Dishonourable & unprincipled workplace behaviour

If one understands what integrity is all about, it will be clear that it is not a restrictive word. It does not gust in the wind or alter with the weather. Integrity is nothing but a replica of your inner self and if you happen to peep within you and see a person who has impeccable morals, you will know that he will be steadfast as far as his honesty is concerned.

There is no company or organization, irrespective of its size that does not have bad employees on its roll. Such employees may engage themselves in acts of indiscipline and dishonourable conduct. Needless to state, the management will always regard their presence as disadvantageous to organizational good.

What is that construes to be an act of indiscipline? It could well be absenteeism, absence of punctuality and idling away time during working hours, etc. All such acts make an adverse impact on work output. On the other hand, dishonourable and unprincipled workplace demeanour implies misusing company resources for personal benefits or gains, retaining official documents for unlawful utilization, misrepresenting facts to derive personal benefits, misappropriation of funds and fudging business documents. Back-stabbing, threatening other people, credit stealing, discrimination of any type, indulging in bribery, sexual harassment are also acts that certainly dishonourable and unprincipled conduct. Though there is a very thin dividing line between acts of indiscipline and dishonourable and unprincipled demeanour, the decision to proceed against employees who indulge in them and maintain continued protection of organizational interests rests with the management.

All errant employees, irrespective of their length of service or appointment generally feel that discovering unethical behaviour is a trial of their own principles, standards and morals. Some of their actions may appear inconsequential and insignificant ab initio; and hence could qualify for letting off. But they also leave an individual rather confused as regards initiation of action against errant employees. Considering the fact that no two people are alike, there will be perceptive differences on what is right or wrong, ethical or unethical and principled or unprincipled.

Any working individual is generally aware of how he or she should be conducting at work and what is right and wrong. Therefore, if anything is perceived to be a violation of rules and regulations, it should be the good judgment and intelligence of the person noticing should come in the forefront. If such a person is sincere and responsible, he or she will promptly tick off the errant employee and make certain that any further indulgence in detrimental activities is put an end to by reporting to the higher management. But if an individual decides to not overlook any unethical conduct, there will always be tight spots with regard to how to actually go about the matter. Such puzzlement will have to be defeated.

All organizations have enunciated codes of conduct and methodologies to address unethical activities indulged in by their employees. Such rules are periodically brought to the attention of all employees periodically. The rules per se identify the values on which relationships are based and which in turn influence the functioning of the organization. Such codes are generally in the form of a pamphlet and are a very vital constituent of company guiding principles and business conventions. They are designed to provide a framework of shared understanding in relation to the way in which employees are required to conduct themselves and interact with those who are associated with the company.

The codes of conduct that are framed by companies and organizations are required to be signed by every employee; and a record of perusal is maintained to enable clarity of thought with regard to what is required to be done if anything adverse comes to notice of anybody. This will also make possible initiation of prompt necessary action against errant employees. The inescapable requirement is to make known to the environment the detrimental effects of unethical conduct. If this is done, there is no way that employees – both who indulge in unethical conduct and those in whose presence violation takes place - will be alert to and conscious of the possible actions that may be taken by the management. It goes without saying that when this takes place, reporting practices and methodologies routinely come into play without intervention.

In the light of the workplace atmosphere that exists today, our thought processes and conduct are always on the look out of a response; and hence, there is invariably some amount of fear and apprehensions in our mind, if at all an adverse development takes place.  Unprincipled and dishonourable workplace demeanour can best be addressed by way of appropriate communication and dissemination of rules and regulations because unless this is done, you will not be able to know what is right or wrong.