Moral Standards in the Organization: the Regulatory Nature and Management of Ethical Behavior of Employees

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study (questionnaire survey) of managers and ordinary employees of public and private Russian organizations on the problem of the regulatory role of ethical rules for labor / organizational behavior and the management of ethical actions of personnel. The answers of respondents to the questionnaire about the mission of moral standards in the organization and the importance of their observance are analyzed in detail and presented; on the state of compliance with ethical canons in the organization, detailed reasons and forms of their violation; on the preferred sanctions for violation / observance of moral standards; o the presence of Ethical Codes in companies and their purpose. \nThe results of the survey showed that ethical norms are the most important regulator of labor / organizational behavior, and their most important purpose is the development of good relations between employees. Most of the respondents are satisfied with the state of observance of moral standards in their organizations, and also believe that the management pays sufficient attention to their observance. The study revealed that the main cause of violation of moral standards in companies is the personal characteristics of employees, then the management style, and then organizational factors. The most “popular” form of deviation from moral rules in the eyes of respondents is shirking orders. At the same time, the leading role of management is indicated as a role model, which is followed by ordinary employees when choosing ethical or unethical actions. For the most part, the organizations have not developed and do not have Codes of Ethics, the mission of which, according to the participants of the survey, is to orient staff towards ethical behavior and resolve the moral problems of the organization. At the same time, the respondents indicated that it is necessary to apply sanctions both for deviating from moral rules and for observing them. \nThe research results are practice-oriented. At the same time, they cannot reflect the entire variety of aspects of the influence of the regulatory essence of moral canons on labor / organizational behavior and its management system.