Sample of good assignment

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

MAY 2012

OUMM3203

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

NO. MATRIKULASI NO. KAD PENGNEALAN NO. TELEFON E-MEL PUSAT PEMBELAJARAN

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INTRODUCTION It is an abstract subject to consider a condition as an ethical problem. It is depend on the individual view of the moral severity of the problem. Moral standards of each individual are different becaue the ethical systems of belief, the values of priorities, the convictions that prople believe are truly important, and the moral standards basis are also different. One problem in management to be discussed here is picked from the examples listed in Professional Ethics module of OUM, which is working condition. Working conditions refers to the working environment and aspects of an employees terms and conditions of employment. This covers such matters as: the organisation of work and work activities; training, skills and employability; health, safety and well-being; and working time and work-life balance. Some countries also consider the amount of salary is one of working condition. When we talk about working condition, many of us will think about hazardous working environment like working on oil rig, mines or working with very high voltage current. The working condition may be harmful and hazardous due to the nature of substance that they are working with. Another working conditions that the management have to look into consideration is the working condition in the office. The workplace in the office may not be idealy comfortable phisically and also mentally. We will discuss both cases as the management ethical problem. Managers have absolute power to make decision on the working condition. Even some safety hazards have been outlawed by state and federal law, managers may delay the implementation or hide the negligence from the outhority. Working condition sometimes is not put in the priority of the organization or company as workers have to face it if they want to continue working and get paid. However, the management must be aware that working condition give implication in staff performance and if accident happens, it may bring trumendous consequences.

CHARACTERISTICS Let us look how this working condition is considered as an ethical problem in management. According to Hosmer (1991), there are five characteristics of ethical problems in management. The characteristics are extended consequences, multiple alternatives, mixed outcomes, uncertain consequences and personal implications. Extended consequences of manegerial actions are sometimes not very significant when multiple alternatives, mixed outcomes, uncertain consequences and personal implications complicated the decision making process. Let us see how ethical decisions of working conditions have extended consequences. We take example of decision to set working time. Maximum working time per week for normal working hour is 48 hours according to Labour Law in Malaysia. However all government agencies and most private sectors set the working hour for 40 hours per week. The management must take into consideration on the work-life balance of their employees. Working during Saturday and Sunday and also working extra hours during weekdays are causing the employees have less time with their family. Less time with family will affect the family institution that may lead to broken family and child abuse. Parents give very little time for their children and sometimes no time at all for their children because of work. This is the source of social problem among teenagers nowadays. Most ethical decisions have multiple alternatives but managers primarily see a yes or a no answer for an issue. Should the management asks the employees to work extra hour? Or Should the management give proper training to the employees so the employees more efficient in their work and complete thier task in no time. Or should the management give additional workforce to certain task so that the work can be done faster. Or should the management upgrade their machinery so that the process of work getting faster. All these can reuce working time and balance the work time and life ime of their employees. However, the above questions may cause the organization spend extra money and this will reflect the managerial dilemma. Ethical issues in management are mostly antithetical because ethical considerations are directly opposed financial returns and social costs. Managers have to take into consideration of all possible outcomes from the ethical decision made. In improving working conditions,
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there are also mixed possible outcomes, either the outcomes will give advantages or disadvantages to the company. Lets take an example of a cable laying contractor, the management may take shortcut by implementing slightly unsafe procedure to lay the cable, but will fasten the work and further reduce the working time of the workers. The decision also can make the company gain more profit because it will reduce the labour cost. When the management implementing the unsafe procedures like cut down the charge man supervision; workers will like it because less annoying safety instructions from the chargeman, not providing PPE (Personal Protection Equipment); workers are not comfortable wearing it and direct pulling the cable without proper pulley; will lessen the work, it will have uncertain consequences. The decision may good for the workers, fasten the job and reduce the cost but it also may bring disaster to the company. If CIDB (Construction Industries Development Board) or EC (Energy Commissions) caught them in the act, the companys license may be withdrawn or accident may be happened. It is common that ethical issues in management do not have personal implication. For the case above, the company may only want to know the financial result of the project, the costtime ratio and not the ethical quality of the decisions that led to those results. In the worst case scenario, the company may bribe the authority to not to take action against them. The work will complete fast, the company gets paid fast and for sure the workers also will get paid fast or even get bonus because of the fast delivery. The decision made is wrong to the law but in terms of managerial view, the antithetical decision may be disregard.

