This week’s resources provide a great deal of information regarding the impact that organizational systems have on unethical behavior. For example, researchers note that rivalry can often increase unethical behaviors (Kilduff et al., 2016). This week, you will explain how an organization’s culture (e.g., systems and practices) can unknowingly or unintentionally increase unethical behavior among employees.
Assume you have been tasked with researching these concepts for your organization’s management team, who are concerned about possible cases of unethical behavior stemming from organizational systems in place. Prepare a professional business memo to share with managers at the next team meeting. Be sure to include the following in your memo:
- Explain the importance of organizational culture and codes of conduct in encouraging ethical behavior.
- Assess three organizational policies or practices, as found in the readings and outside research, which can increase unethical behavior among employees.
- Propose informal and formal system solutions to reduce unethical behavior in your organization. Explain the benefits of these system solutions, as well as possible implications for these solutions.
Support your memo with a minimum of three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.
Length: 1-2 pages, not including title and reference pages
Your memo should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards where appropriate.
Answer preview
Dealing with or uprooting unethical behavior within the workplace is not an easy feat. Punishments are one of the most effective ways of discouraging employees from engaging in unethical behavior. When employees know that behaving in a particular manner results in them receiving some form of punishment, they will try as much as possible to avoid doing so (Kapteinn, 2008). Having a code of conduct allows an organization to let employees know how they should behave. The only thing an employee needs to do is look up these rules and then choose an acceptable behavior pattern.
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