Ethical Decision Making in Everyday Work Situations

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Data normally is referred to facts and figures collected from the filed in order to provide some useful information about a certain theme. The methods of data collection vary from primary methods to secondary methods of data collection. Normally after a given data has been collected the findings are supposed to be recorded and concrete analysis is made to verify whether the findings or results are valid or not. The analysis of data can either be qualitative or quantitative. Quantitative data analysis mostly explains or supports the findings by the use of some figures. The figures can represent the number of people who are affected or who were used when the survey was conducted. On the other hand qualitative analysis basically uses the theory part of it but not theory as such the finding must be supported by some tangible evidence.

The data that was collected during the December 2005 on Tackling work places bullying and harassment contain various information. The theme in this paper contains the various groups who were involved during the study. In the first place the group that was to take place in the study had to be in the employment sector. This means that one cannot fall a victim of bullying circumstance in a work place if he/she is not in the working team. The other requirement that was expected of the people who were to carry the research was whether they had some knowledge about the issue being researched. The team was expected to have some prior knowledge about what bullying is in the work place. Just like in statistics. Formulation of hypothesis should be done. This provides some answers that are to be proved during the research. The other information we are getting from the team that was to carry the survey or research was that the team was not suppose to be part of the current target of bullying or harassment. This basically means that the team should not have any prejudged answers since they would give a one sided answer during the study. This data I believe was to be used by various business organizations and even the government to improve the working condition in their places of work. A one sided answer means that the result and findings will also be one sided.

The team that was to carry the survey was also to volunteer in carrying out the task. Nobody was to be forced to participate in the exercise. Therefore people were to volunteer and fully commit to their work

In every society or organization people are comprised of different backgrounds. The team that was to lead in the coming up with the results were also expected to come from different departments that is people with different skills in different areas. For example the volunteers were to be selected from trade union members, Human Resource and other web contact lists. The most focus group was either HR or trade union members. Trade unions are formed with a view of fighting for the rights of the workers or employees in their workplace. This shows that members of the trade unions were expected to have a lot of useful information and ideas on what bullying entails in organization operations. In any business organization the Human Resource is regarded as a leader full of knowledge and skills that can help in getting information in the filed. The HR should be in a position of identifying the various types and kinds of bullies, those highly affected and even the consequences of bullying in their set ups. The introduction of the new technology has also helped in providing people with information. These are sources of secondary data collection. The development of the internet and the various collaboration tools has helped people in providing a lot of information.

A method of selecting the research team has also been discussed for example Trade union members and even all the university staff members could not be picked. It therefore means that sampling was to be done based on some strategies and procedures. For example full time union employees were to be very few and a third of union representatives were to be selected from the local unions.

The other important information we are getting from the study is how the information was collected and recorded. Data cannot just be collected without being recorded (Babbie, 2001, p.46). We are told that tape recording was used during the discussions. The members involved during the discussion exchanged questions and answers were provided to the questions. After tape recording had been done the group could listen to it and possible verify the validity of the recorded information using the written notes. The verification was made to ensure that all the answers that were provided during the discussion were accurate. (Dunn, 2000, p.28)

For data to be valid and reliable the must be consistency. Consistency is only achieved after several repetitions have been done on the result. In the study which was carried out the verifier confirmed the domain of all statements that had been collected and ensured that they were represented accurately. Complete repetition were allowed to be in the text and also allowed to be absent from the text. All these were done to ensure that the information collected were valid and reliable.

The use of posters as a method of creating public awareness has also been pinpointed. The posters were used to pass the message a bout bullying and harassment in the workplace. The posters carried questions showing definitions of bullying and harassment, what individuals and organizations can do to prevent bullying and harassments in workplace. These are some of the basic properties of a good poster. The writing should be few not congested and should only focus on the main theme. These posters were to be pinned at work places, areas where people exist and even in offices and learning institutions. Racial discrimination is a major factor contributing to harassment and bullying in learning institutions such as universities (Guy,1990,p28). Therefore such learning institutions should not be left out when posters were pinned.

The other theme that can be obtained from the data set is how bullying and harassment in workplace and different set ups are taking place. The most affected group is also contained in the data set. For example people with different culture could find it difficult to fit into the system especially when they are new comers. The system could be in workplace or in a learning institution.

It is reported that the most affected group are the young and the old facing bullying and harassment. Even the middle age can be bullied. This shows that bullying and harassment don’t care about the age difference (Glendinning, 2001, p.269). Anybody can be a victim of the circumstance. Mostly in colleges bullying and harassment are done to the new students who are joining. The senior students during this period are when they have an opportunity to harass and bully the new students. Those who have completed college and universities are also being bullied and harassed when they join workforce as new members.

