Ethical Use of Power in Management of Culture - Essay Example

Ethical Use of Power in Management of Culture Organizational culture is a set of symbols, values, and rituals that members of a particular organization share and describes how every aspect of organization’s operations, which also covers the clients, suppliers, and business environment should be carried out. When managing culture, various elements underpin moral reasoning and behaviour in an organizational setting. The first element in managing culture is moral imagination for those in authority, which involves the appreciation that even routine choices have ethical aspects to be considered. Secondly, exercising given powers in a way that recognizes important issues to deal with, establishes priority areas in addition to sorting out competing values while the third aspect calls for moral evaluation where analytical skills are used in evaluating available options. These are a few aspects to consider when making value judge on whether management of culture is an ethically acceptable use of power or not. Therefore, ethical behaviour from those in authority is an important component of organizational culture given the need to be fair and just when handling different groups that interact during the operation of organizational activities (Johnson 2011). Ethical discussions about management of culture should be based on the reasons and importance of having a strong organizational culture. Strong organizational culture is an essential component that creates the necessary environment for achievement of organizational objectives, motivation of employees to be more productive in addition to enhancing management’s decision making process. Consequently, the use of power by any official should be directed towards achieving these goals (O’Donnell and Boyle 2008). Managers should not use the need for an established culture to target those who are perceived to have contradicting views on how to run the organization. Ethical decision-making should ensure that all with divergent views are accommodated into the organization. Trevino and Brown (2004) note the importance of making moral judgement by focusing on what is right and not necessarily doing what is right when making decisions that affect the organization. The authors assert that principled individuals have a high disposition to stick to their moral judgments even under pressure where they are more likely to resist pressure to behave unethically. Resistance emerging from the individuals who oppose new measures aimed at transforming existing culture or changing it completely most often frustrates managers (Secord 2003). Managers are called upon to make moral judgment in such situations since some resistance might be due to lack of knowledge about the changes and not any form of rebellion. Therefore, for management of culture to be ethical in such circumstance, there should be in existence a culture of trust, transparency, regular engagement with employees in addition to positive interpersonal relationships between management and lower level employees. In striving to create an appropriate organizational culture, managers are faced with the task of deciding whether to maintain organizational order and continuity or to transform the existing by changing and breaking existing patterns of behaviour. Therefore, the decision made by mangers in their exercise of power is will rely on contextual factors that are related to internal and external environment of the organization. The context under which the mangers is called upon to make certain decisions determines whether a culture should be sustained as it is or transformed but the preferable strategies are very much determined by the theory and perception subscribed to by the manager (Willcoxson and Millett 2000). When managing organizational culture, managers should be in position to make a full analysis of the qualities of existing or new target culture based on the symbols, myths, assumptions, rituals, and values that underline the culture. Therefore, whether management of culture is ethically acceptable use of power will be judged according to how the managers handle certain sections of employee relationship with the organization. Employee entry point into the organization is an essential part in the management of organizational culture. Managers exercise their power during selection, recruitment and replacement of new employees. During this stage, there is a need to ensure that those who enter into the organization’s workforce are ready to operate within the established organization cultural framework therefore; culture management ensures appointments strengthen the existing culture or support desire for culture shift. However, managers should not use employee dismissal and replacement to victimize certain individuals but to change the culture (Stoyko 2009). When managing culture, leadership and modelling is an essential component in creating support and wider acceptance from the organization‘s human resource. Whatever the leadership form that a managers ascribes to, the driving force should be to rally employees into a unit that cooperate in meeting organizational objectives. Managers should use their powers to make decisions that cut across from the lowest level of the organizational structure, to the highest level. For example, if there is a need for employees to work late, managers should also d the same but not to leave promptly at 5:00 pm, when the manager uses organizational internet facility for personal reasons against organization policy or laying off some workers to cut down on unnecessary spending but then the Chief Financial Officer buys luxury office furniture. Therefore, ethical management of organizational culture will require those in management position to be role models in decision-making. However, transformational leadership plays an essential role in this undertaking given its emphasis on concern for others as an intrinsic part of a manager’s quality (DuBrin 2011). For management of culture to be ethically acceptable, the use of legitimate power is an important input for consideration by the relevant authority. Management should base their efforts to initiate and control cultural change process on legitimacy of the actions taken so that actions taken are welcomes and accepted by the human resource. Legitimate power in leadership positions is achievable through strong commitment to high levels of integrity, character, and ethics incorporated into organizational culture through a shared goal supported by all in involved with the organization (Beatty and Brew 2004; Khatri 2005; Mannarelli 2006). However, to cover employees from unethical practices most organizations have formal ethics or legal compliance programs. These guidelines provide the necessary basis for protecting employees against abuse by management where issues such as handling employees who are resistant to change can be determined (Trevino and Brown 2004). From the foregoing arguments, use of power to manage culture can only pass the ethical test when those in authority put organizational interest before their personal ambitions. Given the importance of establishing consistence in organizational operations, managers are called upon to exercise fairness in their attempt to initiate change in the way workers perform their duties. However, targeting employees that are thought to be opposing the new regulations should not be with a view to victimize them but to align towards the achievement of desired objectives. Reference List Beatty, B. R., & Brew, C. R. 2004.Trusting relationships and emotional epistemologies: a foundational leadership issue. School Leadership & Management, 24(3), 329-356. DuBrin, A. J. 2011. Essentials of management. Boston: Cengage Learning. Johnson, C. E. 2011) Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. California: Sage. Khatri, N. 2005. An alternative model of transformational leadership. Vision (), 9(2), 19-26. Mannarelli, T. 2006. Accounting for leadership: Charismatic, transformational leadership through reflection and self-awareness. Accountancy Ireland, 38(6), 46-48. Secord, H. 2003. Implementing best practices in human resources management. Toronto: CCH Canadian Limited. Stoyko, P. 2009. Organizational Culture and the Management of Organizational Memory. Canada: IGI Global Trevino, L. K., & Brown, M. E. 2004. Managing to be ethical: Debunking five business ethics myths The Academy of Management Executive, 18(2), 69-81. O’Donnell, O. and Boyle, R. 2008. Understanding and Managing Organisational Culture. Dublin: The Committee for Public Management Research. Willcoxson, L., & Millett, B. 2000. The management of organisational culture.Australian Journal of Management & Organisational Behaviour, 3(2), 91-99. Read More