Top 3 Obstacles in Implementing an Ethics Policy: What You Need to Know
It is every employee’s and leader’s dream to work in a booming organization where everyone looks forward to going every day and leaving with a feeling of warmth and satisfaction. A successful organization depends on several things. Majority of the people think that having the right policies is all that matters. Yes, it is great to have policies in place but it is greater to implement them effectively.
Welcome to today’s post on Top 3 Obstacles in Implementing an Ethics Policy: What You Need to Know. The post will cover the following:
Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Tedious Journey of Developing an Ethics Policy
3. The One Thing All Ethics Policy Success Stories Have in Common
4. Obstacles in Implementing an Ethics Policy
5. Conclusion
Introduction
Most offices and even homes have shelves. Usually, there are various items put on a shelf. Some should be there by right while others should not be there at all.
They need to be served because they are part of the daily menu.
Others need to be removed altogether otherwise they will become stale and useless.
If you look closely, you will discover that some of the things on the shelf begin to gather dust because they have not been used in a long time.
This happens even to documents in offices. In this era of technology, it happens to documents stored on your computers or apps on your phones.
Some stay untouched for so long that the system suggests that you delete them or archive them.
Let us now shift our focus to ethics policy.
The Tedious Journey of Developing an Ethics Policy
An ethics policy is an important part of any company’s operations and establishes its standards of conduct.
Developing an ethics policy can be a difficult process, as it requires balancing various interests, such as shareholders, customers, and employees.
Moreover, many companies must consider their unique circumstances when creating an ethics policy.
If you ask anybody who has been actively involved in developing any policy, including ethics policy, they will tell you that it is not a walk in the park.
It is usually a tedious exercise.
It takes a lot of effort and activities ranging from identifying participants in policy-making to launching the policy.
Developing an ethics policy is not a one-day affair.
It is also a long process that takes a lot of ‘behind-the-scenes activities. A lot of work is put in until a beautiful document is borne and launched in pomp and color.
However, slowly, as the dust settles after the glowing launch, the crooked task of policy implementation begins.
The One Thing All Ethics Policy Success Stories Have in Common
For this article, I will define an ethics policy as any set of regulations or guidelines that a company puts in place to ensure that its employees behave ethically.
It includes the. Code of Conduct and Ethics; Anti-Harassment Policy; Gift Policy; Conflict of interest Policy; Financial Disclosure Policy and; Whistle blowing policy among others. In some organizations, it may simply be referred to as the Ethics Code or the Code of Ethics.
As an employee, ethics expert, leader, entrepreneur, or even a key decision maker in an organization, ethics policy is one of those documents that means a lot to you.
An ethics policy is important for any company to ensure that employees remain honest and accountable for their actions
Different organizations may refer to this policy by different names.
The bottom line is its common objective which is to facilitate an ethical culture.
Implementing an ethics policy in an organization can be difficult, but understanding the obstacles and learning how to overcome them can help ensure success.
Common obstacles include a lack of understanding of the policy, resistance from employees, and difficulty in enforcement.
So what are the most common obstacles in implementing an ethics policy?
Today, I will focus on the top 3.
Obstacles in Implementing an Ethics Policy
≠ 1 Obstacle: Resistance from Employees
Employees may resist an ethics policy for a variety of reasons.
Some of the reasons are: feeling like their autonomy is being taken away, feeling that the policy does not align with their values, or not understanding the policy.
Anytime they feel like the employer is dictating to them how they should behave, they begin to get uncomfortable.
This is true of our human nature. Human beings like to be left as free as a bird, to do what they want, when they want, and how they want it.
But of course, this is not possible because such a setup could easily lead to disorderliness and a total lack of control.
So now that a code of conduct prescribes what behavior is deemed acceptable and what is not acceptable, that alone sets it on a silent war path with the employees.
Naturally, when a human being is prohibited from certain actions, the curious nature in them immediately awakens the desire to do the exact opposite — perhaps just to test the waters and see what happens.
You see, it is easier to obey than to disobey; to lie than to tell the truth; to take shortcuts than to go the whole length; to go to work late than to go early or even; to handle the easier tasks than the more difficult ones.
This is how life is.
So when the code of conduct uses the tone of instruction only without emphasizing on the value of the behavior to be adopted by employees, they will most likely resist it.
The code of conduct needs to be persuasive while adopting a language that is inspirational especially if the organizational culture is generally ethical.
Such a code will help the employees aspire to be ethical instead of rebellious.
The code should help the employee to view ethical behavior as a personal asset that comes from within and motivates them to appreciate values as opposed to feeling coerced to behave in a certain manner.
≠ 2 Obstacle: Compliance as an Obligation
Leadership compliance is a tool that can be used to create a positive public perception, but it can be ineffective if the leaders are not fully committed to it.
The convenience of a favorable public image can be tempting, but unless the leadership is dedicated to long-term compliance and ethical practices, the impression will not be authentic.
Furthermore, employees are smart people.
They can always tell when the Code is beings used only as a tool of convenience and public relations.
That it can be pulled in and out of the shelf at will to serve a particular purpose e.g. for impression management to a potential investor, existing or potential business partner, or a regulatory authority.
That it can be used to posture the organization as an ethical entity that is keen on regulatory compliance to attract the right attention from the right place at the right time.
Such a scenario however is not sustainable. It waters down the real meaning of the ethics policy. It also makes employees and other stakeholders disillusioned and hence not take it seriously.
Consequently, it renders the policy ineffective.
≠ 3 Obstacle: Lack of Awareness
For it to be understood and embraced, ethics policy requires proper dissemination and regular communication to all employees.
Without employees understanding the policy and its implications, the policy is unlikely to be successful.
When they remain unaware of its contents, it frustrates any efforts to implement it.
Besides, this becomes more difficult when one of them engages in unethical conduct and is to be disciplined.
Lack of awareness can cause the employees to have a different understanding of what is considered ethical behavior.
Employee training, therefore, becomes critical. It is an important aspect of the successful implementation of the policy.
The training should be well-planned and tailor-made to suit the various cadres and groups of employees.
Apart from training, there should be regular communication about the Code so that the message reaches all employees and remains alive in them.
Conclusion
These are just a few common obstacles organizations face in implementing the ethics policy.
However, this should not spell doom to the very valuable role the policy plays in the workplace and society in general.
I believe the ethics policy is one of the most important policies in an organization.
The lack of an ethical culture impacts negatively professionalism and employee engagement. It also leads to reputational damage, reduces workplace integrity, and undesirable workplace culture.
So what this means is that no organization can survive for long without an effective ethics policy.
For organizations that have realized the value of this policy, its effective implementation remains not only the talk of the day but the order of the day.
The leaders not only create a good tone at the top but they also maintain it.
They talk the walk and walk the talk.
Ethics experts and supporters need to be at the front line in promoting the ethics policy and outlining its value to the organization.
