Introduction
Business ethics play an integral role in the workplace. According to Kotkin, Hall and Beaulier, business ethics refer to the moral standards that guide the behavior of people in the workplace (14). Behaving ethically entails distinguishing between the right and wrong. There are many factors that influence the individual’s decision and the consequent ethical behavior when confronted with an ethical dilemma in the workplace. The ethical dilemmas involve situations that may result in differences between an employee’s background and the organizational culture. There are various studies that have been conducted to examine situations that contribute to the ethical dilemmas in the workplace. For example, a study conducted by Holian to examine what contributes to managers response to various situations found that ethical dilemmas among the managers are due to their roles, the working relations, the personal attributes, professional affiliations and the preferences (867).
Within an organizational culture, there are ethical situations that may not have clear differentiation between right and wrong. The factors may be attributed to the work climate, the reward system, culture and sanctions that exist within the workplace. Holian noted that the most important factors that affect the ethical business culture include the leadership and organizational culture (863). Many studies that relate to business ethics and the ethical dilemmas have effectively identified the kinds of ethical issues that are encountered in the workplace. However, the studies have not explored the reasons and the thought processes behind the response to workplace ethical dilemmas. Therefore, the main purpose of this project is to explore the types of dilemmas and the factors that affect the workers response to the dilemmas in a workplace.
Theoretical Statement and Topic Statement
The organization of workers is essential to the success of a business. In the contemporary society, businesses focus on achieving competitive advantage in order to reach their goals of making profits and satisfying the needs of the customers. However, the modern customers are concerned about the moral principles employed by a business before they purchase their products. The progress of any business is thus influenced by the moral imperative to improve the society. As a result, ethical practices in the workplace contribute to the success of a business (Reynolds 234). These denote the importance of the workers to respond appropriately to the workplace dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas are influenced by individual roles and situational factors that contribute. For example, a study conducted by Lincoln and Holmes established that individual maturity and experience play a role in establishing an individual’s response to actions (59). The response to actions is also influenced by the organizational culture and the interactions between the workers (Lincoln and Holmes 60).
There are many ethical theories that have been developed to guide the conduct of people in the workplace. For example, the critical interpretive theory stipulates that the world is socially constructed (Lincoln and Holmes 59). The theory is based on the study of the people to provide the explanation of their context while responding to ethical dilemmas. The perspective is very critical when a study is designed to identify the behavior and attitudes in the workplace. The approach is based on a qualitative approach that relies on in-depth interviews. However, there have been uncertainties about what is justified when workers make ethical judgments. According to Kotkins, Hall and Beaulier, the understanding of the business ethics of a company is influenced by the perception of an individual at the time (16). Therefore, there is the tendency for people not to agree as to whether the decisions made in different situations are ethical or not.
In order to have a clear understanding of the ethical behavior adopted by in the workplace, the Dunlop model can be applied (Sims and Brinkmann 244). The model is based on the interactions between three groups that include the employees, the employer, and the government. The model stipulates that in a workplace, each party acts in a particular manner to satisfy its interest. As a result, business ethics evolves due to the self-interest of the parties (Sims and Brinkmann 244). Therefore, based on the framework of the interaction, the type of dilemma and the decision to response to dilemma can be identified.
As noted in the introduction section, the main goal of this study is to explore the types of dilemmas faced in a workplace and to identify the factors that contribute to the response action when an individual encounters ethical dilemmas. This goal will be achieved by interviewing workers in different business settings. The workers to be interviewed will include the middle-level managers and employees from other lower cadres. The use of the middle-level managers for the study is very critical. According to Holian, because middle-level managers support leadership processes in an organization by establishing a link between the top level management and the subordinates (864). The role of middle-level managers is critical in establishing the organizational culture. On the other hand, the subordinate staffs drive the process of an organization because they are in constant interaction with the customers and competitors. As a result, sometimes they encounter challenging situations where they have to make decisions that may affect the business directly.
The intention of this project is to gather data from different people who work in different place. The context of the study will be to analyze the factors that determine the reaction and the subsequent response. Thus, the various ethical dilemmas will be examined and the experiences that relate to the situations that bring about the ethical dilemmas. The findings will be used to create the overall picture of the ethical dilemmas based on the personal experiences that will be captured in the process of data collection. The study is paramount because it will improve the understanding of the factors that motivate response action by employees while faced with a situation to make a judgment. The increased knowledge will be critical for businesses especially when formulating ways to deal with complex situations.
