Workplace Values and Ethical Performance

Synonyms

Codes of ethics; Ethics; Leadership; Morals; Organizational evil; Value systems; Workplace spirituality

Introduction

Workplace values, or the set of moral-laden statements that characterize an organization, both explicitly and implicitly, are established by the leader and emulated to varying degrees by employees. The most essential aspect of workplace values is that employees will adopt those that are evinced through the leaders’ behaviors rather than what may appear in ethical codes or organizational documents. This is true across all sectors. The greater the congruence between the positive ethical standards presented in organizational materials and what is actually observed in leader behaviors, policies, and processes, the greater the ethical performance of the organization.

The Values-Performance Connection

Workplace values most often evolve from the culture of the organization and are most often unintended. Few organizations consider an ethical value set as a strategic...