What is ethics and social responsibility and how important does it relate to organizational culture?

Essay by onglt1 August 2004

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For a company, organizational culture is very important because the culture is like something that the employee can be based for. In addition, the organizational culture is defined as a system of shared meaning and beliefs within an organization that determines, in a large degree, how employee's act (Robbins, et al., 2003, p. 70). Founders of new organizations and managers play an important role in creating and maintaining organizational cultures. However, ethical organizational cultures are those in which ethical values and norms are emphasized. As Jones and George (2003, p. 350) argue that ethical organizational cultures can help organizations and their members behave in a socially responsible manner. Some might believe that if they do the ethical corporate culture, they will be able to get much profit.

Meanwhile, Arnold and Lampe (1999, pp. 1-19, cited in Robbins, et al., p. 154) claim that the content and strength of an organization's culture also influences ethical behavior.

Nevertheless, a strong culture will have a very powerful and positive influence on managers' decisions to act ethically and unethically. whereas, in a weak organizational culture, managers are more likely to rely on subculture norms as a behavioral guide. Work groups and departmental standards will strongly influence ethical behaviour in organizations with weak overall cultures.

Alongside with organizational culture, there are two more things that have strong correlation with it. The first one is ethics. Ethics is the code of moral principles and values that govern that behavior of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong (Robbins, et al., 2003, p. 150). The second thing that has strong correlation with culture is social responsibility. It is a management's obligation to make choices and take action that will contribute to the welfare and interest of society as well as to...