Lecture Notes

Sometimes after dismissing an employee for an ethical breach, a manager might wonder: How did this person get through the hiring process? There are millions of people with good intentions, but this person was not one of them. The best safeguard against unethical activities at work is hiring people of high integrity.

This lecture provides 7 best practices for hiring ethical job candidates, including a six-step process for determining the ethics of job candidates. First, notify job candidates about the ethics job screen and then diligently gather information in a way that does not violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Potential sources of ethics information about job candidates include resumes, reference checks, background checks, personality tests, interview questions and drug tests.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices related to this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch and listen to the video.

The second file attached below provides you with an ethical candidate job screening tool.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

Ethical dilemmas arise because situations are ambiguous. What bothers one person's conscience may not bother another person's conscience. A rule that one high-integrity person considers essential another high-integrity person might consider too rigid. Two people of high integrity may disagree on the appropriate discipline for a co-worker's misbehavior, such as an excellent bank teller who intentionally violated a bank's policy, or how to balance being truthful with following a directive that may mislead some customers.

An organization's code of ethics and code of conduct minimize ethical ambiguities by communicating clear ethical guidelines for employees to apply when making ethical decisions. These codes serve as the organization's conscience. This lecture provides seven best practices for developing codes of ethics and codes of conduct, including having codes, communicating and supporting codes, and using the code of ethics as an assessment tool for improving ethical performance.

The first downloadable document below provides a list of best practices related to this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print it as lecture guide for note taking as you watch the video.

The second resource attached below will give you step-by-step instructions for how to create a code of ethics and assess that in your organization.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

A variety of factors influence whether a person decides to behave ethically or unethically. Ethical intentions are usually formed quickly, initially defended, and then may be revised through a rational ethical decision-making process.

This lecture provides 3 best practices for ethical decision-making, including a systematic seven-question rational decision-making framework that is straightforward to use when making difficult decisions. The framework, which is grounded in moral philosophy, enables employees to independently derive a moral answer to an ethical dilemma.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices related to this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch the video.

The second resource below is the Systematic Rational Decision Making Framework, which is a practical tool for making ethical decisions in complex, ethically challenging ethical situations.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

Individuals are more likely to discuss work-related ethical issues with family and friends than co-workers or executives. A managerial challenge is to design workshops where employees can discuss ethical issues at work. Ethics training can initiate dialogue around contentious ethical issues. A well-facilitated ethics training workshop has greater impact on employee behaviors than the presence of an ethics code or memos from the boss. Researchers report that people employed in organizations with formal ethics training have more positive perceptions about their organization's ethics and greater job satisfaction.

This lecture provides 7 best practices for ethics training, including offering them annually, how to facilitate them, and assessing them.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices related to this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch the video.

The second attachment below provides you with practical tools for developing ethics training workshops.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

Within the mind of each person is a unique set of assumptions about right and wrong behaviors. Also within the mind of each person is a unique set of assumptions about other employees, customers and suppliers. These assumptions are based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion or disability.

This lecture provides 7 best practices for respecting diversity, including assigning a specific person to be accountable, reflecting the community's diversity profile, diversity training workshops, and making diversity goals part of a manager's performance evaluation.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices for this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch and listen to the video.

The second resource attached below provides you with step-by-step guidelines for developing a diversity initiative for your organization.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

High performance organizations depend on employees speaking honestly with their colleagues, managers and company owners when ethical problems arise.

This lecture provides 9 best practices for ethics reporting systems. Excellent managers are the type of person colleagues and subordinates can trust and confide in when personally sensitive information must be shared. But some employees remain uncomfortable sharing ethical issues with their direct supervisors. Three alternative internal communications mechanisms are an Ethics and Compliance Officer, an ombudsman, and an assist line. A failure in these internal communications systems can result in external whistle blowing, which is damaging for both the organization and the whistle blower.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices for this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch the video.

The second resource attached below is a guide to creating an internal reporting system for your organization.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

Three aspects of daily organizational life significantly impact an employee's ethical performance: (1) the behaviors of organizational executives, managers and direct supervisors, (2) work goals, and (3) employee performance appraisals.

This lecture provides 13 best practices for ethical leadership, work goals and performance appraisal. Ethical leaders develop great places to work and reinforce ethical behavior among employees through work goals and performance appraisals that encourage and reward ethical behaviors.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices related to the topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch and listen to the video.

The second resource attached below will help you to implement best practices for developing performance appraisals that align with your organization's code of ethics and the ethical behavior you wish to promote among your employees.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

A high performing ethical organization is a community of people where each employee has a sense of belongingness and ownership, and feels respected and accountable. Employees in high performance organizations are engaged with their work tasks and committed to achieving work unit goals. They are provided with information necessary to perform their job well, empowered to control their immediate surroundings, and have the authority to do what needs to get done. Organizations with engaged and empowered employees emphasize two-way communication and participative management processes.

This lecture provides 12 best practices for engaging and empowering employees, including employee satisfaction surveys, providing input for decisions, training in group dynamics, and sharing the financial benefits generated by their efforts.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices related to this topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print and use this file as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch and listen to the video.

The second resource attached below is a how-to guide for managing workplace attitudes and behaviors.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.

Treating the Earth with respect is one of the greatest ethical management challenges. A growing number of mangers now realize that appropriately managing the relationship between organizational operations and the environment can enhance profits and long-term success, as well as quality of life for current and future generations.

This lecture provides 8 best practices for environmental management, including screening suppliers, adopting an Environmental Management System and the Natural Step framework, conducting environmental risk assessments, designing eco-friendly products, operating in green buildings, and monitoring environmental performance indicators.

The first downloadable file you see below provides a list of best practices related to the topic as discussed in the video lecture. You may wish to print this file to use as a lecture guide for note taking as you watch and listen to the video.

The second resource attached below will guide you in the development of an Environmental Management System Plan for your organization.

Below you will also find an ethical dilemma related to this section. You may use the ethical dilemma for your own practice applying the course material to realistic situations or as part of an ethics training program.