Research Questions
In order to establish the action and response tendencies of people when faced with ethical dilemmas, there is the need of research questions that will guide the inquiry process. The questions are based on the qualitative nature of the study. Therefore, the following research questions will be used to guide the study:
- What constitutes business ethics?
- How do workers make ethical judgments when faced with ethical dilemmas?
- Does the attitude of an individual’s perception influence the ethical behavior?
Business ethics is the behavior that is fair and just. The behavior is defined in the confines of laws and regulations. In addition, David and Yeh defined business ethics as the behavior that is within the accepted norms (59). Ethics involve the matters of personal perception and thus are grounded on the moral standards.
In a workplace ethical issues arise in the areas of hiring, retention, discriminations, product liability and the truth in the competition strategies. In many studies that have explored the process of decision making, the focus has been on the work environment, the issue at hand and the traits of the person making the decision. This signifies the importance of the context and the personal decision. A study conducted by Holian identified four categories that affect the decision-making process (863). The categories include legalistic, navigational and entrepreneurial. As a result, the options generated in the decision making process are due to the personal assessments and the organizational laws.
Based on the different models and perspectives, there is sufficient evidence that there are many ethical dilemmas that are influenced by the conflicting views between the business entity and the individuals. Despite the rich information generated by the various researches, there is no clear understanding of the process of the decision making when workers encounter an ethical dilemma. Thus, there is the need for further inquiry.
Methodology
The methodology involves the approaches that are applied in the collection of data. According to Kothari, study methodology is systematic planning of actions that are applied to the collection of information (94). It also includes the subsequent analysis of data in a logical manner that helps in the realization of the research purpose. Study methodology entails the use of different research designs to inform the process of the data collection. Examples of the study designs include descriptive, cross-sectional, experimental, and explorative researches.
Kothari defined research methodology as the process applied to solve a research problem systematically (94). According to Sans, research methodology entails studying the various steps that are adopted by a researcher in the investigation of a problem (108). Study methodology also includes the logic behind the steps that are employed by the researcher. Research methodology thus involves the research methods. The research methods are the techniques put in place by researchers in the process of executing a study. According to Kothari, research entails moving from the unknown to the known in order to arrive at a solution to a specific issue being investigated (101). The process requires drawing of data to be used for the correlations. Based on the understanding, research methods can be categorized into different groups. The first group includes the methods and techniques that are used to collect data. The second research method entails the techniques for statistics that are used to establish the correlations between the unknowns and the collected data. Finally, the third method of data collection entails the process that is used to determine the accuracy of the information collected.
According to Sans, the data collected should be reliable and valid (109). The concept brings to the issue of ethical consideration in the collection of the data by application of credible processes. Therefore, in order to execute the study and ensure that the objectives of the study are explored, and correlations determined, various research methods will be applied in the collection of the data and analysis. The current study will employ qualitative approach. The qualitative data will be used to understand the various perspectives of the managers and the other workers. The data collected will form the basis of knowledge.
The purpose of a scientific study is to discover answers to the research questions. According to Kothari, it entails the use of scientific procedures to find out the truth, which has not been discovered (104). Similarly, Khan noted that the objective of a research is to gain familiarity with the issue being studied or to gain insights into a particular phenomenon (225). In the current study, the issue under the investigation is the ethical dilemma in the workplace. Therefore, the aim of applying the research methodology is to provide a platform for the discovery of the phenomena being studied.
The research methodology entails different types of research designs that depend on the purpose of the study. The common types of the research designs include the descriptive, analytical, applied, fundamental, quantitative, qualitative, conceptual, and empirical. The basic approach applied in this research is the qualitative approach. The approach entails the type of studies that apply the assessment of perceptions, attitudes, opinions and behaviors (Sans 110). The common methods that are used for data collection in the qualitative approach involve the projective techniques, focus group discussions and the interviews. The use of the approaches depends on the type of the study being conducted and the nature data required. Therefore, in some cases, different approaches may be combined. However, the study on ethical dilemmas in the workplace will rely on the interviews in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the different types of dilemmas and the factors and decision-making process.
