Strategic human resource management: Ethic

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The role of ensuring that an organization abides to ethical principles is, perhaps, the most important role of any human resource department in an organization.

A human resource department has to ensure that staff members work in conformance with universal ethical principles. It also has to ensure that there are clear rules governing the conduct of the employees of the organization.

Such rules should be part of the policies of the organization that the human resource department develops in consultation with other departments (Härtel and Fujimoto, 2010). It is also the role of the human resource department of an organization to ensure that the ethical guidelines of the organization are, as much as possible, in conformance with the law of the land.

This paper looks into the approaches that human resource departments in organizations can use to ensure that staff members in the organization are ethical.

Structures for implementation of ethics in an organization

A number of structures, both legal and social, are prerequisite if an organization has to have ethical members of staff. Firstly, people should know what is required of them in advance. To achieve this, the organization should develop ethical principles that employees should follow and circulate them to the members of staff.

The organization should also accompany this with the corresponding punishment that the employees will receive for violating these principles. This kind of a structure encourages some potential violators of ethical principles live by heteronomous morality (Fombrun et al., 1984).

It can also attract some level of conventional morality where employees will obey with the rules to avoid a situation in which their lack of ethics would affect their relationships with fellow employees or even their careers.

Secondly, before employees join an organization, they should sign a contract that details their roles in the organization, and the major ethical principles that they should obey.

The latter may include an agreement for keeping organizational secrets and related ethical principles. The preparation of the contract should be in such a way that it is in conformance with both the policies of the organization and the prevailing legal requirements.

Implementing universal ethical principles

It is of essence for the human resource departments of organizations to leave some ethical principles unaddressed so that employees can have individual initiative in complying with them.

For instance, in an organization where personal hygiene is not a sensitive issue, it is important for the employees to have individual initiative in conforming to this principle. This kind of initiative will also drive them towards conformance with other universal ethical principles.

The dilemma between ethical and legal aspects of morality

In some cases, legal aspects of morality conflict with ethical aspects of morality. This calls for a clear policy in organizations on which legal aspects of morality are discouraged in the organization. For instance, it is common knowledge that homosexuality is legally acceptable in some countries.

However, in some organizations within those jurisdictions, engaging in same sex relationships openly may attract ethical penalties that may be as serious as dismissal (Legge, 2004). It is therefore of essence that employees of organizations know the limits to which they should push their legal rights. Another example is the issue of abortion. In some countries, it is legal to procure an abortion.

However, when one is working with certain organizations like the Catholic Church, he/she is required to be discreet about the issue if he/she is a proponent of abortion. This will not only help him/her have healthy working relationships with colleagues, but it will also help him/her keep his/her job.

Conclusion

As evidenced in the discussion above, enforcing ethics in an organization goes beyond ensuring that employees are law abiding (Heathfield, 2011, p.1). The most important aspect of ensuring an ethical workforce is communication. It is thus paramount that employees are aware of the lengths that they should go while defending their legal rights.

The human resource department and the organization as a whole should also ensure that they implement deterrent structures to ensure minimal violation of ethical principles. It is, however, important to let employees have initiative in obeying some basic ethical principles.

Reference List

Fombrun, C., Tichy, N., and Devanna, M. (1984). Strategic human resource management. New York. John Wiley and Sons.

Härtel, C., and Fujimoto, Y. (2010). Human Resource Management: Transforming Theory into Innovative Practice, 2nd Edition. Frenchs Forrest: Pearson Education Australia.

Heathfield, S. (2011). How to Do Human Resources Strategic Planning. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-do-human-resources-strategic-planning-1918404

Legge, K. (2004). Human Resource Management: Rhetorics and Realities, Anniversary Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

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