Ethical Dilemma

So, I had this discussion with someone this week over the course of a couple of days.  He was in a quandary about the ethics of some of his employees.  Basically, he couldn’t understand why someone he hired after an extensive interview process would attempt to commit unethical acts while employed by him.

 Here’s the rub – this gentleman was from one country, doing business in another country (which is where his factory is located).  He operated from an ethical code he grew up with and had adopted unwittingly as his own.  Basically, this is his nurtured code.  His employee did not grow up with him and did not have the same upbringing.  But rather, he grew up in a society that was governed by a government that did not value the individual human life as unique and important, but, expendable.  So, his code came from a survival root.  Basically, this is his nature code.  Both these gentlemen had an ethical code, they were just different. 

 The real problem here was not the lack of ethical code; the real problem was the lack of an ethical code as defined by the owner for this particular factory.  As long as the gentleman hired to manage the factory was completing the job he was hired to do, any additional benefit he could reap from the position was a bonus.  He didn’t cheat his employer out of his due labour.  On the employers part, he couldn’t understand how someone who he had trusted and hired with long term prospects would try and cheat him and make more on the side by manipulating suppliers etc.

 Consequently,  the employer is left looking for another employee and basically he will get the same thing or a version of it as he has never taken the time to express what his and the factory’s ethical code is and how it will apply to employees. 

 This is an extreme example as most of us will not be conducting international business and consequently will not have to deal with this sort of problem to this extent, however, everyday in your business you have occasion to meet others with a different operating code of ethics than your own.  Do you know what it is or how it may impact you? 

 Whether you need to be individually coached through this or your business needs to clarify and communicate the internal code of ethics, let us know.  Contact us through www.waltonhall.com