Expectation of Human Behavior from the View of a Company's Ethics and Social Responsibility - Research Paper Example

Contemporary Ethics More often than not People acquire deviant identities via the interactive process in which the deviant act to have been the cause producing the negative social response, which elicits the deviant social role, thus culminates in the person adopting of a deviant identity. One of the examples of deviant identity is cyber bullying. According to Hopeline cyber bullying has emerged to be the newest platform on which the youths are increasingly abusing each other (Hopeline 65). The more concerning issue is that there are currently no appropriate techniques that intervene for cyber bullying despite large numbers of kids who access the information technologies. Internet and cell phone communications have been cited as tools for Cyber bullying. According to Hopline, what appalls even more is that Cyber bullying occurs during kids’ class time. Hopline cites that cyber bullying has far reaching implications on kids, so that the victims (kids) of cyber bullying only feel safe when in their bedrooms. According to Hopline, it does not under all circumstances hold that cyber bullying causes physical harm. However, cyber bullying is mostly associated with causation of harmful emotional fallout which may cumulate to other gar reaching consequences. Hopeline cites an example of Megan Meier; the girl aged 13 who committed suicide after belittlement by a hacker (her mother’s friend) that posed on MySpace as a boy aged 16 years. Hopline acknowledges that peer to peer cyber bullying is the most rampant, but its implications are not so severe. Effective curbing of cyber bullying would entail instilling of ethical morals among the youth, which will help them suit to information technologies. Hopline argues that there can be no an over-reactive approach as parents barring their kids from accessing technology in attempt to curb cyber bullying. Hopline suggests that an appropriate ramification procedure would entail the parents convening to open meetings, where then the parents can share and appropriately advice their kids on cyber bullying. Parents should be tactical so to dispel rebellion from their kids. Parents should not ignore the fact that all have under high risks of cyber bullying; terms such as ‘some kids are immune’ should not exist since all are sensitive to belittlement. Other intervention techniques should encompass teaching the kids on the importance of respect. In the case where kids are cyber-bullied, appropriate intervention procedures should be followed before the situation gets out of hand. It is factual that kids are major victims of cyber bullying. It is also true that cyber bullying is so rampant that it has extended into kids’ classroom. The proposed techniques are also appropriate, but to limited extend. However, Hopline misses out a point in assuming that moral deviance among kids is to blame for rampant cyber bullying. Hopline forgets that adults (such as the Megan Meier’s hacker) are part of cyber-bullies. Due to this, Hopline also misses out a point in laying emphasis on the need for parents to be outgoing in advising their kids. How could this connected with addressing adult-to-kid cyber bullying? Hopline should have gone extra mile to address adult-to-kid cyber bullying, if only cyber-bullying is to be curbed. Scarfone and Mell propose the use of Network Intrusion and Detection System (NIDS) in curbing cyber crimes (Scarfone 77). NIDS refers to a system designed to detect suspect or malicious activities. This is achieved via Network Security Monitoring (NSM). Scarfone and Mell insist that the importance of NIDS to security sensitive organization cannot be overemphasized. They cite that organizations should prefer the use of NIDS to other Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). This is because it does not only impact greatly on the network security, but it is cheaper and takes short time to deploy. Taking of short time to deploy averts maximum damage of the intrusion. Furthermore, it has a potential of effectively monitoring all internet traffic, immediately relaying feedback on internet security nature and can detect attacks that other ID cannot. NIDS is suited to Demilitarized zones, the epicenter of computer attacks. In addition, NIDS channels reports of both successful and unsuccessful attacks. The reports are important as they foster better understanding on the criticality of the network, the effectiveness of the detection systems subject to security enhancement. NIDS can be used a tool for forensic evidence for it cannot be easily tampered with. In order to maintain a deviant social identity alongside membership in any given deviant group, new members need to incorporate the signs of a group, as well as symbols into their personal styles. They also need to behave according to those deviant norms under certain circumstances in which when they might not especially wish to. Individuals that wish to conceal their deviant identity end up confronting role, self, and problems as they try to seek to control the information concerning their identity or to help in neutralizing the deviant identity. They characterise the social reality of human behaviour, and they are the foundation for any interaction. In this respect, they tend to increase an individual’s identity in cases where they have been used as references for self evaluation. On a wider scale, norms serve various purposes. At the societal level, for instance, they have been used in shaping the behaviour of people through the provision of