Values and Ethics in Decision Making and Organizational Culture Essay

This essay delves into the critical relationship between values, ethics, decision-making, and organizational culture. It argues that values and ethics are fundamental determinants of an organization's culture, influencing employee behavior and overall business performance. The essay examines how management plays a crucial role in shaping and maintaining these values, using examples from companies like Wesfarmers, Woolworths, Telstra, and Coca Cola Amatil to illustrate the practical implications. It discusses the importance of ethical codes, leadership, and training in fostering a positive and ethical workplace environment. The essay highlights the benefits of upholding ethical standards, including improved stakeholder relations, enhanced brand image, and increased competitiveness in the global market. It emphasizes the significance of ethical decision-making and its impact on long-term organizational success, covering topics like truthfulness, fairness, and justice. Ultimately, the essay underscores the need for organizations to prioritize values and ethics, recognizing their vital contribution to a sustainable and thriving business.

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Values and ethics

Values and ethics
(Essay on “Values and ethics are determinants of decision making and organization
culture)
Ethics is an effective and dynamic system of moral rules and principles while
values are the stimuli people thinking. The primary motive of this essay is to discuss
about the ethics and values of the organization. The significance and role of code of
ethics and values have been explained in the task. Some companies such as
Wesfarmers, Woolworths, Telstra, and Coca Cola Amatil have been taken to explain the
important of ethics and values. The core values and ethics ensure that the companies
are able to fulfil the basis requirements and needs of the country and community by
working within the structure of the society. The ethics and values are fundamental
concepts because it helps the business to perform business in a hassle free manner.
The paper discusses that how values and ethics help in decision making and culture in
the organization. Furthermore, the essay also highlights the advantages of maintaining
values and ethics in the business. More detail of the task has been discussed below.
Values determine whether what is wrong and what is right in the organization.
Values are considered the individual beliefs and attitudes that encourage people to act
one way or another. They serve as a guide for human behaviour. On the other hand,
ethics or moral is a branch of philosophy that includes a systematizing, suggesting and
defending perception of wrong or right conduct (Reamer, 2013). Ethics is considered
the moral principles that govern an individual’s behaviour or regulating of an activity and
a branch of knowledge that manages and deals with moral. Values and ethics play a
significant role to maintain a favourable culture in the global market. The values are
significant because they help the people to develop and grow. They also help the
people to create the future widely (Parrott, 2014).
Apart from this, values and ethics also help in making unique and effective
decisions in the global market. The values and ethics provide a clear direction towards a
particular objective or purpose. Values may be defined as the customs, acts, and
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Values and ethics
institutions that a group of people regard in a favourable way. The values can be good,
bad, right and wrong. On the other hand, ethics refers to a branch of rules that explains
acceptable conduct in a community (Lefkowitz, 2017).
Furthermore, ethics serve as a guide to moral daily living and helps people
whether people behavior and attitude can be justified and effective. The ethics are
associated and interconnected with truth, equity, fairness and honesty. Ethics refers to
community’s sense of the right way of living people daily lives (Schein, 2010). It does
this by setting principles, rules and customs on which people can base their conduct.
With the help of ethics and values, an organization has been able to gain competitive
benefits in the international market. In addition, ethics succeeds law and regulations in
safeguarding the community. All types of decisions can be taken with the help of ethics
and values in the organization. Furthermore, it also helps maintaining favorable working
environment within the organization (Crane & Matten, 2016).
It is noted that the foundation or formation of ethical decisions making includes
balance and choice, it is a guide to discard bad choices in favour of good ones. The
significance of ethics to business is just because the values that people use to develop
and handle company’s need and requirements to be rooted in strategies and ethical
decisions (Trevino & Nelson, 2016). The principles of ethics include truthfulness,
nonmaleficence, confidentiality, autonomy, justice, beneficence and informed consent.
The ethics in the organizational culture is significant and effective as it both act as a role
model for the workers and can also directly affect the attitude and culture to improve
and enhance the performance and efficiency of the organization. Ethics and values
provide a system of principle or rules that guide people in making decisions in
enormous circumstances. Aside this, ethics also play a significant role in conducting
code of conducts within the organization. The ethics and values also help in overcoming
the competitors in the global market (Goetsch & Davis, 2014).
