1. Ethics and Moral Standards
A presentation by -
M.D.Karthik,PGDM,1403
Facilitator – Dr.Buhril

2. What are ethics?
• Ethics refers to “the principles of conduct governing an
individual or a group”.
Normative Judgments – good or bad? right or wrong?
Morality – accepted norms of society
• Ethics and the law are two different concepts.

3. Ethics, Fair Treatment and Justice
• Fairness & Justice - inseparable.
• Organizational Justice has three components –
 Distributive Justice – the fairness and justice of a decision’s result.
Procedural Justice – the fairness of the process.
Interactional(interpersonal) Justice - the manner in which managers conduct their
interpersonal dealings with employees.
• Fair treatment – “employees are trusted”
“employees are treated with respect”
“employees are treated fairly”

4. What Shapes Ethical Behavior At
Work?• Individual Factors–own perceptions
• Self- Deception – Ex: “corrupt individuals tend not to view themselves as corrupt”
• Organizational Factors – Ethical lapses caused by:
1) “meet scheduling pressures”
2) “helping the company survive”
• Ethics Code – A document that memorializes the standards the employer expects its
employees to adhere to.
• The Organization’s Culture
• The Manager’s role – send out right signals to employees

5. HRM’s Role In Promoting Ethics And
Fair Treatment

6. Employee Discipline And Privacy
• Discipline – to encourage ethical behavior
1. Rules and Regulations
2. Progressive Penalties
3. Formal Disciplinary Appeals Processes
• Four main types of employee privacy violations upheld by court –
1. Intrusion
2. Publication of private matters
3. Disclosure of medical records
4. Using employee names for commercial purposes
• Electronics Communications Privacy Act(ECPA)

7. Managing Dismissals
• Involuntary termination of an employee’s employment with the firm.
• Termination at will – without a contract , either the employer or the employee
can terminate at will the employee relationship.
• Wrongful Discharge – going against employee manuals or contractual
arrangements.
• Grounds for Dismissal – 1)Unsatisfactory Performance
2)Misconduct
3)Insubordination

8. Lockouts,Layoffs,Retrenchments,and
Closures In India
The Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 specifies conditions for
lockouts,layoffs,retrenchments,and closures of establishments.