FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

OUMM 3203
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

ASSIGNMENT TITLE
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Name
Faizul Hisham Bin Abdul Wahab
Matric number
810407095035001
NRIC
810407-09-5035
Telephone number
0125389996
E-mail address
papaazulu@gmail.com
Tutors name:
Mrs Rohayati Binti Hussin
Learning Centre:
Kedah Learning Centre
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Content

Appreciation....3

Background of the ethical problem..4

Classification of the problem as an ethical problem in management6

Analysis of the identified ethical problem in management &

Recommendation to solve the identified ethical problem..8

Summary..9

References....11

APPRECIATION

Alhamdulillah,setinggi tinggi kesyukuran dipanjatkan ke hadrat ilahi di atas limpah

rahmat, taufik dan kekuatan yang diberikanNya dapatlah kerja kursus ini disiapkan dengan
sempurna dan jayanya.
Rakaman ucapan jutaan terima kasih dan segunung penghargaan kepada Mrs Rohayati
Binti Hussin Pensyarah OUMM 3203 Profesional Ethics Open Universiti Malaysia (OUM)
selaku pensyarah pembimbing yang telah banyak membantu dan memberikan nasihat, bimbingan
dan dorongan dalam menyiapkan tugasan ini.
Tidak lupa juga kepada keluarga dan teman- teman seperjuangan yang banyak
memberikan dorongan,sokongan dan nasihat untuk menyiapkan tugasan ini. Seterusnya kepada
semua pihak yang terlibat secara langsung atau tidak langsung dalam menyiapkan tugasan ini.
Akhir sekali ucapan jutaan terima kasih diucapkan kepada semua pihak di atas bantuan
dan dorongan yang telah diberikan .Semoga Allah akan membalasnya InsyaAllah.

Background of the ethical problem

Professional ethics is the guiding principles that have been professionally accepted as a
standard within a profession as stated by the Business Dictionary. Ethics enable humanity to act
with the acknowledgement of the right and wrong. According to Koehler (2003) ethics are
applied moral values that formed from social practice and religious beliefs. The failure to
appertain ethics in a working society would costs organisations and companies to lose economic
benefits and performance. In the professional realm, ethics are important especially in
management as these two are linked closely to one another; ethical problems as managerial
problems. The universal truth of ethical problem in management is it can be critically analyse
down to the root and solved. What is the real ethical problem in management? Can it be analyse
and if so, what should or could be done to solve the problem? Working condition is a real ethical
problem nowadays and with proper analytical method used, it can be worked out.
In a working society, companies and organizations are to provide their workers with the
best working condition or environment. Some of these workers addressed their work place as
their second home asking that it is where they spend their hours. The working class society spent
most of their lives at work which is why this particular aspect is considered important. Working
condition or environment is not only limited to the physical attribute of a space but it is also
inclusive of the relationships on which the workers are to have between one another as
colleagues and matters that relate to their health and safety. A good working environment allows
and enables workers to reach their full potential whereby the companies to which they are
employed to may benefit economically. Organizations and companies that wish to satisfy their
employee for quality service in return will take the working atmosphere crucially.
This is because, most well led management believe that the key to an organizations
success is its employee. Surely a good employee is a keeper and without a proper working
condition, highly efficient worker may choose to leave for a better well suited and well paid job.
People are willing to change their career due to bad working condition (Reineholm et al, 2012).
Poor working condition leads to the slowing down of productivity and possible consideration of
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resigning from employees for a new job while remarks may be made by former employees of the
involved organization (Peters, 2013). Therefore a positive, conducive and motivation filled work
condition is indeed important behind the four-walled cubicle. Overlooking the matter is
considered as an ethical problem that needs to be resolve before it gets worst.
How does a working environment or condition that does not meet its standards is
identified as an ethical problem? The answer is through the following analytical methods namely
economic analysis, legal analysis and ethical analysis. In management, once a problem is
identified, decisions cannot be made simply by using logics such as to what is believed to be
right or wrong. As mentioned by Ho and Tee (2013) in the Professional Ethics textbook, between
the economic and social performances of an organization lie complex judgements that can be
reach in resolving ethical problems in management. There are consequences, implications and
outcomes that vary from decisions made by the management in countering the problems faced.
This further rectifies why the analysis methods are used by managements.
These analysis provide managements with the essential tools they need to recognize
ethical problems such as the aforementioned in recent paragraph and help correct it. Each ethical
problem can be measured upon or viewed from the three different analytical form; economically,
legally and ethically. Methods applied can be either one or multiple for best approach to be
taken. Issues regarding working conditions may be analysed through legal analysis. Two of the
factors that contribute to bad working condition that can be made as examples are the negativity
that emits as a result of power abuse and also the poor physical condition of the working place
that may costs workers their safety and health. These two factors of bad working environment
can be identified and countered legally through the analysis because there are rules and
guidelines associated with such issues.