Lack of effective communication in the workplace is another factor that contributes to bullying and harassment in the workplace. The use of bad language in the organization is a form of harassment. The bad language may comprise of abusive statements used by the leaders when communicating to their employees. Most of the employees also use the bad languages in the organization when interacting with their colleagues. The bad language is only termed as harassment when it is intentionally directed to an individual. Otherwise in most places such as where children do play the use of bad language may be acceptable however places like restaurant and workplace are not expected by people who abusive and aggressive language. The people who are found in these areas are mature adults who are expected to reason. This therefore means that any use of bad language was seen as a sign of bullying and harassment (Calleja, 2000, p.99).

People’s reactions when they fall in the incident are also given in the data. In most incidences the victims do not show the right procedure in reporting bullying and harassment. What they do is to keep quiet and fail to report. This is because even if they complain their grievances are not being heard or listened to. Those who have complained have always lost their jobs therefore shutting up is the only solution.

The way issues of bullying and harassment are handled is also obtained in the data set. The mangers in most of the organization do have a habit of addressing workers problems in a more discriminated way. Some people’s problems are not listened to and the individuals are treated differently. Most of the cases are not handled immediately instead they are compiled and accumulated. This basically shows that the management heads of the various organizations are not effective when handling their duties. The managers should be in the forefront when the issue of bullying and harassment are addressed. He should note that dealing with people with a lot of respect is on of the key ways of controlling the situation (Davenport, 2002, p. 43). Things should be solved amicably and when communicating to others the information should be very clear. Good communication skills will enable the employees solve their problems. If possible things should be communicated in good time.

The data set also contains some information on places where bullying and harassment are being applied. For example in army during training soldiers are just expected to be submissive. This is when the training exercise can be effective. They are supposed to undergo though and thorough training period where complaints aren’t required. This has even been seen and watched over the television on how Royal marines have sensitive people in the army. This shows that in army bullying is evident and best shown by the training officers. Actually one cannot mistreat people because of his position. It is always believed that the environment normally affect the way things are done. Bullying and harassment will actually be common in an environment where the manager and top officials do not apply effective communication (Hochheiser, 1998, p. 247). The language used by the manger when communicating with the clients should be as simple as possible.

Another striking feature or information in the data set is the differences in application of management skills in the organization. In any organization members should be encouraged to develop a sense of self-direction to encourage innovation. But instead they want the organization members to follow their directions and orders. If t therefore the role of HR to apply his management skills to ensure that he led by example. Bad managers usually apply divide and rule tactics when dealing with the members of the organization (Guy, 1990, p. 60). In such a situation they sack and fire those who actually know their right by raising complaints. Organizations having departments of complaints have succeeded in addressing the bullying and harassment cases.

Ways of preventing and reducing the issues of bullying and harassment in workplace has also been highlighted. For example well formed policies should be tabled by the organizations to monitor the behavior of the organization members. Strong trade union formation is one of the methods that can be used to address the issue. The unions are expected to be formed by the workers with an objective of addressing their grievances. Union leaders should actually pinpoint their strength and weakness when developing the strategies and policies in dealing with issues of bullying and harassment at workplace. They should work on the principle of backward never forward ever if at all they want to succeed. If not then their efforts will be thwarted leading to no improvement in their actions (Yamada, 2000, p. 478).

The policies formed by they trade unions should clearly spell out how the senior officers in the work force are suppose to treat their subordinates. Just for example a senior officer was caught on camera kicking a security guard in the car park. This really sends a bad picture on how subordinate and to make it worse the senior officer was not sacked. The only means to address this is by putting a sense of neutrality in the forefront. Therefore the Human Resource manager should be somebody who is neutral and this might only be possible is he is not from the organization. Upto this stage I have been analyzing how people view bullying, the set up it takes place and the groups involved or stakeholders.

Findings during the study are also very important in the data set on new poster. Here analysis is based on how people could suggest new ways of preventing bullying and harassment both in institutions of learning and workplaces. These findings were based in the correct thoughts and views of the people. For example almost nine out of ten people wanted the problem of bullying to be sorted out. First step is identifying the parties involved and carrying out some negotiations on the way the job is to be done. This should be done as early as possible before the problem gets complicated where things are just too serious. However the policy of democracy will not successfully work in family businesses. In small enterprises it may work since the organization is small therefore things will be sorted out very fast.

Bullying mostly is not a group issue but mostly it is personal. This means that it normally occurs between one or three individuals. For example not everybody in an organization will practice the act of racial discrimination. This will exist when there is a conflict between the individuals. When sorting out the difference or problem between the affected parties is very important to listen to both the parties (minority and major ethnic groups). The problem should be solved in a more applicable way since informal measures will not yield any fruit. The best example is dealing with the issues of racial discrimination in schools. This is a small institution whereby the school administration can go out to student telling them the negative effects of discrimination.

