Code of Ethics Guidelines

Ethics is a complex field. Basically, it is a means by which the ego of the powerful is brought under control on the one hand, and the personal choices of people who interact on a regular basis are regulated according to a specific principle, on the other. In both cases the idea is the same: There is a truth and a good that is above and beyond the immediate demands of individuals and groups. Which principle will govern ethics in the workplace will create two different kinds of environments.

Is a happy workplace more efficient?

Ethics as Duty

Ethics as duty is known as deontological ethics since it derives from a view of human nature. It holds that the central core of ethical life is a duty that derives from a view of what it means to be human. It does not take actual consequences into account as its primary basis, but rather the moral nature of humanity. If you accept that all humans are free and equal on account of a shared human essence, then ethics will revolve around the axiom that all people are ends and never means to anything further. For business, this means that an ethical code will center around people, not profits or the hierarchy, unless that hierarchy be rationally based and grounded.

Ethics as Utility

A utilitarian approach to ethics emphasizes consequences. It holds that actions are good not because they derive from a duty specific to human beings, or from virtuous behavior, but they are good because they bring about good results. This is radically different from the ethics of duty in that the final goal is the good of the whole, not the focus on the good of individuals as partaking of a single common nature. While deontological ethical theories focus on individuals as human beings, utilitarian ethics concentrates on things such as efficiency and adaptability.

Benefits of Deontology

The emphasis on the ethics of duty is programmed around creating a workplace in which people are put first. Their needs and talents are placed above their role in the larger institution. Such an organization will not be focused around getting the most production and work time out of people, but will emphasize creativity, cooperation and personal growth. The goal is to create a workplace in which personhood is paramount. Proponents of this view maintain that only by creating such an environment will cooperative production develop and, therefore, efficiency will be the final result. A happy workplace will be the most productive and lead to employees remaining longer and, as a result, maintaining a sense of loyalty and belonging.

Benefits of Utility

The capitalist system of production emphasizes utility. Based upon this, the purpose of any enterprise is profits. Employees are seen as means to an end, as efficient producers and profit makers. Only the ethical style of a hierarchy that sees this as the final end of a workplace will succeed and will leave "personal growth" as a private matter. For the strict utilitarian, the point of a workplace is not "personal growth" or happiness, but the creation of profits by any legal means necessary. Proponents hold that only this style of ethical thought can succeed in a difficult marketplace.

Synthesis

If these two views can be brought together, it might be around the idea that a strictly utilitarian view does not maximize utility. A workplace that elevates profits, discipline and efficiency is one in which employees will not remain, be loyal, or work to full capacity. Therefore, does the strict utilitarian position contradict itself? This is a possibility when designing ethical guidelines for the workplace. A workplace where people are viewed as intrinsically valuable is one in which employees will be loyal, work to full capacity and become attached to the institution. It may be deontology, after all, that leads to full utility maximization.

Resources

• Ethics in the Workplace