Ethical Decision Making and Hiring

Abstract 

Ethical decision making is guided by factors such as morals and integrity. It guides people to make the right decisions, those that do not encourage discrimination. Most organizations encourage the practice of this act in its activities such as hiring since it leads to the introduction of competent workers to a firm. When decision making is based on people’s values and morals, they end up practicing justice in various fields such as working environments. Ethical decision making and hiring enable people to overcome temptations that they may come across in such fields.

Keywords: Morals, Integrity, values

Ethical Decision Making and Hiring

McCabe, Trevino, and Butterfield (1996) state that the code of ethics is used to govern the act of decision making in companies. Large firms tend to apply the code of ethics in their operations since it allows them to create a peaceful working environment. Therefore, the use of ethics contributes to the control of the relationship between the workers of an organization (McCabe, Trevino & Butterfield, 1996). When a good relationship between employees is obtained, productivity is boosted significantly. Code of ethics is also used to guide the leaders of an organization in the process of hiring new employees. According to Zhong, Liljenquist, and Cain (2009), application of a code of ethics in the hiring process allows firms to obtain qualified workers who contribute to the development of the firm.

Code of ethics dictates the principles that can be used to promote attractive behavior among employees (Zhong, Liljenquist & Cain, 2009). Such policies must be followed strictly to obtain good conduct. Its therefore clear that most companies apply this tool to control its working environment. It allows workers who have problems to come up with the best solutions that do not result in negative consequences. According to McCabe, Trevino, and Butterfield (1996), code of ethics encourages workers to treat each other fairly since this promotes teamwork. Value statement is, therefore, an important tool for any organization since it contributes to the future success of a company. Firms that end up having many conflicts are forced to apply the use of ethics to obtain methods of conflict resolution.

Code of ethics is complemented by code of conduct. This is a process that tends to explain further the rules that must be followed for code of ethics to be practiced effectively. For code of ethics to be understood well, individuals are encouraged to go through the code of conduct since it acts as a description of the expectations from the rules of ethics (McCabe, Trevino & Butterfield, 1996). According to Zhong, Liljenquist, and Cain (2009), code of ethics suggests that rules should be obeyed while code of conduct highlights the specific rules that should be obeyed. Both are therefore similar in that they are aimed at encouraging positive behavior among employees. Their purpose is also similar in that they are used to create a favorable working environment (McCabe, Trevino & Butterfield, 1996). Code of conduct allows employees to differentiate activities that are right and wrong.

Despite the similarities between the two, differences can also be pointed out. The major difference is that the code of ethics is used to influence the judgment of workers while the code of conduct does not influence the decision-making process. This means that the code of conduct requires employees to strictly follow the rules unlike code of ethics (Zhong, Liljenquist & Cain, 2009). Code of ethics provides expectations while the code of conduct states the rules that should be followed (McCabe, Trevino & Butterfield, 1996).

Ethical hiring decision requires the use of several factors since this contributes to the practice of both code of ethics and conduct (McCabe, Trevino & Butterfield, 1996). Below are some of the factors that would influence my ethical hiring decision;

Hard Skills- this is a factor that can help me determine the skills of an applicant that will be relevant to the company. Hard skills are mainly obtained from learning institutions and working experience. Determination of these skills is a relevant factor that can enable me to come up with the right decision and determine whether training will be required for the new applicants (Posner & Schmidt, 1987).

Soft Skills- this is a vital factor to consider while making an ethical hiring decision. Posner and Schmidt (1987) suggest that employees with soft skills such as communication and work ethic are responsible for the unity of other workers in a company. Determination of these skills while hiring leads to the introduction of employees who contribute to the overall improvement of the working environment.

Culture consideration- this is a factor that can allow me to determine whether an applicant can promote the culture of the company. According to Posner and Schmidt (1987), employees who understand the personality of an organization are important since they end up promoting the public image of the organization. This factor is therefore essential since it can result in an overall boost of the company’s image.

Potential- this is probably the most significant factor that I can apply while making an ethical hiring decision. During interviews, I can be very keen to determine the potential of the applicants since they are the key to future success of the company. Zhong, Liljenquist, and Cain (2009) suggest that employees who have good potential are vital to the operations of an organization since they are responsible for the introduction of innovation skills and ideas.