Factors to consider when dealing with issues of bullying and harassment are also touched in the data set. Every organization member has different cultural background. When we talk of culture it does not only consider racial background but it includes people values, practices, beliefs and norms (Ramsey,2002,p4). The HR should understand that each member of the organization has a different interest and should be handled with a lot of fairness. This basically means that all the relevant members of his organization should be involved. There has to be a channel to be followed through effective communication when creating new procedures in the organization.

By involving members of the organization the manager will at the same time get new skills from the members that might help him in improving their welfare and working conditions (O’Hagan, 2002, p. 68). A part from cultural consideration, the manger has to consider the psychological differences of the people. This goes hand in hand with the sensitivity of the problem. Always it is said that history repeats itself. Therefore when the manager systematically handles these issues effectively then the problem of bullying and harassment in work place will be demolished. If a person engages in bullying in several occasions then the manager should know why repeated offences take places. Rumors are regarded to be one of the factors that hinder the way issues are dealt with. The manager should not rely on rumors but instead he should come up with empirical findings on the route causes of the problem.

Managing an organization is a very complicated task that calls for serious commitment and dedication. I may say that it is a call from God plus a professional. The information from the data services suggests that partnership arrangement should be done to come up with a clear policy. Most businesses do carry out several activities that do help them improve production and the general working condition in their workplace by building good public relations. Some of these activities may include outsourcing, merger and acquiring mentoring and coaching. All these have their advantages they bring to the organization.

The whole issues in this dataset is about bullying and harassment how people view it ,how it occurs, how managers and public at large view it, the environment it exists in, and how it should be prevented. Most issues that require management are left in the docket of Human Resource. The Hr therefore should come up with a policy that will enable him deal with the issue. Senior people with experience believe that people normally learn from experience. This means the HR should atleast interact with other people to help him in obtaining some pieces of advice. The advice he will get from his colleague will be based on how people feel at work, listening to people’s problems and improving the workers social status (Middleton, 2002, p. 107).

Human Resource managers are also required to seek training to improve their skills and knowledge in dealing with different problems in their organizations. The managers should recognize that learning is a continuous process and education has got no limit. Training will provide then with necessary skills which they can use to prevent cases of bullying and harassment in their organization. Normally high production will be realized when numbers within an organization work as team. Teamwork means working in collaboration by sharing effects and ideas. Two head brought together is better than one head working alone. Therefore training is very much necessary. During training the supervisors and mangers are also taught how to develop good strategies/policies that clearly define measures that are supposed to be taken when dealing with cases of bullying and harassment.

Most business institutions do not implement their strategies according to the finding in the data set. The policies are just written down in papers but are not put into action. The managers should ensure that they policies they come up with are implemented. Good results will only be seen after successful implementation has been done for example on might come up a good project but if the project is not properly and effectively installed and implemented then only failures will be seen in the long run. Poor implementation means that no work is done. This therefore means that the managers should ensure that the policies they have come up with are effectively implemented by the different members of the organization

In the training they should know that any form of discrimination in the organization is likely to reject into bullying. The prevention process should just start with the top officials. The HR should lead by setting up a good example. He should lead then the rest will follow his footsteps. The relevant heads of department should lead their people through behaving morally according the policies of the organization. Treating people right and fairly is the only way of dealing with the issue of bullying and harassment in any organization (Rayner, 2002, p. 15). The managers and top organizational officials should try to explain any aspect of the policies formed in a simpler form. Putting things in a simpler way will enable the members have a sense of trust in what they are saying. Language should be simple and easier to understand. A complex language makes the information to be passed be complicated. If poster are to be designed simple words are required that touches the key message to be passed.

An effective management skill is important when addressing the member’s problem in an organization. What leaders should realize is that the employees play a major role when it comes to the success of the organization. The manager cannot work alone without involving the different members of the organization. This is even why department are formed to handle different activities. The departmental heads are supposed to assist in making the organizational work very easy. By the time any problem reaches a manger the various departmental heads shall have analyzed it. The HR should be trained on how to deal with ethical issues in an organization. An example of ethical issues is stress management (Namie, 2003, p46). Actually we don’t expect happiness in a place where people are being bulled and harassed. The end result is that people will automatically become stressed up and weary. These people should be helped to live in environment by giving them the right protection.

A part from training use of posters is another important thing that has been touched in the data set. Normally people do use posters during campaigns. The posters carry the policies they want their members to have posters are normally effective in small institutions. When using posters to pass information to members, there are some important features to be observed. Number of words should not be many. Few words should be used and they should capture the information being passed. Posters should also be proportional with few coloring made on them. This will try to attract the employees. Too many words will make the message passed become meaningless. If possible why bullying and harassment should be stopped and its effects are the only information to be in the posters.

