Ethical Decision Making and Hiring

Abstract 

For any given organization to be successful, there is need for it to regulate and control its operations and activities effectively. The code of conduct and code of ethics exist to guide the organization in the way it can relate both to its internal business environment and external business environment. Though the code of ethics has often been used interchangeably to mean the same thing they are far away different from each other. This paper will analyze the importance and purpose of both codes of conduct and code of ethics and how they can be of importance to the organization during the hiring process. 

Ethical Decision Making and Hiring 

Introduction 

An organization must have a well written and documented code of conduct and code of ethics to help guide it in establishing effective relations with both its employees and its customers. It is common for employees to have an adversarial relationship with the management most times. A company that lacks a defined code of conduct and code of ethics might experience employee-management adversarial relationship as asserted by Ford and Richardson (2013). The existence of such relationship might lead to increased employee-management tensions, stress on the part of the employee that can lead to drug use and abuse. Employee values might shift from loyalty to the management to loyalty to ideals, and lead to eventual social unrest within the organization . 

Differences between Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct 

At times the code of conduct and the code of ethics are confused to be similar and interchangeably used to address the same issues in an organization. A slight difference exists in both definition and level of their importance to the organization. The code of ethics govern decision making in the organization while the code of conduct governs actions and behaviors in the organization. The code of ethics is like the constitution of the organization, and it has value statements and principles that affect the organization's decision-making process. The code of ethics helps in guiding an organization to decide on an appropriate cause of action to follow when faced with an ethical dilemma or debatable solutions. The standards of ethics are wide-ranging and non-specific, and they are designed to enable an employee to make independent judgments on the best appropriate course of action to take whenever faced with a problem (Ford & Richardson, 2013). On the other hand, the code of conduct act as a back-up for the code of ethics and outlines specific behaviors that employees of an organization are required or prohibited to indulge in the course of their ongoing employment. The code lists specific laws that employees are required to obey and adhere to in different areas of organizational operations. The conduct standards require little judgment and provide a clear set of expectations on the part an employee. Employees are mandated to obey the codes of conduct or incur a penalty for disobeying the codes. 

Purpose and Importance of Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct 

Organization's code of conduct and the code of ethics are significant towards the growth and development of the organization. They clarify an organization's missions, values and principles and act as central guide to employees to support da-day decision-making. Having a well written and documented code of ethics help an organization in mitigating financial risks associated with government fines for ethical misconduct. An organization might reduce these risks by demon stating that they attempted to make a "good faith" effort by preventing illegal acts in its established ethical codes. The ethical code of conduct guides the employees on the best way to behave in the workplace (Ford & Richardson, 2013). It ensures employees respect the boss and treat him as a superior even if the boss is a friend outside the office. The code of conduct helps employees understand what to do and what not to do in the workplace to ensure their career growth and to also benefit the organization in the long run (Chun et al., 2013) . The code of ethics also ensures that the value system of employees in the organization is stable. 

Importance of Ethics in Hiring 

The hiring process is usually strenuous to employers as it becomes difficult to choose the best candidate for a job. Employers screen multiple applications from job seekers which take a considerable portion of employer's time and energy (Chun et al., 2013). Employers usually use the company's code of ethics to assist them in conducting the hiring process ethically and avoid negative results. For an employer to ensure that the hiring process is ethical, he/she should look at factors such as the legality of the hiring process, look at company ethic codes, conducting a minimum investigation of job applicants, and employ transparency in job advertising and job interviews. 

The factors under consideration would enable an employer hire employees that would keep the company's culture moving in a positive direction and ensure profitability of the company. Being ethical in the hiring process would also help the employer avoid being involved in lawsuits as a result of breaching the hiring laws. Investigating potential employees, either by checking references or calling past employers would protect an organization from hiring irresponsible and unethical employees ( Schwartz, 2013) . Presentation of truthful information on job advertising and providing job candidates with accurate information about the job would help an organization selection dilemmas and avoid unintended bias during the hiring process. Any organization is expected to take note of expected legal requirements of the hiring process. The organization should refrain from discriminating against job applicants. It is perceived to be illegal and unethical for employers to ask interviewees questions that revolve around their religious beliefs, sexual orientation or questions enquiring about their political affiliations (Schwartz, 2013) . Even though an interviewee might feel pressured to answer these questions, he or she might decide to file legal action against the organization. 

Conclusion 

For an employer to avoid negative results during the hiring process, he/she should adhere to the code of ethics of the organization. Ethical hiring would ensure that an organization can hire qualified candidates and protect the organization from legal tangles and lawsuits. 

References 

Chun, J. S., Shin, Y., Choi, J. N., & Kim, M. S. (2013). How does corporate ethics contribute to firm financial performance? The mediating role of collective organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Management , 39 (4), 853-877. 

Ford, R. C., & Richardson, W. D. (2013). Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical literature. In Citation classics from the Journal of Business Ethics (pp. 19-44). Springer, Dordrecht. 

Schwartz, M. S. (2013). Developing and sustaining an ethical corporate culture: The core elements. Business Horizons , 56 (1), 39-50.