Let me start from the simple fact that for several years I have been
studying and teaching MANAGERIAL ETHICS, while I have also been learning
about O.L. and the L.O. perspective. (I am on the FT management faculty at
Lesley College and was a Research Associate at the MIT Center for O.L. in
1996.)
It is surely no coincidence . . . yes, but until recently I had not begun
to take the now-obvious question by the scruff of the neck. And the
"obvious" questions are (I think):
1) In defining the L.O. is it helpful to include explicit mention of
matters of ethics?
2) In discussing ETHICS in the workplace context is it helpful to
introduce the LO?
Assuming "yes" to (2) at what stage? in what way?
Do we, for example, introduce the LO as (by definition) an "ethical org."
(by contrast with the purely money-driven, impersonal "throw away" corp.)?
Or do we treat it as a prime example of the "ethics-friendly org."?
(Because it incorporates certain value principles about RESPECT FOR PEOPLE
and CARE AND FEEDING OF SYSTEMS, for example?)
Or do we emphasize that the LO is more ethical just because it
legitiimizes the surfacing of ethical concerns -- regardless of whether
its behavior is actually more ethical than some other orgs..
_________
My definition of AN ETHICS-FRIENDLY ORGANIZATION and THE MANAGER'S ROLE IN
BUILDING ONE Barry Sugarman
An "Ethics Friendly Organization" (EFO) is not defined as an organization
where everyone always does the right thing, living up to their ethical
ideals at all times -- though it will usually be more like that than the
average organization. It is "ethics-friendly" but not necessarily an
ethics chart-buster. The EFO will be defined here as an organization that
is structured, led, and managed so as to make it as easy as possible for
its members to do the right thing ethically, if this is what they wish to
do . . .
SYNOPSIS
The Ethics Friendly Organization does the following:
Keeps ethics on routine management agendas.
Protects whistle blowers and provides alternatives.
Prevents this drastic step by providing less costly avenues for
warnings.
Provides models and legends for good conduct.
Ethical risk mngt.. Builds fences around dangerous places and
things. (e.g.
conflict of interest rules, strategic avoidance of high risk
ethical risk
situations).
Develops competency to high levels, so that cheating is less
"necessary".
Educates members to alertness for ethical issues.
These EFO materials come from one unit of my ethics course which is mainly
taught via Internet and has its own web site at
http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/sugarman/ethics.htm
(yes, it really is .htm and not .html)
In the interests of full disclosure I will note that I am currentoy
promoting the next run of this course, which starts Jan. 21, but this is
nonetheless a real bona fide request for help in thinking through the
connections between workplace ethics and the model of O.L..
Sincerely
Barry
BARRY SUGARMAN, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Lesley College
Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
phone: 617 349 8347
e-mail: sugarman@mail.lesley.edu
http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/sugarman/index.htm (not "html" at end)
--BARRY SUGARMAN <sugarman@lesley.edu>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>