As examined by Bird and Waters in this article, many managers act in moral ways but yet do not describe their actions in moral terms. Managers avoid moral talk for three reasons. It threatens organizational harmony, organizational efficiency, and the manager’s own image of power and effectiveness. Though managers believe that these qualities are better preserved if they avoid moral talk, moral muteness eventually creates far more damage in the long run for organizations. These damages include creation of moral amnesia, inappropriate narrowness in conceptions of morality, moral stress for individual managers, neglect of moral abuses, and decreased authority of moral standards. If managers were encouraged to engage in discussions about morality, means must be provided to allow for legitimate dissent by managers who will not be personally punished for their views, business people must also learn to incorporate moral expressions into their exchanges, and grant time to support this change.
Many managers avoid moral talk in the work place because they believe it has a negative impact in three areas of organizational harmony, organizational efficiency, and their own reputation for power and effectiveness. First, moral talk threat
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Otherwise, authority in this perspective cannot be gained. Because moral talk is used to praise and blame people for their conduct, many managers avoid such usage because praising and blaming does not solve any problems. When managers reject the relevance of particular normative expectations, they would feel moral stress if they are unable to talk about the issues. Therefore, the organization must set up means for which managers will not be criticized for their views. ens harmony within an organization, in that these discourses often prompt personal confrontations. Lastly, moral muteness leads to decreased authority of moral standards. Because moral issues are not recognized and addressed, moral abuses are ignored and it is harder for workers to raise questions and debate issues. First, it creates a management force that does not recognize the degree to which business activities are actually regulated by moral expectations. In the third area, absence of moral talk creates moral stress for managers. Second, moral talk is also a threat to organizational efficiency in that it distracts people from finding real solutions to difficult problems. Finally, it will require time for this change to take place since this change might effect organizational efficiency while managers develop skills to handle problems with moral respective. For the best interest of organizations, moral talks should take place in the work place, and this can only happen if managers are allowed to voice their views without punishment, moral expressions are incorporated into conversations and time be allowed for this process to take place. In these confrontations, questions are raised about certain actions of others whether they are superiors or colleagues or in more serious cases, unethical practices of particular persons are revealed. Last, moral talk can also affect the manager’s image of power and effectiveness.
If managers were encouraged to engage in moral discussions, these consequences could be avoided, but there are several factors that must take place for it to happen.
Approximate Word count =
961
Approximate Pages =
4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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