Research Designs
The qualitative study design was used to answer the research questions that relate to the kind of dilemmas workers experience in a workplace. The qualitative study helped in understanding factors that motivate action in the response to the dilemmas. The in-depth analysis of the issues raised in the questions added value to the comprehension of the dilemmas and hence helped to build knowledge. Thus, Grounded Theory approach was used to develop the inquiry. This implies that various themes will be identified from the interviews. According to Khan, critical incident interviews are important for qualitative studies (226). This is because they serve as the framework for the interview process.
In the current study, the interviewees included in the study were middle-level managers and the employees. The participants were sampled from different companies in different sectors of the economy and must have been working in the organization for more than two years. They included employees in the banking, manufacturing and agricultural sectors. This ensured that the data collected was not limited to a particular profession. In addition, the wide range of sectors used to gather data provided grounds for drawing generalizations on ethical dilemmas. The interview process was designed in a mode to ensure that the various experiences encountered by the study participants could be explored in detail in order to determine the context of the ethical dilemmas.
The study participants were required to recall three situations they were faced with ethical issues and were supposed to make judgment. The main reason for asking the participants to recount past experiences is because the grounded theory focuses on the interaction between experience and the current situation. Therefore, the interview parameters were set based on the types of the scenarios the participants reported. In addition to the three experiences, the study participants were asked to provide and explain two events in which they faced the dilemma and took an overt decision to address the dilemma. Similarly, the participants were required to give a description of one event they encountered ethical dilemma and took no action. It is worth noting similar questions were given to all categories of the participants irrespective of being managers or ordinary employees. The questions used were open ended. This gave the participants the ability to provide in-depth description their experiences and the perceptions regarding the dilemmas and the context for the dilemma.
Sampling
Sampling is the process of selecting a subset of the target population (Sans 109). One of the key factors that underpin research methodology is the ability to have a representative sample from which acceptable inferences can be drawn. In order to arrive at a representative sample, the population being studied should be clearly defined, the sampling frame should be clearly specified, the method to be applied in the sampling should be identified, and the sample size should be determined. In the current study, the ethical dilemmas in the workplace will incorporate the use of primary data only. The sources of the data will be sampled using different sampling procedures.
The sampling of the companies in which the study participants will be drawn from will be through purposive sampling. According to Sans, purposive sampling is discriminatory as it gives the researcher the discretion to identify the subjects to be included in the study (110). As a result, there is the possibility of personal bias in the identification of the study participants. However, the method is paramount when specific information required can only be achieved by specific people or places. Thus, in the current study, companies from the different sectors were purposely selected. This ensured that experiences of workers across different sectors were captured.
In addition to purposive sampling, simple random sampling was applied to the identification of the people incorporated in the study. This method allowed the research to be very inclusive, bearing in mind that the study aimed at covering many people from the purposively selected companies. The random sampling gave all the study participants in the sample frame an equal chance of being represented in the sample. According to Kothari, simple random sampling is very effective in getting a representative sample from a large sample group (107). The simple random sampling technique is free from human bias and avoids the classification errors, by giving each unit an equal chance of being selected (Kothari 107). If correctly administered, the technique leads to highly representative sample population (Kothari 108). The combination of the simple random and purposeful sampling ensured that the right study participants were identified.
Sample Frame
Sample frame entails the complete list of the attributes or the members of the population that are to be studied. A sampling frame represents the working population that is utilized in the study (Kothari 110). In the current study, the sampling frame entailed all the people working in the banking, manufacturing, and the agricultural sectors. According to Sans, if a sample frame is taken correctly it leads to a sample that can be used for drawing inferences about the population as a whole (111).
A sample is usually drawn from the target population. The sample frame excluded some of the target populations that did not qualify the research criteria. For example, the newly employed workers who had worked for the duration of two years or less year were not included in the interview. This was also applied to the middle-level managers who had not been in the companies for the duration.
