Ethics Reflection Paper Running head: ETHICS REFLECTION PAPER

Ethics Reflection Paper Willie F. Cason STRTM/581 Steven Hultgren December 12, 2011

Ethics Reflection Paper

This paper will explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing a strategic plan, considering stakeholder needs. The paper will also explain how ethical perspectives will evolved throughout this program. Companies are presumed by the general public to play a part and conduct themselves in a respectful manner that is characterized as ethical and socially responsible. Ethical responsibility is the decision of the company to decide what is right or wrong and behave accordingly. Ethical responsibility is the formulation of strategic plans by companies. The strategic plan involves consideration for what role ethics will be a part in aiding management and employees on how to conduct themselves. The best of ethical values and intentions are relatively meaningless unless they generate fair and just behaviors in the workplace. That's why practices that generate lists of ethical values, or codes of ethics, must also generate policies, procedures and training that translate those values to appropriate behaviors (McNamara, 1998). Therefore, the value of ethics reinforces the companys mission, vision and goal building a direct framework. The company has a responsibility to see that they are operating within established guidelines. The company that I work for is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia and the contract that I am working on is in Washington, D.C. The company has an on site project manager and they do not have any idea of how unethical their company is being represented by this project manager. There are unfair promotion decisions that are being conducted. This is a situation where the company is making a considerable amount of money and as long as the bottom-line is not being affected they are conducting business as usual. The attrition rate for the company is very high and that should be an indicator to the company there is an issue. The issue for one is

Ethics Reflection Paper

the company helps their officers gain top secret clearances and when these officers get his or her clearance they leave to go work for other companies. The company is making money according to the contract; however, they are losing money when they are continually paying for officers top secret clearances only for these officers to seek employment elsewhere. Social responsibility can be an example of ethical behavior. Ethical behavior enhances society in general. However, a business operates to make a profit and can not afford to go around doing good deeds if there is no potential pay off. If the business were to loose too much money, then it could potentially fall into bankruptcy. When a company goes into bankruptcy the affect can hurt customers, and leave employees jobless. There are critics that argue that social responsibility is shown only when companies go beyond what is optional. By going beyond what is optional can be an example of creating a benefit for others besides the stakeholders and the company. In addition, some companies may not benefit from some forms of social responsibility. The social responsibility of a company should focus on what they do best as a business and give back what they can. Giving back can include projects that raise money for research on diseases, raising money for the needy, and contributing or creating scholarship programs for students (Griffin, 1993). The social responsibility of the company that I am working for does not play an integral part in the development of their officers. The negligence of development of their officers includes promoting officers into supervisory positions that they do not have the experience or the training. For example, the new contract started on October 01, 2011 and any supervisor that did not have a top secret clearance was demoted from the top ranks that they held to an officers position. Officers

Ethics Reflection Paper

that held top secret status were promoted to top supervisor positions without any training and because of this the social responsibility has taken a back seat in fostering personal growth of the officers in the organization. The atmosphere at the workplace is that the culture has changed to make the officers feel that there is not a sense of belonging by believing in mission, and service that is offered by the company. The social responsibility for the company now is to formulate a training program for the current supervisors the importance of company mission and values and have them to be aware of his or her role and responsibility. When the training program is put into place then the officers will start buying into the company and this is when the officers will feel empowered. The officers will feel empowered and will know that his or her role of ethical and social responsibility resides in an important set of his or her own personal values that will be a positive benefit to the company mission statement and values. My ethical perspectives have evolved throughout this program for bringing to my awareness that the new social contract is the result of multiple cultural forces, including global competition, domestic deregulation, and technological change. In addition, regardless of the reasons for the change, the impact will be especially profound on management and labor relations in the years ahead. For example, the dramatic changes in the workplace are being blamed for escalating workplace violence, exploding workplace litigation, and growing numbers of employees seeking medical and psychological help for work-related stress. This paper explained the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing a strategic plan, considering stakeholder needs. The paper also covered how my ethical perspectives have evolved throughout this program.

Ethics Reflection Paper References Griffinn, R. (1993). Ethics and Social Responsibility. Retrieved from http://www.jpec.org/handouts/jpec85.pdf McNamara, C. (1998). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. Retrieved from http://managementhelp.org/businessethics/ethicsguide.htm