The Individual in the Organization The Rational Model of Organization The traditional model or rational model of an organization describes

the organization as a Rational coordination of activities of a number of people (operating at different layers), performing different roles for the achievement of some common explicit purpose or goal. The rational model indicating the flow of information & decisions in a business organization is given below:

The basic ethical responsibilities that emerge from contracts between an individual & organization focus on the two reciprocal moral obligations: Obligations of the employee to the employer pursue the organizations goals Obligations of the employer to the employee provide employee with a fair wage & working conditions. As the two parties here try to co-operate to achieve the common goals conflicts of interest arise. An employee engaged in some task on behalf of the company may be required to take some independent decisions. Whether the employee takes those decisions based on some extra personal benefits, or simply in the interest of the company defines the ethics of an employee. Conflicts of interest can be based on financial (objective) or emotional (subjective) relationships. They can be potential, actual or apparent conflicts of interest depending upon the situation & how it is viewed by others.The two broad categories that can create conflicts of interest are Commercial bribes & Extortion & Gifts. Some other activities, which lead to conflicts of interest, are Employee theft, Computer theft, trade secrets and insider. However, one must be judicious, unbiased and should consider the full situation before labeling any activity as unethical. The employer has responsibilities towards its employees, which include the following key factors: Wages: Fair wage based on the following factors: industry and the area, nature of job, firms capabilities, minimum wage laws, fairness of wage negotiations, local costs of living etc. Working conditions- Health & Safety: Employers are responsible for understanding risks associated with the work they offer, for properly educating workers about those risks and about how to deal with them and for insuring workers against unknown hazards. Working conditions -Job Satisfaction: Some factors determining job satisfaction are Skill variety, Task Identity, Task Significance, Autonomy &Feedback

The Political Organization Unlike the rational model, political model sees the organization as a system of competing power coalitions and formal and informal lines of influence and communication that radiate from these

coalitions. This model postulates a messier & complex network of clustered power relationships and criss-crossing communication. In this model, goals are not set by higher authorities, but bargained for, by powerful coalitions formed by individual grouping together. The ethics of organizational behavior as seen from the political model focus on: Moral limits of employers to exercise power towards employees Moral limits of employees to exercise power towards each other Employee Rights Some employee rights that managers should respect are : a) Right to privacy what, to whom & how much information one wishes to disclose about himself b) Relevance only information relevant to issue at hand be sought c) Consent required in case private aspects of employees life is investigated d) Methods e) Freedom of Conscience f) Whistleblowing Reporting of wrongdoing g) Right to Participate & Participatory Management h) Right to Due Process Versus Process Vs Employment at Will

Organizational Politics The processes in which individuals or groups within an organization use nonformally sanctioned power tactics to advance their own aims. These tactics are called political tactics. Some of the common political tactics used most frequently in organizations are: Blaming or attacking others , Controlling information ,Developing a base of support for ones idea, Image building, Ingratiation, Associating with the influential. The dilemma for individuals in an organization is knowing what separates morally legitimate and necessary political tactics from unethical ones. Approaches to the Ethics of Political Tactics: Utilitarian: Are the tactics used intended to advance socially beneficial or harmful goals? Rights: Do the tactics employed treat others in a morally right way? Justice: Will these tactics lead to an equitable distribution of benefits & burdens? Caring: What impact will the tactics have on the relationships within organizations?

The Caring Organization Based on moral concepts of the ethics of care, a caring organization focuses on the person and not quality or profits. It is argued that such businesses will have better economic performance that ones that restrict to the contractual and power definitions. Caring reduces costs of supervision, poor morale, theft, etc. The key ethical issues from the perspective of a caring organization are Potential for caring too much & Potential for not caring enough. Both these have their own moral issues. Research & thinking regarding issues arising from caring organization are still ongoing