Classification of the problem as an ethical problem in management

Legal analysis are said to rely the decision of right between wrong made through social
forces that are impersonal according to Ho and Tee (2013). Through this analysis, some might
say it is as if asking if the deed is legal then is it considered ethical. Legal analysis uses
frameworks that involve the law as it is important in a democratic society that are united and
bounded by the law. In the professional world, legal analysis is used to approach a conflict in
hopes of a solution that can be fair and just to others without the tarnishing of ethics. In fact
some companies in trouble and conflict uses legal analysis to confront and overcome their ethical
problem in management. For example, when Johnson & Johnson was associated with the death
of seven people by cyanide poisoning from tainted capsules and they had resorted to legal
analysis whereby the had withdrawn the product from the production line and ensure public
safety with a new packaging. Although legally it was not necessary for the company to take such
drastic action, they ethically handled the downfall. Not only have the company cleared their
name and reputation, people all over have given them respect for being ethical and responsible in
times of crisis. In management based spectrum, there is an abundance of law implemented with
the intended purpose of protecting employees or organizations against unethical issues present in
the working environment as believed by the democratic society. This is what forms the basis of a
legal analysis and reasoning on ethical problems. Clearly the relationship that exists between the
law and ethics plays a vital role in crisis management. This analysis tells the management that
they are responsible to reason and analyse a situation by the laws and also by what they, the
employees and society perceived as ethical.
A bad working environment may be one where workers feel stressed and have little to
none room for growth professionally. This usually roots from the negativity that surrounds the
hierarchy in an organisation. The most common ethical issue related to the contribution of a bad
working environment is the misuse of power and bad leadership. Some employers or those in a
higher rank of position can sometimes display an act of power abuse and poor leadership by
ragging at their employee either verbally or violently. As surprising as it may sound, these days
cases alike are seen throughout social media and tabloid especially those involving immigrants.
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Instead of providing the workers with a well-established welfare some of these bosses and
managements tend to threaten their employee with their superiority. From a legal framework
perspective, such ethical issue can be distinguished by legal values of what is right and what is
wrong. Power abuse gives out negativity in a work place as it irritates employees and gives the
organisation a bad remark. In most places, society considers power abuse as unlawful and unjust
asking that the workers are offering the involve organisations with their services and loyalty.
Depending on the severity of abuse, a number of democratic society members believe that there
should be a law implemented on such ethical issue to prevent further damage done to both
worker and organization. For example, when a supervisor acts unjustly to an immigrant labour
and resort to the use of physical violence simply because the labour could not comprehend the
supervisors orders, law can be used to best deal with the situation. It is clearly obvious to any
managers consciousness that the mentioned situation is wrong. This is what is meant by
determining what is right and wrong from a socially propelled context; legally the act is wrong
and by any value it should not have happened. Surely afterward once the actions have been taken
to address the issue, employee and employers would learn and abide by the rule making every
day working condition just and fair to organization and its members.
Next factor that contribute to poor working condition is the ignorance towards a working
place physical attributes such as ventilation, noise level and safety related attributes. This factor
that falls under the ethical problem of working condition can be identified again through the use
of legal analysis. Solutions are also made by the same legal spectrum. In various studies
published online conducted by a multitude of researchers on civil servants, it has been found that
most of them are indeed working in a condition whereby their health and safety are at time
compromised. Although they are by right given health benefits, some offices are poorly
ventilated and do not promote a healthy working environment. Adding to the severity of the
problem, some work place allows vaping and smoking which in return may costs other
employees their health. This has violated the belief that managements are responsible for their
employees well-being during the hours spent for service. In another example, construction site
presents not only the ignorance of managements but also the employees ignorance of their own
safety. It is common to see among many, few would disregard the use of proper safety items like
protective boots and helmet simply because of their personal take on work ethics. Not only will
this behaviour makes them prone to accidents and injuries but also heightens the risk to others in
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the involved surrounding. The worst is when labourers took their nap time underneath the wheels
of heavy machineries which have made headlines that literally kills. In management it is not hard
to legally view this problem asking that there are laws and rules that govern a work place which
include health and safety matters. However, society, although agreeing that ignorance of health
and safety matter in a working place is wrong, most of them do not feel the necessity for law to
act upon it simply because any outcome that result from the matter is merely considered as
accidents.

