How the code of ethics you developed can be applied to deal with your chosen ethical issue.
A code of ethics was explicitly defined as a set of guidelines governing the behavior and actions of people (personnel in an organization or practitioners in a specified field of discipline) towards making the most appropriate and effective decisions given varied situations. As such, the code of ethics developed contains basic information which includes: values, principles, support from management, personal and professional responsibilities of the employees or practitioners, and the regulations, policies, rules, or procedures that are to be adhered to and complied with (The Institute of Internal Auditors, 2013; Sullivan, 2013).
A chosen ethical issue is adherence to privacy and confidentiality of various stakeholders in the organization. As such, leaders are expected to respect the privacy and confidentiality of subordinates; and vice versa. Therefore, using the code of ethics with the basic components, it is expected that the policies and regulations concerning privacy and confidentiality are explicitly stated under both principles and under the rules of conduct. For instance, for the Institute of Internal Auditors, the principles governing confidentiality are stated, to wit: “Internal auditors respect the value and ownership of information they receive and do not disclose information without appropriate authority unless there is a legal or professional obligation to do so” (The Institute of Internal Auditors, 2013, par. 11).
Concurrently, the same ethical concern should also be discussed under the ethical code of conduct developed in the portion regarding rules of conduct. Within this portion, the subject of confidentiality would be stated in more details rules, policies and regulations, such as: (1) leaders, employees, and other stakeholders must respect the privacy and confidentiality of people they regularly interact and deal with during the course of conducting business; (2) any information divulged to stakeholders should be protected and kept in privacy and confidentiality at all times; and (3) the information that are disclosed by stakeholders should not be divulged or communicated to external parties at all times.
How the character, values, and integrity of a leader can aid in making your proposed code of ethics more than just another document that employees acknowledge when they are hired, but instead make it a valued part of their everyday work lives for your fictional business.
Leaders are always expected to play a crucial role in observing and adhering to ethical, moral, and legal standards. Aside from being aware and cognizant of the organization’s values and philosophies, as disclosed in the organization’s code of ethics, leaders are also receptacles of personal and professional values that should have been imbibed during the course of their personal and professional growth. As such, values of honesty, integrity, respect, and strength in character must always be embodied (Heathfield, 2013; Ciulla, 2003). When leaders possess these values, they could easily aid in making the proposed code of ethics more than just a document that employees acknowledge when they are hired through being the role model of behavior and conduct. If employees see that leaders themselves are genuinely concerned of abiding by the code of ethics, as well as in manifesting professionalism, strength in character, and reflecting the performance of exemplary values and beliefs, these employees would likewise be enjoined to mirror and emulate their actions. Thus, the employees would not only adhere to these code of ethics when they are in the organizational setting; but would be expected to imbibe these values, principles, and character as they deal with other people in their everyday lives.
References
Ciulla, J. (2003). Ethics and Leadership Effectiveness. Retrieved from ila-net.org: http://www.ila-net.org/Members/Directory/DownloadS/Antonakis-Ciulla-13.pdf
Heathfield, S. (2013). Leadership Values and Ethics. Retrieved from About.com Human Resource: http://humanresources.about.com/od/leadership/a/leader_values.htm
Sullivan, J. (2013). What Are the Key Components of a Code of Ethics in Business? Retrieved from Chron Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/key-components-code-ethics-business-244.html
The Institute of Internal Auditors. (2013). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from na.theiia.org: https://na.theiia.org/standards-guidance/mandatory-guidance/Pages/Code-of-Ethics.aspx
