Employees as Ethics Ambassadors & Managers as Ethical Leaders

Employees as Ethics Ambassadors

Employees can play a vital role in promoting ethical behavior in the workplace by being ethics ambassadors. Ethics ambassadors are employees who are committed to ethical behavior and who are willing to speak up when they see something wrong. They can do this by:

• Being aware of the company’s code of ethics and values: Employees should be familiar with the company’s code of ethics and values and should strive to uphold them in their work.
• Reporting any concerns about unethical behavior to their supervisor or another trusted employee: Employees should report any concerns about unethical behavior, even if they are not sure if it is actually unethical.
• Refusing to participate in unethical behavior: Employees should refuse to participate in unethical behavior, even if it means losing their job.
• Promoting ethical behavior among their coworkers: Employees should promote ethical behavior among their coworkers by talking about it, setting a good example, and supporting those who speak up against unethical behavior.

Managers as Ethical Leaders

Managers play a key role in setting the ethical tone for their organization. They can do this by:

• Modeling ethical behavior: Managers should model ethical behavior in their own work and interactions with others.
• Creating a culture of ethics: Managers should create a culture of ethics in their organization by setting clear expectations for ethical behavior, providing training on ethical issues, and rewarding ethical behavior.
• Enforcing the company’s code of ethics: Managers should enforce the company’s code of ethics consistently and fairly.
• Being open and transparent: Managers should be open and transparent about ethical issues in the organization. They should be willing to discuss ethical concerns with employees and to answer their questions.
• Creating a process for reporting unethical behavior: Managers should create a process for employees to report unethical behavior anonymously if they feel they cannot do so otherwise.

Here are some MCQs on the roles of employees and managers as ethics ambassadors and ethical leaders:

1. Which of the following is NOT an ethical obligation of employees as ethics ambassadors?
   • To be aware of the company’s code of ethics and values
   • To report any concerns about unethical behavior to their supervisor or another trusted employee
   • To participate in unethical behavior
   • To promote ethical behavior among their coworkers
   • The answer is to participate in unethical behavior. Employees as ethics ambassadors should not participate in unethical behavior, even if it means losing their job.
2. Which of the following is NOT an ethical obligation of managers as ethical leaders?
   • To model ethical behavior
   • To create a culture of ethics
   • To enforce the company’s code of ethics
   • To be open and transparent about ethical issues
   • The answer is to reward unethical behavior. Managers as ethical leaders should not reward unethical behavior, even if it is done by a high-performing employee.
3. What can employees do if they see their manager engaging in unethical behavior?
   • Report the behavior to their supervisor or another trusted employee.
   • Talk to the manager directly about the behavior.
   • Document the behavior and keep a record of it.
   • All of the above
   • The answer is all of the above. Employees can report the behavior to their supervisor or another trusted employee, talk to the manager directly about the behavior, and document the behavior and keep a record of it.