Use of ethics in activities such as hiring determines the future success of a firm. It has several benefits, most of which allow workers to improve their relationship and work together effectively. Ethical hiring decisions allow firms to acquire qualified employees who can promote togetherness of other workers. Promotion of public image is also achieved because of ethical hiring. This highlights the significance of applying code of ethics and conduct in the operations of a company.

McDonalds’ Organizational List

Key leaders of an organization play an important role in its operation. These roles are responsible for the promotion of the company’s mission, vision, and values. McDonald's is an example of a company that has key leaders who play a significant role in the company’s mission (McDonald’s Company Hierarchy Chart, 2018). The mission of this company is to provide quality services to its consumers in terms of healthy food and drinks. Below is an organizational list showing the key leaders of McDonald's

(McDonald’s Company Hierarchy Chart, 2018)

CEO- this is the highest ranked leader at this company who controls the operations of the company. The CEO of McDonald's leads by example and this sets a perfect example for other employees to follow (McDonald's Company Hierarchy Chart, 2018) . He is required to make corporate decisions of the firm and control the resources of the organization. His responsibilities are tied to the organization’s mission, vision, and values in different ways such as effective communication of the company’s goals and ensuring a positive relationship with the stakeholders of the firm.

COO- this leader is responsible for the overall efficiency of the organization. He is required to guarantee the efficiency of all departments of the organization. The functions of McDonald's are controlled by the COO who monitors the growth of the firm (McDonald's Company Hierarchy Chart, 2018) . His responsibilities are tied to the company’s mission, vision, and values through the goals and objectives of the firm. This is the leader who is expected to ensure that both the long-term and short-term objectives of the firm are met since this is the factor that guarantees the growth of the organization.

Human Resource manager- the HR of this company is responsible for ensuring that the goals of the organization are met especially through the performance of the employees. He is responsible for training workers at McDonald's who end up providing quality services to the customers of this organization. As a firm that offers food services, the Human Resources Manager must ensure that there is the safety of the products offered by this company (McDonald's Company Hierarchy Chart, 2018) . The responsibilities of this leader are tied to the values of the company and its vision. He ensures that all employees provide a healthy environment where customers can enjoy the services offered by the company.

CFO- this is a leader who is responsible for ensuring that the finances of McDonald's are managed responsibly. Finance management of this organization allows it to continue with the provision of quality services to its customers, which is one of the visions of the company. Chief Financial Officer of Mcdonalds is therefore responsible for ensuring that the goals of the firm are met through proper distribution of capital to the departments of the organization (Collins & Porras, 1996). The responsibilities of McDonalds' CFO are tied to the company's mission and vision in that he is required to maintain the required flow of capital. This results in the smooth operation of the company. 

Brand manager- this is the leader who improves the public image of McDonald's through different channels such as social media. The Brand manager of McDonald's is expected to assure customers that the company is always determined to improve the quality of its service (Collins & Porras, 1996). In the process, McDonald's is able to gain loyal customers who are responsible for the improvement of the company's image in the market. The Brand manager of this company is therefore responsible for developing its vision through proper marketing of its products and services. 

From this discussion, its clear that the development of a company’s mission, vision and values depend on the responsibilities of the firm’s leaders. Most of the duties of the key leaders at McDonald's are tied to these factors. Each leader is expected to contribute to the development of the firm and such contribution results to the overall success of the company. Key leaders of an organization are encouraged to work together effectively for the benefit of the company's operations since this promotes its image. 

References

Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1996). Building your company's vision. Harvard business review, 74(5), 65. 

McCabe, D. L., Trevino, L. K., & Butterfield, K. D. (1996). The influence of collegiate and corporate codes of conduct on ethics-related behavior in the workplace.  Business Ethics Quarterly , 461-476. 

McDonald’s Company Hierarchy Chart | Hierarchy structure.com. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.hierarchystructure.com/mcdonalds-company-hierarchy/ 

Posner, B. Z., & Schmidt, W. H. (1987). Ethics in American companies: A managerial perspective.  Journal of Business Ethics ,  6 (5), 383-391. 

Zhong, C. B., Liljenquist, K., & Cain, D. M. (2009). Moral self-regulation: Licensing and compensation.