Organizational philosophy and technology

Organizations need to set ethical standards and guidelines and manage organizational practices and operations in order to oversee compliance with ethical values in order to ensure the company’s realization of its goals and objectives as well as exhibit social responsibility as a valuable member of society.

Aside from these benefits, corporations who practice strict compliance over ethical standards and guidelines are likely to enhance its performance and work output because they employ only the best employees, maintain the loyalty of consumers to the company and the brand, avoid potential risks and loses that might arise from fraud or deceit, and gain allies by attracting investors and partnering companies to promote moral and social responsibility. (Steele & Cleverdon, 2004) The defining force of the importance of setting ethical standards and guidelines was perceived by many through the situation of Enron.

Enron used to be a leader in the corporate industry. However, when leaders of Enron decided to violate ethical laws by lying to investors and presenting fraudulent company information, the company was fully ruined. Officials of the company were brought to trial and after many hearings some of them were jailed while others were forced to pay for fines. (Barrionuevo & Bajaj, 2006) The case of Enron was alarming because they were able to deceive their constituents, even the most powerful and influential corporations who put forth interest in investing to Enron.

People lost their trust, and are left wondering about the state of ethical compliance in other organizations. In order to avoid violations of ethical standards and guidelines, and maintain the credibility and reliability of organizations, companies should uphold the highest ethical standards. Aside from traditional means, technology may also be used set ethical standards and guidelines as well as manage practices and operations within the organization to ensure full compliance to rules and regulations.

Pressure from consumers, the media, state and federal governments, and other concerned public and private organizations cause corporations to become aware of the importance of setting up high ethical standards and guidelines to uphold corporate social responsibility. In doing so, there is a need to conduct research to determine best practices in promoting ethical conduct within the organization, organize or set up ethical standards and guidelines, and put forward these standards by way of utilizing information technology.

The first phase of corporate social responsibility is to set up or frame high ethical standards and guidelines. Technology may be used to conduct research on best practices being employed by other thousands of organizations. Through this, the company learns trends in implementing these standards and determines what plans fail and succeed. The second role of technology is to solidify ethical standards and guidelines by impacting it to the minds of members of the organization. Information technology is responsible for providing information efficiently.

Ethics management is carried out by means of overseeing if members of the organization or business practices and operations being implemented comply with set ethical standards and guidelines. Assistive technologies might be use for this purpose through visual monitoring, surveying, training, and evaluation. Visual monitoring includes the use of audiovisual surveying devices. Surveying includes digital question-and-answer activities for members of the organization that answers the rate of compliance to organizational ethics of members and the organization itself.

Information technology is best applied in training when it is able to formulate digital information sheets that make the transfer of information rapid and efficient. (PUMA, 1998) Employing technological systems in organizations helps in setting up highly efficient and comprehensive ways to frame ethical standards and guidelines. Moreover, management of compliance to these standards and guidelines is also made precise and proficient.

This means that the organization reflects responsibility and integrity as an organization because it is willing to utilize its resources in order to set up ethical standards and guidelines that are morally and socially sensitive. Through technology, compliance to ethical standards and guidelines is made possible. Members of the organization are made aware of the importance of complying with ethical standards and guidelines; and by way of encouraging them to uphold these considerations they become willing to learn how they will comply with rules and regulations.

Consequently, morally upright members of the organization enhance the rate of success that the organization can accomplish. They follow excellent and ethical business practices and operations that speed up growth and development as they are able to prevent loses from decreasing risks that they will be facing in the future. Nurturing desirable and conscientious culture within the organization, technology is able to harmonize relationships within members of the organization and the organization’s relationship with external units.

Technology also plays a major role in human resources management, consequently affecting company culture. Like technology’s contribution to setting up ethical standards and guidelines and managing compliance, it is also used in human resources training and evaluation. (Ryder, 2007) It works in the same way as it is used in training employees to adapt to ethical standards and guidelines and in managing compliance to ethics related rules and regulations.

However, in human resources management, training is focused on imbibing corporate mission, vision, goals, and objectives, best practices, ethical considerations, company culture, job description, roles and tasks within the organization, etc. On the other hand, technology for human resources evaluation is directed to assessing work performance, behavior and actions within the organization, additional rewards and incentives, etc. Therefore, it contributes to the culture of the company by ensuring that all its members act within the scope of values and practices that the organization employs.

If the organization implements high ethical standards and guidelines, then employees will uphold these ethical standards and guidelines as they realize its importance through human resources training and evaluation to manage compliance to ethics related rules and regulations. If human resources management departments fail to do its role, then there is no guarantee that members of the organization will be working according to company ethics and values, and accomplish their tasks and responsibilities efficiently. To successfully complete the responsibility of human resources departments, technologies are always available for implementation.