Ethics in the
Workplace
Written By Kevin Hall (10.16.2016)
How is a Christian to
conduct themselves in the marketplace? What’s our approach to ethical
challenges?
This issue is very important as it speaks to colliding worldviews
that influence how we live out our day to day lives. Ethics in the workplace is
of particular interest to me as I have struggled with this issue for years. I
was a supervisor in different capacities over the past 15 years and in every
role to which I was assigned, my Christian worldview dictated my actions. It
influenced how aggressive I was in conducting business, the criteria for
becoming a part of my team, employee/employer relationships, customer/business
relationships, the efficiency of the operations, rewards and motivations,
accountability and performance reviews, diversity in the workplace, music in
the workplace, religion on the workplace and the list goes on.
One thing that was obvious was that I operated on a
different level than my peers. In fact, at one point my boss alluded that my “Christian
religion” is what was preventing me from being as demanding as I should be on
my employees. He wondered then if I could “play the game”. It was obvious that
I was not fighting as the others were (unfairly) doing. Rae (342) mentions that
one of the ways this is achieved by many professionals is to employ the
strategy of “Dual Morality” – dealing with the ethical challenges in the
workplace by creating two separate worlds to operate in. This is a strategy where
each sphere has its own set of rules and guidelines to follow. One set of moral
rules for the workplace and another set in private life.
This was challenging
for me personally especially since “the workplace is a very competitive place
that requires me to set aside some of my Christian virtues such as love,
compassion and even fairness” (Rae, 342). Many times employees genuinely have
some serious issues. These issues affect performance whether its tardiness,
drive, productivity, appearance, attendance, reliability, integrity concerns,
sexual harassment and many times the discussion to correct these deficiencies
for me were done in light of “ministry to help the root cause”. Many of my colleagues
would terminate in an instant for the same offence that I would give a
consideration to. These “considerations of mine” could be viewed as being too
soft, showing favoritism, too long-suffering. Some of these considerations caused me grief. Some have led to character assassinations. Some have been the best decisions I made. I viewed my job as God’s property
and provision and therefore it was essential that I “shepherd” the flock of
that business. This view that it all belonged to God extended from the parking
lot to the garbage dumpster. It covered company property, employee relations,
customer service, to performance management and improvement. It was also the
reason why I operated at the top of my game – I conducted work “as unto God” as
my Christian ethic called for.
Compartmentalizing my life was something I was not willing
to do. Even if it meant sacrificing the top spot. I can tell you that
maintaining my Christian worldview in the workplace did not come without a
fight. There was no dual morality being practiced. I was the same at home, in
ministry and at work. The struggle was competing with my peers to get to the
top. They practiced unfairly. I could not play that game and so it felt like I
was limited. My only confidence was in the fact that God was the one in control
regardless of outcomes (good and bad). When I finally made it into a top spot I
realized that it was empty up there. This was a place whose foundation was
built upon lies and secrecy and yes, ethical compromises. The folks I idolized
were practicing dual morality. It was then that I realized that the sacrifices
I made for the company was not worth it if it meant the only way to stay here
was to live unethically. To be fair, at the top I met and was inspired by some great leaders and co-workers - people who cared for and made tremendous contributions to a successful company.
I lived my life under the Lordship of Christ, understanding
that He is the boss of me. It was important that I operated under the same set
of rules regardless of the company or place I was. It is important that the
right thing is practiced for all involved in the workplace. Ethics is always
good business (Rae, 344).
For some, the aim is success at any cost. For me, success
was not necessarily defined by dollars (although I’ll take as much as I can
get). Success could come in the form of good working relationships, very high
workplace morale, an atmosphere of trust and respect, achieving company goals,
securing recognition for achieving the top spots, steady as she goes when goals
are not achieved, no compromises, customer loyalty, low turnover and work –
life balance because of the practice of Christian ethics. Rae (345) stated that
integrity in the workplace builds trust and trustworthiness and is a critical
component in building a successful business -over time”. I believe that part is
crucial – over time. The practice of Christian ethics takes time because it
requires consideration of the person. Because we are created in the image of
God, each person, each employee has value and should be treated 'personally' rather than seen as a piece of property that can be discarded at will.
Companies that act ethically usually stay in business for a lone time,
practicing the virtues of hard work, diligence, thrift, initiative, creativity,
promise keeping and truthfulness (Rae, 346). The practice of such ethic will
bring pay off, but the rewards may not be noticed immediately.
For those who practice dual morality, one may see
compromises in other areas of their lives. I believe that since God is the
ultimate owner of all the world’s productive resources, then in fulfilling my
calling to work and have dominion over these resources, I must be a good
steward. This requires the understanding
and practice of the Christian worldview where Christian ethics is consistently
practiced for the benefit of all. Ethical behavior in the workplace and
successful business is possible. All it takes is the Christian living like he
or she believes that God really is Prime Reality.
Reference:
Rae, S. Moral Choices - An Introduction to Ethics. Zondervan (2009)
Art retrieved from Google Search – bhgrealestaeblog.com; bangsa.firos.info
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