Social Responsibility as an Ethical Imperative in Performance Improvement

Abstract

The relationship between social responsibility, ethics, and performance improvement has not been seriously or rigorously addressed in related literature or in professional dialogue. Examining the issue of social responsibility as an ethical imperative within PI as a profession demands an understanding and rigorous examination of the profession's theoretical foundations and the worldviews of its professionals.

Preparing Professionals to Face Ethical Challenges in Today's Workplace: Review of the Literature, Implications for PI, and a Proposed Research Agenda

“…Performance Improvement (PI) professionals serve a vital role in providing individuals with tools and strategies to assist with complex ethical decisionmaking frameworks. Hatcher (2003) suggests that PI professionals have an inherent responsibility to integrate strategic goals of the organization and assist employees with ethical decision making choices that benefit the institution and society. If Hatcher is correct, then PI professionals are responsible for providing ethical leadership that sets the tone within the organization for others to model.…”

“…Some leaders of corporations may be concerned that acting ethically requires that they lose competitive advantage. However, those corporations that are ethically responsible are at least as financially successful as those considered ethically irresponsible (Hatcher, 2003;Pava & Krausz, 1995). Profits and good ethics matter to most organizations.…”

“…An abundance of methods, tools, strategies, and opinions exist for tackling ethics problems in corporations and institutions of higher learning; the problem lies in trying to identify what works. Performance improvement professionals will encounter ethical challenges in the workplace (Hatcher, 2003;McLean, 2001;Steward, 2003), and they face further challenges in deciding how to address lapses in ethical behavior and how to persuade management to fund specific courses of action.…”

“…Dean (1993) contends that we are "uniquely positioned to influence ethical awareness in the workplace" (p. 3). Hatcher (2003) argues that we have a professional responsibility to avoid treating ethics as just another box to be checked off by an organization. Our special calling as PI professionals challenges us to raise the bar beyond productivity and economic gains.…”

Ethics and the Marketing of Technology for Training and Performance Improvement: A Commentary

“…But no one in the fi eld of training and development really talks about our own ethical behavior. Rather, when we do talk about ethics, we propose ourselves as standard-bearers of ethical behavior in the organizations in which we work (Dean, 1993;Hatcher, 2003;Stewart, 2003).…”