Value conflicts and ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the workplace. Management plans, strategic priorities, interpersonal relationships and professional decisions are just some of the places where these kinds of issues tend to arise.
And where there are labour shortages and situations where people from different cultural backgrounds are called on to work together, things can get even more complicated. This is why ethics, used as a tool to manage conflicting values, must be top of mind for senior leadership.
Value conflicts, which are at the root of ethical dilemmas, can result in a wide range of problems within an organization, especially with regard to employee engagement, motivation and health. As the number of ethical dilemmas increases, so does the tension between the conflicting values. If these issues are not faced head-on and resolved collectively, the negative effects on well-being can spiral out of control.
Employees faced with the tension of this clash of values are forced to make a choice. It is impossible to move forward without breaching any of the values at stake, so they will pick one over the others, despite how important the latter may be to them, someone else or the organization.
Clearly, these situations can cause frustration, guilt and stress. Studiesave indicated that, when ethical dilemmas occur frequently and are not addressed by the organization, they can cause anxiety and distress, or even professional burnout. Some employees may find that their work loses its sense of purpose. In other words, recurring, unresolved ethical dilemmas are detrimental to a healthy, happy workplace.
For this reason, it is important to cultivate a culture of ethical conduct that allows staff to openly discuss ethical dilemmas, reflect on their respective values and address conflicts. This inevitably leads to better employee motivation and satisfaction, and a more productive working environment.
A culture of ethical conduct reduces the negative effects of value conflicts and ethical dilemmas by:
- Empowering employees to take ownership of their work
- Encouraging them to identify and participate in the resolution of ethical dilemmas
- Using ethical evaluation methods in decision-making processes
- Allowing room for the discussion and analysis of situations involving ethical issues and establishing mechanisms to address them.
Additional resources should be offered to staff members, including:
- A clear and consistent set of organizational values
- A code of ethics that guides employees in their decision-making processes and encourages them to reflect on the values, standards and consequences connected to their choices
- Leaders who model a strong belief in the importance of ethics and demonstrate a high level of ethical leadership and sensitivity (tone at the top)
- Ethics experts to advise and support staff
- Confidentiality when reporting ethical issues.
A culture of ethics that includes the above allows employees to:
- Discuss all facets of a situation, including the values affected, with their co-workers and superiors
- Participate in reaching a consensus when faced with complex or painful decisions
- Effectively communicate the reasons and shared values underlying difficult decisions
- Better understand decisions made by others and by the organization.
These factors are useful in supporting employees and organizations as they face ethical dilemmas, while reducing the negative effects on individual well-being. They encourage staff members to reflect on the best way to proceed in a given set of circumstances. Employees gain a better understanding of and can then explain the reasons behind individual and collective decisions.
by Marie-Claude Boudreau
December 2021