It is analyzed that ethical culture of a company provides ample of information
about the values of the firm. Ethics codes are one way to disclose the prevailing outlines
and values to accomplish the goals and objectives. The management also influences
the ethics and values of the organization. No company can grow and survive without
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Values and ethics
maintaining ethics and values in the organization (Linnenluecke & Griffiths, 2010). In
addition, the leaders and top management provide guidance to the employees for
maintaining ethics and values in the organization. It is noted that management provides
training and development coaching to the workers to promote the ethical activities in the
organization.
Apart from this, management sets seminars, sessions, workshops and similar
ethical training programs. The organization needs to render formal tools so that workers
can discuss ethical dilemmas, misconduct, and unethical behavior fear of reprimand. It
is stated that ethical workplace culture is one that gives primacy to workers’ rights,
promotion of tolerance, loyalty, honesty, compassion, equity in promotion and pay and
fair procedures. When workers respect the code of conducts, values and feel treated by
the management, the workers begin to trust top management and top management. It is
also true that good ethics is good business. Mostly, the companies maintain values and
code of ethics successfully and effectively (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010).
For example, Wesfarmers is one of the biggest conglomerate companies in
Australia. The main objective of the company is to deliver satisfactory returns to
shareholders through exceptional management and financial discipline of a diversified
portfolio of the business. It is stated that Wesfarmers way is the outline for the
organization’s business model and entails core values of openness, integrity,
responsibility and boldness. The effective policies and code of conducts guide the
attitude of the employees who works at Wesfarmers to accomplish the primary
objectives and goals (Wesfarmers, 2017). Ethics and values also help in protecting the
rights and interests of the stakeholders in the organization.
Let’s talk about Woolworths, it is noted that the company follows effective and
unique policies and code of ethics to run the business effectively and efficiently. The
values of the firm include trust, dignity, integrity, acting and loyalty. To improve and
enhance environment and labour practices of suppliers, the firm disclose its full
commitment towards them smoothly. The stakeholder’s values and ethics is an
significant concept just because it helps the business to perform roles and
responsibilities effectively. It is significant for the businesses to ensure ethics and values
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Values and ethics
that mean that they will follow the basis rules and guidelines of the business and
community also.
The company ensure ethics and values of its suppliers by taking efforts to
enhance and improve the social and environmental policies with them. Maintaining the
ethics and values on constantly basis helps the firm to maximize its outcomes, goals
and targets. Along with this, it also helps in sustaining competitive benefits in the
international market. Beside this, stakeholder’s values and ethics play a significant role
in maintaining the brand image and goodwill of the company. Apart from this, the
organization also understands and determines the needs and requirements of its
stakeholders for which it take care to ensure that they are completely satisfied. It is also
contributes towards the country and society by fulfilling the needs and wants of the
stakeholders and society as well (Woolworths, 2018).
On the other hand, Telstra is also a leading and growing company in Australia. It
provides telecommunication and internet products and services for the customers in the
marketplace. The main aim of the firm is to create a brilliant connected future for the
people across the world. Trust, simplicity, together, courage and care are included in
the core values of the firm. It has been found that Telstra is committed to excellence in
responsibility, corporate governance and ethical behaviour.
The organization ensures in creating and encouraging a strong value based
culture and maintaining flexibility in the operations and activities. The policy structure
and code of ethics emphasize on Telstra values. The company also provides an
effective and unique structure through which Telstra has been able to maintain
conformity with legal duties and obligations (Telstra, 2016). The company has a number
of initiatives and actions in place to encourage and promote effective and unique
engagement, collaboration and communication. The code of ethics and values
determine and define the standard of behaviour of the people. The governance
framework include factors that address key areas like diversity, discrimination,
sustainability, privacy, safety, bullying, anti-corruption, whistle blowing and social media.
