Readers' Corner - Ethics in the Workplace

Julie Gilbert and Alison Pier
Service Canada / HRSDC Library
Source: Workplace Bulletin, December 28, 2007

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Ethics in the Workplace

Johnson, Craig E.
Ethics in the Workplace: Tools and Tactics for Organizational Transformation
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications, 2007
HF 5387 J63

This interdisciplinary text draws on findings from ethics research and incorporates perspectives from the fields of management, moral psychology, business ethics, organizational behaviour, and international relations, among others. Contemporary case studies and self-assessment exercises offer the reader opportunities for critical analysis and reflection. After an introductory section on the fundamentals of ethics, the author divides the book into sections which deal with transforming individual, interpersonal, group and leadership ethics, all within the context of organizations.

Johnson, Craig E.
Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting light or Shadow, 2nd ed.
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications, 2005
HM 1261 J63 2005

This volume examines issues of ethics as they pertain specifically to the leadership role and encourages the reader to develop a unique leadership style with a solid moral underpinning. Multiple viewpoints and a number of contemporary case studies are presented with examples from government, military, education and business. The metaphor of casting light or shadow is used throughout to illustrate the ethical ramifications of a leader’s influence on others, and underlines the argument that ethics are in fact at the heart of leadership.

Lattal, Alice Darnell, and Ralph W. Clark
A Good Day’s Work: Sustaining Ethical Behaviour and Business Success
New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill, 2007
HF 5387 L37

The authors claim that most unethical behaviour arises out of a series of missteps by well-meaning people, and that while most of us understand ethical behaviour in the abstract, few of us know how to actively implement ethical habits. Managing the transition from the theoretical to the practical is the focus of this book. The authors also offer tools for weighing the consequences of decisions, strategies for promoting organization-wide participation and commitment to an ethically sound mandate, and solutions for resolving ethical breaches.

Lewis, Carol W., and Stuart Gilman
The Ethics Challenge in Public Service; A problem-Solving Guide
2nd Ed.
San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 2005
JK 468 E7 L48 2005

Managers in the public service encounter a particular range of ethical dilemmas, and this book is tailored to those specific issues. The authors offer examples of how to proceed when personal judgment diverges from legal compliance or agency policy, and explores managers’ obligations to the various stakeholders. Decision-making tools are included, as are practical suggestions for fostering an ethical work environment while continuing to compete professionally.

Mendonca, Manuel, and Rabindra N. Kanungo
Ethical Leadership
Maidenhead, England; New York: McGraw Hill/Open University Press, 2007
HF 5387 M46

The authors provide a critical review of the theories of ethics as well as an overview of leadership theory and research, and then build upon the idea that a truly effective and successful leader is one whose techniques and management style are imbued with moral character and sound ethical principles. Accountability and corporate social responsibility are increasingly in the spotlight, and it is the leader’s imperative to create a foundation upon which an ethical and altruistic organization can flourish without having to compromise the bottom line.

Rowson, Richard
Working Ethics: How to be Fair in a Culturally Complex World
London; Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006
BJ 1725 R68

The author proposes an ethical framework for professionals based on the articulation of four essential tenets: fairness, respect for autonomy, integrity, and results that will be the most beneficial and the least harmful to all parties. With a regard for these principles, the professional should be able to earn the trust of his or her co-workers and clients, promote democratic ideals, and balance the demands that are present in culturally complex work environments.