Common Workplace Dilemmas and Ethical Issues

This article outlines some of the ethical workplace issues, how they are likely to impact performance, and how they can be solved without causing other problems such as losing jobs, demotion or salary decrease.

Running Head: BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUN 1
Business and Professional Commun
Names
Institution

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Common workplace Dilemmas
Rafner, D. (2018). Common workplace Dillemas. Available at
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/common-ethical-workplace-dilemmas-748.html.
Accessed on 4th may 2018.
In the workplace, various ethical issues make employees to develop a dilemma. This
article outlines some of the ethical workplace issues, how they are likely to impact performance,
and how they can be solved without causing other problems such as losing jobs, demotion or
salary decrease.
According to this article, although employees tend to spend much of their time
accomplishing their tasks, they are sometimes tempted to undertake personal activities on
company time. This comprise of setting up medical appointments on company telephone lines,
booking vacation reservations using company computers and internet, or sometimes making
phone calls for freelance side businesses during work time (Rafner, 2018). From an ethical point
of view, this behavior is not good because it makes organizations to suffer in terms of wasted
time and misuse of resources.
The article also outlines harassing behavior as one of the ethical issues that arise in
workplaces. It states that at times, employees fail to know what to do when they face physical,
sexual or mental abuse in workplace (Rafner, 2018). The author provides an insight of what
constitutes harassments and how the staff members should solve this issues when it arises.
The other workplace ethical issue covered in this article is looting company resources. It
states that stealing on the job does not only include obtaining money through altering records

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(Rafner, 2018). It also includes taking anything from the company because however small it is, it
costs the company.
Lastly, the author talks about how being a proactive employer can aid in addressing
unethical workplace behaviors before they occur through making the staff members to
understand what the company terms as bad behavior. Informing employees concerning what may
constitute unprincipled action is fundamental in addressing these issues because many engage in
these habits because they do not know if they could be offensive.
Responding to other student’s work
Response 1
From this assignment, the author presents clear insight concerning workplace ethics. He
identifies upholding workplace moral values as one of the strategies of realizing career growth
(Young, 2013). The author also outlines various measures which employees can use to overcome
engaging in ethical behaviors. Some of these measures comprise of reading company rules and
regulations, avoiding the perception that “others are also doing it,” and understanding that
engaging in unethical behavior in workplace cost not only the company but also the individual
(Kavita, 2011). His work also shows that the critical component of proper work ethics is
integrity, or understanding the importance of being honest and doing the right thing all times.
Respond two
From this work, the posting provides various aspects that can enhance knowledge
concerning workplace ethics. The author identifies some of the causes of workplace unethical
behaviors and argues that they can only be prevented if employees understand the importance of
doing what is right. Some of the causes of engaging in activities that may be termed as unethical

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in the workplace according to the author comprise lack of knowledge, complex policies, and
processes, peer pressure, among others (Donna, 2013). To uphold workplace ethics, the author
states that it is advisable to seek guidance so as to understand activities that may be termed as
unethical. He also says that it is essential to avoid being influenced by others because in most
cases employees engage in unethical behaviors because their colleagues do so.

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References
Donna, C. O. (2013). The Path of Measuring Moral Courage in the Workplace. SAM Advanced
Management Journal, 78(2), 47-56.
Kavita, S. (2011). Enhancing Ethics at Workplace through Emotional Intelligence: An
Exploratory Study on Business Organizations in India. International Journal of Business
and Management Science, 4(1), 254-268.
Rafner, D. (2018). Common workplace Dillemas. Available at
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/common-ethical-workplace-dilemmas-748.html.
Accessed on 4th may 2018.
Young, L. (2013). Ethics Q & A. The Journal of Government Financial Management, 62(2), 78-
95.