Article Review
Article Reference
Sekerka, L.E., Comer, D.R., Godwin, L.N., (2013). Positive Organizational Ethics: Cultivating and Sustaining Moral Performance. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. – 435-444.
Summary
What is essential to learn from the article is how to turn human failings into perspective prosperous future of the organization. It is also interesting to find out what distinguishes ethical and unethical organizational behavior.
Most important is the fact that the authors of the article do not just close the subject for further discussion. On the contrary they specify what questions would help researches advance in their studies.
Critique
I might disagree with the authors of the article that ‘a focus on problems become the dominant lens through which scholars explore organizational life’ (Sekerka et al., 2013, 436) as negative issues are not the only factors that are able to move us towards any action. There are organizations motivated to improve their professional performance and to foresee possible negative outcomes.
People able to build ethical strength and moral performance both in good and bad times strongly contribute to positive outcomes, positive experiences and positive practices.
As I personally see it from my personal experience, one of the main drivers of positive behavior that makes employees strive to achieve new horizons is the desire of leaders and managers to create and sustain ethical culture and atmosphere or climate, in other words, in the organization. Illustrative examples provided by contributors teach how proper ethical behavior might contribute to the attitude and emotions of employees facing difficulties or even experiencing hard times at their workplaces.
Application
Having read the article, I learned that it is of real use:
Ethical principles can lead to consequences for an organization and the relationship between ethical issues. The failure to comply with basic ethical values would cause troubles to the organization. There is absolutely no doubt that the overall organization performance affects an employee attitude and behavior.
Practical application to existing workplace circumstances demand continuing attention. Both positive and negative organizational issues contribute to moral performance and ethical strength of every member of the team.
Unethical behavior is usually the result of some misconduct or the absence of desire to create, deliver goods or services properly.
Scholarly Dialog
Analysis of some other sources prove the authors being right when addressing the issue.
Some scientists point out the necessity to learn from failures, unethical behavior and other negative factors. Thus, for example, Clegg et al. ‘argue that management’s task in relation to ethics is one of enhancing and maintaining structures that understand undecidability as opportunities and responsibilities’ (Clegg et al, 2007, 395).
Others speculate on importance of combination of factors influencing the organization as, for example, according to Tapera, ‘organizational culture shapes employee attitudes and determines the way the organization interacts with its environment’ (Tapera). All in all, all opinions deserve our attention and are worth of studying.
References
Clegg, S., Kornberger, M., Rhodes, C., (2007). Organizational ethics, decision making, undecidability. The Sociological Review, 393-409.
Leslie E. Sekerka, Debra R. Comer, Lindsey N.Godwin, (2013). Positive Organizational Ethics: Cultivating and Sustaining Moral Performance. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. – 435-444.
Tapera J. Organizational culture and performance. TIJ Research Publications PTE. LTD., Singapore. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/19699161/ORGANIZATIONAL_CULTURE_AND_PERFORMANCE