limits in which individuals get their behaviours social approval. This is achieved through the set of guidelines used as the basis of making estimation. The estimation is what explains how far an individual can go before having an experience of rejection, loss, and normalcy ridicule power of the status within co-workers, acquaintances, and friends. More often than not, a group norm has been applied in dealing with violation punishments. This way, they have served the purpose of restricting of excessive behaviour freedom and other unprecedented character defaults in the entire society. Such group norms have the collective power that help regulate and form up social reality (Zimbardo, 4). When one gets to know the operating norms, he or she would be able to anticipate on whatever other individuals likely to do whatever the circumstances. It a fact well documented that norms aid in specific social situations in which case where the interlocking of the roles of people is concerned. A role is termed as behaviour that is socially programmed and available for personal expression within a group. It follows that it is after understanding the performance expectations of some norm that an individual’s role that one is capable of taking part in a social interaction. There are other forms of norms that are oppressive in their functionality. An example of such norms is ethnocentrism. This norm is concerned with observing other people’s cultures through the mirror of one’s own culture. For example, in the Saharan Africa individuals, in the society, perform a clittectomy to girls who are extremely young during puberty (Zimbardo, 9). This is a savage mutilation, despite the fact that the society in the Saharan Africa views it as a way of ensuring that the behavioural norms of a woman are adhered. This implies, in essence that the implication of norms is dictated through ethnocentricity. Additionally, since the society looks at female circumcision as a wrong practice, traditional cultures of Africa do not. This, therefore, bring up the cultural relativism idea that is normally observed whenever a norm believed to have been broken in this society, is correct behaviour in some other society. The idea that stands out in this discussion, therefore, is that the whole practice of breaking a norm is relative. This is because different societies have different approaches as far as the issue of breaking a norm is concerned. The experiment described below outlines how I got entangled in the whole scenario of breaking a norm. Method. This is an activity that entails my breaking of a norm. I am going to break the Public restaurant unspoken norm. I am going to ask my friend to call my cell phone at exactly 9.00 P.M this is meant to help me to organize a dinner meeting at the city restaurant. My cell phone is to be in a manner that it would have a loud ringing tone. At about 8.30 P.M, I am on my way to the city restaurant for dinner carrying my cell phone with me. After getting into the restaurant, I immediately order my dinner. At around 9.00 A.M, my cell phone starts ringing following the planned call from my friend. The ringing tone of my phone is an irritating one and its volume exceedingly high to an extent that it has to cause interruptions. I intentionally ignore my ringing cell phone for a lengthy period. On average one hour of continuous ringing, to be exact. As the cell phone rings, I stare up as if unaware of the surrounding but keen to take note of the people’s reactions. At this time of the day, the restaurant would be full of people who would have come to have their dinner. Results. I realize that all the people in the restaurant turn towards my direction, staring at me oddly, and laugh in a comic way. A few of them request to be moved to some other location. There are those that find it unbearable and decide to leave the restaurant and even stretch further to abscond their dinner. There is this group that find the behaviour to be truly unbearable and as such stop eating their dinner. For those who have companions, I can see them feel irritated and in reaction they turn to their companion and speak in harsh tones. Discussion. When arguing about norms, unspoken norms in the society, though, not documented are immensely powerful. The results of this experiment clearly bring out the idea of unspoken rules of a public restaurant. Unlike the signs that advice us on what we could do during a fire outbreak, there is nothing that directs one to behave in a specific manner while in the restaurant. In this case, ones behaviour is always controlled by the unwritten social rules, and norms that are implicit (Zimbardo, 10). These norms are used to govern the appropriate restaurant demeanour. When a cell phone rings continuously in a restaurant it makes people have a difficulty in enjoying their meals. This means that the ringing of my phone is in cross violation of the silent situational rule of the restaurant. It is for this reason that I received different reactions from the people around me. Even though, this reaction would make me feel embarrassed and uncomfortable, it is still a proof of the violation of the unwritten expectations. In reality, after being exposed to opposition, ostracization, and criticism from people, it would make me change my behaviour (Zimbardo, 10). I would have to restrain from breaking such norm. Conclusion. In a society, norms shape individual behaviour by giving out limits in which an individual gets social approval of his or her behaviour. By leaving my cell phone to ring continuously, I tend to get social sanctions from people. This is