ANALYSIS Ethical issues in management are not merely dichotomous, a yes or a no choice. Ethical decisions in management also are not simple choices between right and wrong. They are much more difficult to make when the person who make the decision is personally involved in the situation. The judgments are complex to balance between the economic and social performances of the organization. The management can reach the balance in making their decisions by using relevant methods of analysis which is economic analysis, legal analysis and ethical analysis. There are many aspects to consider in improving working conditions. Here we will discuss the business decisions on outsourcing, hiring temporary workers and focusing on project4

based personnel. A research by the North Carolina State University shows that this business practices give detrimental effect on workers and likely poses long-term problems for employers. A workers satisfaction with his or her job is important because it affects employee loyalty, efficiency in the workplace and quality of life. Lets look this ethical problem from the view point of economic analysis. For the company or the organization, they will have predictable overhead or not at all if they employ project basis staff or contract staff. If they have business, they pay the workers and paid the workers for the completed job. If there is no business, the company no needs to fork out money to retain their staff, so nothing to lose if the company does not get any business. This business practice however have negative setback because the practice has led employees to withdraw loyalty from their employers. This could have long-term effects on all employers, particularly once the economy turns around, since companies may face higher employee turnover or be forced to offer additional incentives to retain employees. Furthermore, the employees are no longer as committed to their employers goals. Now we analyze on the employee side from the view point of microeconomic approach, which is relying on impersonal market forces to make the decision between economic and social performances. Hiring short term staff may bring unpleasant feeling of the permanent workers towards the contract staff because for the same amount of workloads, the contract staffs get higher paid and sometimes way beyond the salary of the permanent staff. It is also unpleasant for the contract workers as they know they will end up their job when the contract finish and had to search for another job. Short term basis workers surely have difficulty to attain bank loans and this lead to difficulty in settling down life. Yet, there is a labour market, and these workers may be employed again and perhaps for the permanent basis, provided they are willing to adjust their salary demands to market conditions. Next we look at the ethical problem through the framework of legal approach. This approach is relying on impersonal social forces to decide between right and wrong. The research done by the North Carolina State University found that, over a period, employers have increasingly implemented measures that they feel will improve worker productivity and profits. These measures include layoffs, outsourcing jobs, replacing salaried employees with contract staff, and putting employees onto short-term teams designed to tackle individual projects.

Many of these unintended consequences have an immediate impact on employees. For example, professional workers increasingly confront a brutal work pace and as a result experience a great deal of stress on the job. Because projects and co-workers change fairly often, professional employees feel a greater sense of chaos at work. Other consequences include an increase in fear among employees that their job will disappear and a distrust of management. Over the time, government not only in Malaysia, but also among European countries tries to reduce their responsibilities between the employer and their employees. The labour law becomes leaner and the working terms and conditions are legal as long as both parties agree of it. The terms may only suit the specific employee but the others may feel discomfort. Lastly, lets look at the ethical problem using the structure of normative philosophy or ethical analysis. The basic principle of this analysis is to decide between right and wrong. Decision of hiring short term workers or any other managerial decisions is by computing the greatest good for the greatest number. The research done by the university also found a number of significant short-term and long-term ramifications for employers. For example, they found that professionals are less likely to help co-workers than in the past, because they are primarily interested in protecting their own jobs. Co-worker conflict hurts the efficiency and quality of the work product, since employees are less likely to work together effectively, while also contributing to a high level of stress among employees.

RECOMMENDATIONS Some companies have had a lot of success by handling their employees differently. Actually, treating the employees well can be a way to boost profits and productivity simultaneously without generating the unintended consequences of tactics based on fear. We have all worked at places that we were less than excited to get up in the mornings and go to; this is an awful feeling. It is much more pleasurable, and less stressful to go to a work environment if it is filled with positivity and enjoyment. A positive work environment is not only important for our physical, mental and emotional health, but is also important for the results that we produce for the company. The better we feel at work, the more likely we will take pride in our job activities and be loyal towards our place of employment.