Sample size
The determination of the sample size depends on the number of replication that can be applied in drawing inferences about the population/units. The type of data required for the research normally determines the sample size. Sample sizes are important in determining the precision of the study. In research, a sample size can be small or large. This is depended on the researchers, resources available and the purpose of the research. The sample size, in this case, included six companies that were purposively identified. In each sector of the economy, two companies were selected. Out of the six companies, 30 participants were selected using the simple random sampling. Ten were the middle-level managers while the rest were the ordinary employees.
Data Collection Methods
There are varied data collection methods. The choice of the method to be applied in the data collection is determined by the strategy, type of variable being measured and the point of collection. Primary data collection methods were applied in the current study. The primary approach to the data collection included the use of interviews.
Interviews
Interviews are good research instruments that can be applied to the collection of information in order to gain insights into attitudes and perceptions (Khan 227). They also serve to explore personal differences, experiences, and outcomes. The interviews used were guided interviews, as they probed to get specific information from the respondents. The interview involved open-ended questions that were in line with the research objectives.
Primary Data Collection
Before the start of the data collection, the willingness of the participants to be involved in the study was sought. Consent forms were sent to the sampled participants through email. They were required to fill the form and sent it back through the email. The participants were also informed of the two probable methods of the interview process to be used, i.e. the use of face to face interview or teleconferencing.
The use of open-ended interviews ensured that the perceptions, influences, choices, ethical situations and subsequent actions were captured.
Results
The qualitative study started with the provision of the operational definition of the ethical dilemma to the thirty participants. The age of participants ranged from 28 to 45 years. Females comprised 48% of the sample size while the rest were men. The study was designed to examine the ethical dilemma in the workplace, hence the selection of the employees from the diverse sectors of the economy. The interviews were carried through face to face method for participants that could be accessed. Teleconferencing was used for the participants who could not be physically reached due to logistical and time constraint factors. The employees interviewed pointed to different types of ethical dilemmas and contexts that they experienced the dilemmas. For example, all the participants were able to remember at least two instances they were faced with a dilemma and the process they applied to respond to the dilemma. In relation ethical dilemmas where the participants could not provide overt decisions, the participants had difficulties in describing the incidents.
Many of the study participants were able to describe in detail various occasions that they encountered dilemma and responded to issues. This signified the fact that ethical dilemmas in the workplace are not limited to managers only. They affect all the employees. The fact that the participants had difficulties in identifying scenarios where they were unable to take action is an indication of organizational culture in which all employees are inducted to make decisive solutions to challenges in the workplace. In the endeavor to probe whether there were training programs that relate to business ethics in the participants workplace, the majority of them pointed that they had been trained about business ethics and measures that they should take while faced with ethical dilemmas. However, the fact that many participants did not describe the scenarios where they failed to take action signifies personal bias. For instance, this could imply that they were unwilling to show their weaknesses or mistakes.
Discussion
The dilemmas described by the study participants related to the conflict between personal and organizational values, dilemma due to insufficient information about the issue, management of relationships in the workplace and financial issues. These four categories of dilemma were evident among all the participants from the three sectors. The study established that the four types of dilemmas affected the managers and the other employees to act in a decisive manner based on the workplace culture. The findings from the study relate to the study by Sims and Brinkmann that pointed that ethical dilemmas are affected by context, organizational culture and personal background (244). For instance, in relation to the first type of dilemma, the conflict between the individual and the organizational values pointed to the issues that related to personal views and the rules set up by the respective organization. However, in making decisions, the participants made decisions based on the training and the organizational values. However, a study conducted by Lincoln and Holmes found that the emotional component play a role in influencing decision making process (60). For instance ethical dilemmas that result to interaction between employees may tend to overlook the organizational values.
The second dilemma related to the information available in order to make ethical decisions. In such situations, the participants were aware that there was the need to make a decision. However, they were limited by the scarcity of information and feared that their judgments could not be up to the organizational standards. For example, one middle-level manager faced the dilemma in relation to issuing a warning letter to an employee who had allegedly been involved in financial misappropriations. The manager noted
“It is a dilemma because there were allegations, but I did not have sufficient information. Thus, I did not know whether the ethical standards had been violated. The fact is that I did not have enough evidence to make clear judgment.”