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Values and ethics
Let’s talk about other company such as Coca Cola Amatil, it is noted that code of
ethics guides the business conduct and integrity in the organization. The core values of
Coca Cola Amatil include openness, straightforward, initiative and focus. Aside this, the
firm permits the workers to undertake other paid work and perform unpaid work. The
company is also liable to protect the environment of the country. It focuses on the risks
and challenges of the market by focusing on the environment (Ccamatil, 2018). The
ethics and values also help attaining the long term mission and vision and it also
provides support to conduct business actions and functions smoothly and successfully.
By using effective and dynamic code of ethics, Coca Cola Amatil has been able to
maximize the customers in the international market.
Furthermore, code of conducts and values also help in providing ample of
employment opportunities to the workers. It also creates an environment where workers
feel comfortable and happy while raising issues and concerns in the organization.
Furthermore, values and code of ethics also help in preventing the violation and
misbehaviour in the workplace. Coca Cola Amatil is committed to reduce the issues and
threats of the market in the competitive market. The code of ethics also ensures the
workplace health and safety within the organization. CCA is committed for maintaining a
healthy and safe working environment for the workers. All suitable regulations and laws
are fully complied by the company while carrying out the business at international level.
It has been analyzed that cross cultural training is also provided by the organization to
understand and identify the values, beliefs and customs of the different countries
(Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016).
It is stated that all the companies follow dynamic values and code of ethics to
make a strong financial position and brand image in the global market. Further, it also
helps in attracting and retaining the customers in a large extent (Stevens, 2008). The
core values and ethics also help in striving with competitors in the competitive market.
Ethics programs and sessions cultivate strong and dynamic teamwork, performance
and productivity. Moreover, these programs also provide support in employee growth
and success. The strategic planning and diversity management can be possible with the
help of core values and ethics.
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Values and ethics
The ethics programs also encourage company to make a dynamic image in the
minds of the customers. The top management makes unique and attractive policies,
strategies and policies to maintain core values and ethics in the workplace effectively.
Management plays an empirical role to run the business activities in a hassle free
manner. Thus, they maintain favourable culture and environment at the workplace by
using dynamic core values and code of ethics. In this way, management plays a
fundamental role in the organization and it also influences the core values, sustainability
and ethics in the firm. The entire success and growth of a company depend on the
ethics, sustainability and significant values. With the help of ethics and core values,
employees react with strong performance and motivation for performing tasks and
duties effectively (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
On the above mentioned analysis it is concluded that ethics and core values are
significant part of each and every company. The paper analyzes that how the
companies such as Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Telstra and Coca Cola Amatil maintain
values and ethics. The core values and ethics are used by these companies to stand
out against the competitors and to be a leader in the international market. The code of
ethics and values play a vital and empirical role in maintaining goodwill and brand
image of the business. By using core values and ethics, the firm can differentiate itself
from others in the market. It also helps the companies to attain social, economic and
global objectives. The code of ethics and values provide a right direct to the company to
explore and flourish the business widely. Further, values and ethics are also important
to generate more outputs and profits in the competitive market.
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Values and ethics
References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and
leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
Ccamatil.,(2018). Our vision [Online], Retrieved from https://www.ccamatil.com/en/our-
company/our-vision-and-values
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Daft, R. L., Murphy, J., & Willmott, H. (2010). Organization theory and design. Cengage
learning EMEA.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational
excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Lefkowitz, J. (2017). Ethics and values in industrial-organizational psychology.
Routledge.
Linnenluecke, M. K., & Griffiths, A. (2010). Corporate sustainability and organizational
culture. Journal of world business, 45(4), 357-366.
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Reamer, F. G. (2013). Social work values and ethics. Columbia University Press.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership(Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
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education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge.
Stevens, B. (2008). Corporate ethical codes: Effective instruments for influencing
behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 78(4), 601-609.
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Values and ethics
Telstra.,(2016). Ethics, values and governance [Online], Retrieved from
https://exchange.telstra.com.au/ethics-values-governance/
Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2016). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about
how to do it right. John Wiley & Sons.
Wesfarmers.,(2017). Wesfarmers sustainability report 2017 [Online], Retrieved from
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https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us
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