evidenced when people ask to be moved in other locations. It meant that such people are avoiding getting involved with me due to the social sanctions. The results for this experiment are just as they were expected. This is so because, when one breaks a social norm, even though it has no legal consequences, it always has a significant impact on an individual’s social life (Zimbardo, 12). In this regard, when one breaks a norm it could make people round them to be terribly uncomfortable, different and weird. In a society, norms are what are needed to keep up the cohesion. Unless an individual is placed under circumstances that are pressing, social norms need to be observed keenly for a healthy society. The world has been under persistent transformation. Indeed, such transformations have been felt across most sectors, regardless of whether social, economic or political. Even so, the interrelatedness of the political, economic and social environments has made it possible for the transformations to appear conspicuous. It is due to these factors that human behaviors and the related perceptions have changed, thanks to globalization. In the long run, most organizations such as the business oriented ones have looked forward to adjustments that enable them to keep abreast and meet expectations. Organizations are currently going extra miles to look to various techniques that are suited to functioning effectively. It is for this reason that current organizations are giving considerations to human behavior. It has now been accepted beyond reproach that human behaviors can have far reaching impacts on the effectiveness of Organizations. The eventuality is that important aspects of organization and human behavior relationships have been explored. This paper outlines human behaviors that important in ensuring that an organization runs effectively. In most organizations, an outline to employee behaviors is manifested in organizations’ ethics and social responsibility. Therefore, the expectation of human behavior should be approached from the perspective of organizations’ ethics and social responsibility. Organizations ethics can be defined as a basis for human behavior and the organizations’ at large. More often than not, moral principles have an impact on the effectiveness of the organization, just the way they affect human behavior. The organizations ethical behavior entails deciding wisely between the wrong and the right before an overall decision can be made. Unethical behavior in organization could entail offering adoption of child labor, involvement in bribery, among other ways. These behaviors can be very much detrimental to the effectiveness of the organizations. Therefore, it is an expectation that such unethical forms of human behavior are discouraged. Farther more, organizations human behavior should aim at fostering organizations social responsibility. Organizations’ social responsibility can be defined as the as a way in which the organization could give back to the society. This could include checking on the levels of pollution or other types of harm that the organization has on the surroundings. This also includes ways that could ensure that employees as well as shareholders are treated in the fair means. In this regard, employee behavior is important in checking on self-vested interests. Most of the organizations decision making aim at benefitting those who own them. However, good behavior of the organization’s owners should put into consideration the interest of the surrounding society. It can, however, be argued that it is the society that make decisions for the stakeholders. This is true considering the fact that surrounding society could decide to withdraw cooperation or decide not to buy the organizations products. Such interventions have far reaching implications on the organization. It therefore requires that behavior of the decision makers be limited in some way to give allowance for co-existence. In order to properly elucidate the behaviors that employees should uphold in organizations, the organization’s work force is divided into two; the managed (general employees) and the managers (bosses). For effective functioning of the organization, the general employees should uphold various behavioral conducts. These include; one, the employees should maintain a positive attitude at work. It is necessary that the employees are available, always ready and willing to work. The management, on the other hand, should promote the good behavior by recognizing those that are dedicated, focused, working extra hard for organizations’ wellness. Two, the employees should be friendly as well as courteous to the colleagues, the management, and the customers. It is through these behaviors that work environment can be friendly and welcoming. This harmonic environment upholds desirable working atmospheres. While not all employees are perfect, with every employee a subject personal stresses, a harmonic work environment makes it possible for workers to place aside their differences and strive for a common goal. Three, it is important that workers uphold the spirit accomplishing work within the set datelines. More often than not, meeting of datelines is associated with both personal responsibility and organization. Four, good employee behaviors entails taking responsibility of mistakes committed. Taking of responsibility refers to confession to the errors made. Although confessing to mistakes can have far reaching impacts on the employees, such as resulting in loss of jobs, it is encouraged. This is because is a way work dignity as well as trust could be earned. Besides, it