The study also sought to establish the process of decision making when faced with a dilemma. The analysis of the interview results pointed that individual ability and competence affected the process of decision making. For example, the managers were categorical in the process they employed when making decisions. This included the thinking through the issue, consulting with other line managers, deliberation of the risks that related to the dilemma and finally made final decisions. In the case of the employees, they pointed that the process was based on personal perception, the company policy, and the risks. Both in the two parties, it is apparent that the organizational laws play a critical in the decision-making process.
The qualitative research presents a good platform for illustrating and interpreting the meaning of experiences (Khan 229). As a result, the use of the qualitative research in the current study was critical in providing an in-depth understanding of the thought process and the factors that affect each participant. According to Khan, qualitative research helps in understanding how “(1) how people interpret their experiences, (2) how they construct their worlds, and (3) what meaning they attribute to their experiences. The overall purpose is to understand how people make sense of their lives and their experiences” (228).
Lincoln and Holmes noted that the action taken due to an ethical dilemma is determined by the personal views and beliefs (61). In addition, Reynolds stated that the individual’s moral identity influences the process of decision making (241). As a result, the feeling of responsibility among the managers and employees made them to consider the ethical standards in the organization and the risk posited by the issue before taking action.
Thus, both the professional identity that is attained through training and the self-awareness obliges people to act based on the organizational and personal attributes. The findings supported the earlier studies that noted that moral reasoning plays a critical role in the decision-making process. In addition, the findings were in line with the theoretical model that posits that the interactions between an individual, organization and the government affect the decision-making process.
According to Sims and Brinkmann, the Dunlop model describes how ethical dilemmas occur due to interaction of different factors in the organization (244). The Dunlop model is based on the interactions that take place in the workplace between the administration and the employees. It includes the issue of personal perceptions reactions when making decisions. Sims and Brinkmann argued that the environment that results due to the interactions determine the acceptable organizational culture and will thus influence the process of decision making (245). As earlier described the Dunlop model stipulates that in a workplace, each party acts in a particular manner to satisfy its interest. As a result, business ethics evolve due to the self-interest of the parties. Thus, the findings of the study point to the interests of the various parties that relate to safeguarding the employment and training which informs the action process. This relates to the fact the participants considered the risks, their moral standards, and the organizational culture before making the judgment.
Recommendations
There are different types of ethical dilemmas in the workplace. The findings of the study have established that the decision to act in a situation of a dilemma is influenced by a thought process that relates to personal and the organizational factors. For instance, personal perception plays a critical role. The study found that the managers had an elaborate process of responding to dilemmas. Thus, they were less troubled because they made consultations and reflected on the implications that a decision could bring to an organization. Therefore, I recommend that businesses should train their employees on specific ways to respond to the different types of dilemmas. This should be a case-based training in order to increase the experience and provide an elaborate process of solving issues. Dilemmas should be solved systematically but not as instances. This will ensure that all employees in a workplace are equipped with the knowledge and experience to handle the ethical challenges.
In addition, the findings point to the fact that emotional intelligence affects the decision-making process. Therefore, organizations should invest in training programs that help employees to manage their emotions when faced with ethical dilemmas that relate to relationships in the workplace. The study was qualitative and was based on the views of the participants. As a result, there was no description of scenarios where there was no action taken. This could be due to respondent bias and the reluctance to point to their weaknesses. Thus, I recommend that there should be further studies that are case-based in which observations will be made to determine how various people will react when confronted by an ethical dilemma.
Conclusions
The study established that there are different types of dilemmas that are encountered in the workplace. The dilemmas identified included:
- Conflict between personal and organizational values
- Dilemma due to insufficient information about the issue
- Management of relationships in the workplace
- Financial issues
On the other hand, the decision process that inform an individual to act depends on the type of the dilemma, the personal perception, the professional training and the willingness to engage in the response process. As a result, it was evident that leaderships of organizations have an integral role to play. They should provide support programs such as training in order to aid the employees in making decisions that are in line with the organizational ethical standards. It is expected that organizations should understand the probable ethical challenges and devise problem-solving processes to ensure that ethical dilemmas do not expose the organizations to risks. In addition, each employee has a role to act responsibly in order to ensure that workplace processes are not interrupted by decisions that are not ethical. As a result, it is the mandate of the individuals to ensure that response to challenges is based on the organizational culture rather than on emotional grounds.
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