Meaning & Importance of Workplace Ethics

The meaning of work ethic refers to a set of behavioral rules that create a positive environment at work. A strong work ethic can lead to employees being fairly treated, which in turn motivates them and develops a sense of loyalty towards the organization.

Workplace ethics ensures positive ambience at the workplace. Workplace ethics leads to happy and satisfied employees who enjoy coming to work rather than treating it as a mere source of burden. Employees also develop a feeling of loyalty and attachment towards the organization.

Organizations need to have fool-proof systems to measure the performances of individuals. Appraisal system needs to be designed keeping in mind employee’s performance throughout the year and his/her career growth. Periodic reviews are essential.

It is mandatory for superiors to know what their subordinates are up to. You need to know who all are going on the right track and who all need that extra push.

On the other hand, office politics and a management that doesn’t encourage ethical and fair behavior is bound to make employees depressed and disinterested.

A time, when this plays out, is the appraisal season. Assessing employee performances is a key function of any business. To ensure that the assessment is fair and free of manipulation, it is important to create an appraisal system that takes into account the year-round performance of employees. There is also a need to integrate periodic reviews to be able to do this effectively.

Employees have to be made aware of whether they are doing the right things, and if they need any course correction. A strong work ethic ensures that there are adequate directives and correct work practices in place to mentor the employees properly. These practices lead to fair and equal treatment of all employees and a transparent appraisal system.

Importance Of Work Ethic for Business

A strong work ethic is very important for any modern business organization. There are a number of advantages of adopting an ethical approach at work:

Superior Productivity

The emphasis on ethics and giving due importance to the work assigned to them push employees to work more efficiently. They won’t be merely interested in finishing their quota of eight hours a day and leaving the premises.

On the contrary, they will be self-driven to adhere to the timelines and quality parameters of the task assigned to them. They will be willing to put in extra effort to meet the project deadlines whenever needed.  Such a committed approach will increase the company’s productivity and market share. Further, the company management would feel assured that its personnel will support them through any situation and remain committed to the growth of the business.

Superior Asset Management

In a company that has an ethical work environment, workers remain committed to the organization’s growth. In such a scenario, the employees behave responsibly towards company infrastructure and equipment to enable the best possible outcome. Whether it is a company laptop, printer or a production machine in the factory, the people using them will always follow the right and ethical practices. This will increase the longevity of the equipment and reduce the maintenance and operating cost.

Ethic Breeds Team Spirit

Work ethic also helps cultivate a healthy, collaborative and pleasant company culture. When employees feel valued, respected and inclusive, they focus on being active contributors to the organization’s success.

Such a work ethic fosters a spirit of bonding and collaborative working among teams. Instead of credit-hogging, the mindset moves towards credit sharing. People start seeing themselves as a collective force and focus on the welfare of the team and not just on individual growth. This team spirit further enhances the company’s performance in a long-term sustainable way.

Embracing Change

One of the most important aspects of ethical work practices is that employees become adaptive to changes. They don’t remain confined to conventions and develop out-of-the-box thinking.

They become understanding, dependable, trustworthy, self-driven and highly responsible. Whenever the situations demand a change or there is a challenge, they proactively adapt to the changed scenario and take steps to prevent any disruption or drop in the performance of the organization.

In companies where such ethical working is not encouraged and employees don’t align themselves with the organization, it is common to see them leave the ship as soon as it starts sinking.

Brand Value and Public Perception

It goes without saying that ethical work culture will help in boosting the company’s public image and the market value of the brand.

When people come to know of a company that has employee integrity, commitment and professionalism built into its processes, they will automatically view it as a responsible brand. The ethical hygiene of a company is also reflected in its products and customer service as it becomes synonymous with transparency, quality and responsive consumer support.  Such companies gain a lot of goodwill by way of word mouth and acquire customers organically.

Smooth Implementation of Decisions and Policies

Major decisions in ethical companies are usually taken after consultation with employees and taking into account their benefits and well-being. This leads to employees respecting and welcoming decisions wholeheartedly.

This is how a strong work ethic influences the harmonious functioning of the management, which leads to faster growth of the organization.

Friction-Less Working

In organizations where employees work in isolation or focus only on their individual goals, there is always a chance of clashes, office politics and bitterness.

On the other hand, work ethic fosters a family style of working environment where everyone is focused on the collective performance of the company. Employees trust the company to take care of their interests and this leads to a working environment where people respect each other and are dedicated to their jobs.

Even if some misunderstandings or disputes arise, they are discussed and solved internally without the intervention of the management.

Greater Success For The Business

The biggest importance of work ethic is reflected by the success a company achieves due to it. Ethical companies are great places to work at. They take care of their employees’ needs and concerns and provide them all opportunities to excel at work. Moreover, there is scope for future growth at such places.

Employees also feel motivated and responsible for the success of such an organization and work towards it. In such a harmonious environment, the business is bound to grow exponentially.