is not true that committing of errors will so adversely affect the organization that one can be penalized. Even then, most of those obliged to can be very understanding. Five, the employees should uphold a good attendance record in addition to being regularly punctual. Employees’ punctual arrival at work generates impression to the management that employees could be trusted. Employees who often arrive past time end up giving and giving excuses, and hence end up losing the employers’ or managers’ trust. Most employers and managers often identify the employees by their punctuality at work. Conversely, the bosses should posses the following qualities: one, the bosses ought to be assertive. Assertion is a more desirable quality compared to submissiveness and aggressiveness. While it is good behavior for the general employees to be submissive, it is appropriate that bosses uphold assertion. Aggressive bosses are associated with brutality, inconsideration and excessive dominion when dealing with other employees, while Submissive ones are associated with subtlety, shyness and vagueness. On the contrast, assertive bosses are associated with tactfulness, politeness, effective communication, cordiality and positivity. The assertive qualities enable the bosses to be suited to achieving desirable results. Two, bosses should administer equality among the staff members. Bosses should not promote gender, racial or ethnical bias. This creates a harmonic working environment. Bosses should serve as good examples against acts of sexual harassment. Three, bosses should be influential. Noting that influencing does not entail manipulation or excess use of power, bosses should establish as well as maintain suitable working relationships between employees and customers. This will in turn trigger acceptance of his ideas by other employees. Bosses should use their persuasive skills in logical presentation of concepts. In turn, other employees will appreciate and consent to his proposals. Effective communication is imperative to good influencing capability. Four, bosses should be good negotiators. Negotiators fit in satiations that are contradictory, with each side inclined securing self-vested interests. However, at the end of the negotiations, the parties arrive and concessions. Better negotiators are known to be considerate to each side. These qualities are suited to decision making, a role associated with bosses. Additionally, bosses should promote cultural diversity. Diversity management are efforts that are aimed at creating as well as maintaining a working environment that is positive; where the differences among individuals with diverse cultures are considered as a strength rather than as weaknesses. This is especially in consideration to the fact that at the work place, a staff with differing upbringing, nationalities as well as cultures is a usual phenomenon. In addition, it is important that a boss exhibit respect to the other employees, irrespective of whether they worker under him or not. In the case where respect ceases to exist, the organization will experience difficulties in running effectively. In conclusion, human behaviors are important in ensuring that the organization runs effectively. The importance of human behaviors in organization is manifested in the organizations’ ethics and social responsibility. Organization’s ethics and social responsibilities are closely related since they both entail principles based on human behaviors. Violation of organization’s ethics and social irresponsibility has far reaching implications on the effectiveness of organizations. It is therefore important hat decision makers reconsider their behavior when formulating policies. For proper elucidation on expectations of human behaviors in organizations, the employees are classified into two the managers (bosses) and the Managed (general employees). Employees, in general, should uphold the following: one, maintain a positive attitude at work. It is necessary that the employees are available, always ready and willing to work. The management, on the other hand, should develop behavior of recognizing those who are dedicated at work and focused work extra hard so as to ensure organizations is more productive. Two, the employees should be friendly as well as courteous to the colleagues, the management, and the customers. It is through this that working environment can be friendly and welcoming. While not all employees are perfect, with every employee a subject to various forms of stresses in life, a harmonic work environment makes it possible for workers to place aside their differences and strive for a common goal. Three, it is also vey necessary that workers uphold the spirit accomplishing work within the datelines set. Four, good employee behaviors entails taking responsibility. The taking of responsibility is refers to confession to the errors made. Although confessing to mistakes can have wide spread impact such as resulting in loss of jobs, it is encouraging as it amount earning of work dignity as well as trust. It is not always that stumbling upon errors will have so negative effects that amount to the loss of jobs. Bosses are required to be assertive, considerate, lead by example, and be good negotiators, among other qualities. Work Cited Hopline, Karst. Cyber Bullying. Retrieved on 8th August, 2012 web< http://bubbiosity.tumbir.com/post/> Phoenix Business. Employee Behavior. Retrieved on 8th December, 2011 from http://phoenixbusiness.hubpages.com/hub/Employee-Behavior. 2009. Zimbardo, Philip. The power of norms in the society. London: MCL-T Ltd.2009. Read More