Bullying and harassment is an issue that affects many organizations in the sense that it is a practice that people do. Either a person will bully others because of his physical size or because of his racial background. Mostly the minor ethnic groups are being discriminated against by the major ethnics groups (Homstein, 1996, p. 80). Racial discrimination is a serious issue in the various institutions in the work place. In learning institutions such as schools most students do bully others because they are huge in body size therefore they have that physical power to mistreat others. If all these evil practices are not solved in our organizations then I believe there will be no development in these places. Instead of moving forward these organization will move backward leading to failures.

In any research or survey conducted the finding should be tested and verified to determine whether they are valid or not. Findings or results will only be valid if and only If they measure exactly what they purport to measure. Reliability should also be verified if the findings and consistent. If validity and reliability is to be achieved then some clarification has to be done. In quantitative analysis test statistics such as chi-square, t-test student test and probably F-test are conducted to prove the validity and reliability. The results are either rejected or accepted at some specified level of confidence interval. Since I am only dealing with qualitative analysis I am only suppose to use secondary sources of data to clarify my findings. They are at times referred to as academic literature.

The academic literature I would use to clarify the finding on bullying and harassment include books, journal magazines Internet sources and probably periodicals. One major disadvantage of secondary sources is the at times they may provide out-dated information that may not be useful. For example we are in 2007, so it won’t work well if I use a book which was lastly reviewed in 1980s or before. Obvious this will give me misleading information. The reference sources used should be current because situations also do change with time. Books, journal, magazines, internet (website), Newspapers and periodicals that contain useful information on bullying issues should be used. The only comment I can give when using the academic literature to clarity findings is to use the more recent ones that have been reviewed. If it is books picked one book will not be enough. Several books should be read to see whether the information they pass is reliable and valid. Comparison is only done if the information obtained has been collected for different sources. Journals and websites can be very resourceful in this area because they provide current information. Journals are either reviewed quarterly or yearly. This means that information’s are continuously being updated. A lot of precautions should therefore be taken when analyzing data using qualitative methods. Otherwise wrong results might be provided. Good results are obtained when the methodology used in the survey is properly done(Patton,2002,p. 4)

The methodology used when collecting data may include interviews use of questionnaires and sampling. These methods should be used properly and effectively because the nature of information obtained will depend on the way data was collected. Questions used should be simple and should be done in a fair manner only when the interviewer is ready. Sampling should be a representative one-focusing on different groups from different settings.(Patton,2002,p. 12).

Conclusion

Bullying and harassment can be effectively prevented in an organization if effective management is practiced. The HR has a difficult task in coordinating all the activities in the organization. Thos means that HR should be trained or should posses the relevant skills required in management. He should have affective communication skills that will enable him communicate with organization member fairly. Trade union officials should perform their duties effectively since they are the people who should ensure that workers rights are protected. Above all well framed policies should be formed that specifies what each and everyone should do. This should contain how they should relate with one another how they should behave together with the dos and don’t in the organization policies. If the policies are implemented effectively then bullying in workplace and other institutions will be demolished.

References

Babbie, E. (2001). The Practice of Social Research (9th Ed.). Stamford, CT: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Calleja, D. (2000). The blue pin-striped meanies. Canadian Business, 73 (9), 99.

Davenport, N., Schwartz, R. D., & Elliott, G. P. (2002). Mobbing: Emotional Abuse in the American Workplace. Ames, IA: Civil Society Publishing.

Dunn, K. (2000). Bullying in the workplace often goes unnoticed. Workforce, 79 (4), 28-29.

Glendenning, P. M. (2001). Workplace bullying: curing the cancer of the American workplace. Public Personnel Management, 30 (3), 269-286.

Guy, M. (1990). Ethical Decision Making in Everyday Work Situations. New York, NY: Quorum Books.

Hochheiser, R. M. (1998). It’s a Job, Not a Jail. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Hornstein, H. A. (1996). Brutal Bosses and their Prey: How to Identify and Overcome Abuse in the Workplace. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

Middleton-Moz, J. & Zawadski, M. L. (2002). Bullies: From the Playground to the Boardroom: Strategies for Survival. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc.

Namie, G. & Namie, R. (2003). The Bully at Work: What You Can Do To Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity On the Job. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc.

O’Hagan, J. A. (2002). Bully for You. The Sydney Morning Herald, 1.

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods, 3^rd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Ramsey, R. D. (2002). Bullies in the workplace. Supervision, 63 (3), 3-5.

Rayner, C., Hoel, H., & Cooper, C. L. (2002). Workplace Bullying: What We Know, Who Is to Blame, and What Can We Do? London: Taylor & Francis.

Yamada, D. C. (2000). The phenomenon of “workplace bullying” and the need for status-blind hostile work environment protection. The Georgetown Law Journal, 88 (3), pp. 475-536.

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Ethical Decision Making in Everyday Work Situations

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