It is the most perfect attitude for the management if they put themselves in the place of the employee when they want to make any decision about working conditions. However, the ethical decisions must also achieve win-win situation. For my point of view, the most important thing to consider is towards the ways to create a positive working environment. 1. Accept the right position and the right candidate The first step to create a positive work environment is to secure a position that positively suits oneself. Here the jobseekers also need to decide wisely on the job they want to pursue. The situation nowadays people always say that this time is hard to get job, so dont too picky. If the job is not suitable, it will bring the consequences not only to the employee but also to the company. The unsuitability of the job will bring down the motivation of the staff, hence affect the performance and further reflect to the company image. Before accepting a position, the candidate should know what their key skills are; what type of work they want to do, what kind of role they would like, where they see themselves in five years, and what kind of environment they thrive in. Knowing the answers to these questions will help them to recognize those opportunities that meet those criteria, giving them a running start. These criteria also reflect to what the employers should find in the candidates. 2. Be positive Managers must possess an attitude of positivity and approachability. Managers must show to their workers that they are available and wiling to help them. In any decisions, the management should not just look into result oriented, but also the process to get the result and how to maintain the performance. Hiring project based staff seems to be result oriented but the outcomes may vary depend on the quality and motivation of the staff because the staff do not have long term obligation to the company. Assumptions is bad for management, always ask questions with kindness, encouragement, civility, and respect. Ask questions before making assumptions. 3. Take responsibility Managers should be responsible to all decisions that they have made. Take responsibility for the direction of their career and also their workers career and for the company. Ultimately managers are responsible for creating an environment in which the employee can learn and grow.

4. Communicate with the staff Managers should meet with their workers regularly to ensure they are on track for meeting companys expectations, and management performance goals. Dont always wait for the employee to reach out to the management. This will help the managers to make decisions regarding the staff. Give information about the company activities, achievement and planning so that the employee feel they are performing, credible, trustworthy, interested in the business, and committed to their job. 5. Be social To create more friendly and comfortable working condition, managers sometimes need to interact with their workers in a non-working way. Create a company team or group. Bring a few games in that everyone can play over lunch break. Celebrate birthdays, and other special events. Cultivate working friendships. Organize a competitive sporting event. Organize a departmental pot luck lunch. There are so many things that managers can do to connect with others while at work.

Here are some signs of a positive work environment looks like: The employees are doing a job that they enjoy Employees ideas are valued Employees creativity is encouraged Employees feel is appreciated The job matches workers skill set All employees (senior, junior, contract, permanent) are friends that can talk to Managers are approachable There is room for the employees to grow Recognized the staff who do good work Employee feel like a part of a team
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Everyone look forward to coming to work All staff (managers, professionals, manual workers) are respected Work is fun

CONCLUSIONS Ethical decision is an abstract subject. It is depend on the individuals ethical systems of belief, the values of priorities, the convictions that prople believe are truly important, and the moral standards basis. Working conditions is one of the ethical problem faces by the managers. It refers to the working environment and aspects of an employees terms and conditions of employment. This covers such matters as: the organisation of work and work activities; training, skills and employability; health, safety and well-being; and working time and work-life balance. The problem have been discussed above and have all five characteristics of ethical problems in management. Working conditions is not merely dichotomous issue. It is a complex judgment to balance between the economic and social performances of the organization. The balance is reached by using methods of analysis which is economic analysis, legal analysis and ethical analysis. It is recommended that any decisions made for the working conditions; the key point is the results should create a positive working environment. (2709 words)

REFERENCES

Matt Shipman (2010). STUDY: WORKING CONDITIONS POSE PROBLEMS FOR WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS.North Carolina University. Retrieved on 28 Jun 2012 from www.uenews.com/science/articles/2010/07/14/study-working-conditions-poseproblems-for-workers-and-employers

European Industrial Relations Dictionary.Working Conditions. Retrieved on 27 Jun 2012 fromwww.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/industrialrelations/dictionary/definitions/WOR KINGCONDITIONS.htm

Lisa H (2010). 5 Ways to Create a Positive Work Environment. Retrieved on 2 Julai 2012 fromwww.lifeoptimizer.org/2010/07/30/positive-work-environment/

Ho Jo Ann, Tee KengKok (2011). OUMM3203 Professional Ethics. Open University Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur.

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