Data Management and Ethics

Ethics as defined by the free dictionary is a “set of principles of right conduct”.  So then, what is right conduct?  Right conduct will be dictated by the set of principles one is governed by.  In business the principles that we operate from are established through the company code of conduct and our own individual principles (Greenwood, 2002).  Interestingly enough, many people do not know what they stand for.  They don’t know what principles they adhere to.  This issue presents a great challenge for people who are presented with ethical dilemmas.  It is much more difficult for them to take a stand when presented with an opportunity to increase personal gain.  Personal and business codes of conduct guide behavior and without them society is at risk of becoming a hedonistic society.

 It is evident to me and others I have worked with that I hold to a clear set of principles that guide my behavior, decision making and direction in life.  As described by my ex-boss, these principles are viewed as a high standard that are difficult for many people to adhere to.  This is the framework in which I operate from and have developed a reputation on.  I would find it shocking if anyone approached me to join them on a collaborative effort to manipulate company data.  I have taken many hard stands on doing what I believed was the right thing to do for the company and the employees that work there.

For instance, a couple of years ago the management team (including my boss) that I worked with was evaluating whether or not to recommend a two drink maximum policy.  This policy would limit the amount of alcohol the company would purchase when employees where at an event paid for by the company.  The challenge at hand was the fact that for 100 years the company never held such a policy and there were many employees, at every level of the organization that enjoyed cutting loose on the company dime.  As our management team debated this issue, those who wanted the policy ended up backing down because they did not want the fight.  However, even though I stood alone, I stood my ground on the need for the policy.  The principle I stood on was “doing the right thing for the right reasons”.

With examples like the two drink max policy, I have developed a reputation to do the right thing for the right reasons and to adhere to high ethical standards.  When people have these kinds of reputations they are not approached with unethical situations like manipulating data.  This is because their coworkers and their boss already know how they will respond.

Greenwood, M. R. (2002). Ethics and HRM: A review and conceptual analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 36(3), 261–278. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Business Source Complete database:
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/bsi/detail?sid=ed889ddb-c9ed-478b-aeea-598918b79221%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9YnNpLWxpdmU%3d#db=bth&AN=12130511

The free dictionary. Retrieved from http://thefreedictionary