Analysis of the identified ethical problem in management &

Recommendation to solve the identified ethical problem

The solution to the issues deciphered by legal analysis can be found within the reasoning
itself. The analysis enables management to better understand what they need to do or what
actions need to be taken to tackle the poor working condition mentioned in previous paragraph.
Should the law be let enacted on certain situation discussed? In management, legal analysis and
reasoning is approached by what is felt and seen as ethical by parties involved. The solution to a
poor working condition is found to be as the steps taken by ensuring managers, employees and
even society members to abide by the law or the ethics the believed to be lawful. If each and
every one of the personnel involved reacts to the solution that is to legally follow the rules that
govern a work place instead of practicing ignorance, in no time can the poor working condition
be improved. For example, although legally there is no requirement for the management to
provide a working space that has a well ventilated and air conditioned space it is ethically correct
for them to realize that these are what made their employees comfortable during working hours.
Although there are no legal remarks that prohibit smoking or vaping in some offices,
management can enact its own policy to ensure the health of others in the area. If by any chance
that the companies or management wishes to appeal to the smoking and vape generation, then
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they can allocate an area for these group of workers that in return still is within the professional
rules and regulations. Another example would be that despite some organizations prohibit
mothers from bringing their infant to work in the name of professionalism; the policy isnt bound
by any legal nor ethics violence. Banks all over the country are known to provide nursery and
breastfeeding area for mothers that aspire to work and nurse their new born at the same time. Not
only it is legal to allow employees to do so but it is ethically commendable for management to
have been considerate of working mothers. Indirectly, these organizations have satisfied their
employees in a way that will benefit both of the party. Another solution to health and safety
related working condition uses legal analysis and also law to act upon. This is because the safety
of employees is not an issue to pass but it is what should be critically considered by
management. This is where ethical problem can lead to the loss of life and property damage
whereby successfully enacted law that are closely followed by the employee may reduce such
risks stated.

Summary

In conclusion, ethical problem exist in management and is inevitable to the management.

Despite being so there are clear guidance and methods that can be used to reason and analysed
the situation with. The ability to identify a problem and critical assessment of the dealt situation
can help management to come up with the possible solution best used to solve it. In the world of
management, ethical problems can lead to mistakes and to many mistakes means money at stake.
A well-managed organization knows how important it is to minimize mistakes in their daily
operations. Management is the backbone of any successful, efficient and high quality services
while happy employees guarantee the companys performance economically. Although all of us
are equipped with social practice and religious beliefs, upholding ethical values in a work place
might be a challenge for some. However, when we chose to adhere to what is called as
professional ethics not only can we benefit but also the people and organizations we are serving
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currently. In any situation faced, upon a crisis there are three methods used for proper reasoning
and analysis namely economic analysis, legal analysis and ethical analysis. It is also important to
remember that a balance have to be reached between social and economic performance in
management. Ethical problem in management cannot be resolved simply by concluding what is
right and what it wrong according to an individual perception, it has to be inclusive of others. As
discussed, one real ethical problem present in a workplace is poor working condition and the best
method to decode the issue would be through legal analysis. A good manager will understand the
importance of making sure that the relationship between what is legal and what is ethical is
conveyed to the rest of the management, employees and possibly society. A fair and just
reasoning may help improve the situation faced during critical times because as learnt decisions
made by management carries consequences, impacts and outcomes that can either be positive or
negative. Therefore it is only ethically right for them to be reasonable and wise in problem
solving in order to come out with the best possible consequence, impact and outcome on the
organization or company, employee and also society. All in all, a poor working condition is
indeed identified as an ethical problem in management but with legal analysis it can be reasoned
and solved positively.

2549 Words

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References

Ho Jo Ann, & Tee Keng Kok. (2013). Ethical Problems as Managerial Problem. In OUMM3203
Professional Ethics (3rd ed.). Seri Kembangan, Selangor Darul Ehsan: Meteor Doc. Sdn.
Bhd.
Koehler, W. (2003). Professional Values and Ethics as Defined by "The LIS Discipline" Journal
of Education for Library and Information Science, 44, p. 99.
Peters, J. (2013, October 8). The Importance of a Positive Working Environment. Retrieved
October 9, 2015, from http://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/leadership/143/TheImportance-of-a-Positive-Working-Environment
Reineholm, C., Gustavsson, M., Liljegren, M., & Ekberg, K. (2012, August 21). The importance
of work conditions and health for voluntary job mobility: A two-year follow-up.
Retrieved October 10, 2015, from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/682

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