Ethical and Unethical Behaviour in an Organization

Blog by - DEVASHISH GUPTA

Roll no- 44

Course instructor - NEELAM NAKRA

↪Before we start there is a need to understand what exactly ethical and unethical means:-

"The branch of knowledge that deals with the moral principles according to which a person should or may lead their life becomes known as ethical. On the other hand, something that does not get considered as right in the society or an act that may create confrontation among people becomes known as unethical".

Here we will discuss about the ethical and unethical Behaviour in organization.

Ethical Behaviour Within the Organization:-

Ethical behaviour is behaviour that is appropriate. It is based on morals. Ethical behaviour is the right way to behave. It is choosing the right and good. Ethical behaviour is when someone is being on his or her best behaviour. All of their actions and words are following good moral principles.

People enjoy being around others who have a good ethical behaviour. It is the behaviour that is morally accepted as ‘good’, ‘right’ in a particular setting. Ethical behaviour refers to that conduct that is beyond reproach and is in accordance to the laid down standards of a society, organization or institution.

This refers to conduct that organizations expect their employees to hold while at work. Most organizations have formulated documents referred to as ‘codes of conduct’, that set out the accepted behaviours within the work place.

They have set out the rules and regulations that need to be adhered to by those in their employ. This is mainly because an individual’s conduct can affect the relationships within an organization, thereby taking a negative toll on the overall performance of an organization.

Unethical Behaviour Within the Organization:-

Unethical behaviour is any action that is aimed at taking advantage of another without their knowledge or consent. It can also be defined as manipulating someone without his or her permission.

Unethical behaviour is a way of acting that society disapproves of. It is the behaviour that is ‘bad’; ‘wrong’ in a particular setting. Profuse languages, acting violent towards others are some examples of unethical behaviour.

Examples of Unethical Behaviour in Organization:-

Unethical behaviour in the workplace can take many forms.

Some of the examples are:-

a. Crossing Sexual Boundaries and Harassment

b. Others may misrepresent themselves as a way to convince others to buy a product or service that they are selling.


c. Others may lie about their expenses in order to get a larger reimburse­ment check.

d. Theft of Time and Materials

e. Failure to Maintain a Safe Workplace

Effects of Unethical Behaviour:-

Unethical behaviour on the part of the company and its management creates a situation where employees feel ashamed or embarrassed by their company, its product or service, or their role in it. It is as if they are doing something wrong by association. These feelings breed mistrust and low morale.

Unethical behaviour by fellow employees, especially if it goes unpunished or is condoned by management, prevents cooperation and trust among employees, which also creates low morale. This negative effect is magnified if the unethical behaviour by the company or employees results in harm to others.