uses face to face training that lasts for about two hours. The training is done every quarter where a meeting is held, and all the employees come together, and they are explained to some of the work ethics and their importance. The importance of face to face training includes the fact that they promote effective interaction between the trainer and the employees (Al Saifi et al.). As compared to computer training face to face learning has limited interruptions, and it is also hard to convey emotions on email or chats as compared to face to face.
Works cited
Al Saifi, Said Abdullah, Stuart Dillon, and Robert McQueen. “The relationship between face to face social networks and knowledge sharing: an exploratory study of manufacturing firms.” Journal of knowledge management (2016).
Bordo, Michael. Historical Performance of the Federal Reserve: The Importance of Rules. Hoover Press, 2019.