What are your thoughts on how to construct an organizational ethical culture?

Examples of ethical behaviors in the workplace include; obeying the company's rules, effective communication, responsibility, accountability, professionalism, trust, and mutual respect for your colleagues. These examples of ethical behaviors ensure maximum productivity output at work. Walmart, for instance, In 2005, lawyers and executives of mega-retail firm Wal-Mart caught wind of an expensive series of bribes totaling $24 million. These bribes were from within their Mexican chain that had allowed "Walmex" to become Wal-Mart's most profitable international venture and Mexico's top private employer. Buy receiving building permits across Mexico they would have otherwise not have had. The two ethical dilemmas I see with this are whether the benefits of the bribery in terms of profit and employment were worth the illegal dealings and how Wal-Mart executives failed to enact any punishment on those involved. Regards to the first, any business wants to maximize profits, but anything unethical or illegal should be avoided if only from a moral standpoint. For the second point, Wal-Mart's biggest failing was the apathy they displayed in terms of discipline for those who had been involved in the scandal. A business insisting that they operate with strong ethical behavior in mind should have followed through with the matter further than they did. The scandal saw the resignation of Wal-Mart's general counsel, Maritza Munich, who, angered over the situation, argued for further investigation "independent of Walmex management participation" in an "effort to preserve the integrity of the investigation."

References

Barstow, David. (2012, April 21). Wal-Mart Hushed Up a Vast Mexican Bribery Case. retrieved fromhttps://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/business/at-wal-mart-in-mexico-a-bribe-inquiry-silenced.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www

Debter, Lauren. (2019, June 20). Walmart Will Cough Up $282 Million To Put Years-Long Bribery Investigation Behind It. Retrieved fromhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/laurendebter/2019/06/20/walmart-will-cough-up-282-million-to-put-years-long-bribery-investigation-behind-it/?sh=64bbcf44ac5c

response----

You presented an excellent organizational dilemma for Walmart. The fundamental principle of business ethics is the common good for all. Every organization has an obligation to adhere to governmental laws, and regulations. These elements assist in governing business ethics and code of conduct to avoid bribery and other unethical practices.

Of course, to avoid violations, an organization must have policies and procedures in place to identify and minimize risk exposure. The issue is how to develop and enforce an organizational culture of "doing the right thing." In your case, the organization was willing to act illegally.

What are your thoughts on how to construct an organizational ethical culture?