1.

1 Concept of morality
Morality comes from a Latin word ―mores‖ meaning custom, habit, manner, character or proper behavior.
Therefore, the manners you learn like politeness of behavior, way of saluting, or giving helpful hands for
elders, showing sympathy to people during sadness are valued as morality. Even if what are considered good
and bad differs in different societies, learning moral values is significantly important in a society, because it
helps individuals or groups to live together in peace and unity.
1.1.1 Forms of Morality
i. Customary/Traditional morality: Traditional morality refers to the moral systems handed down
through custom from generation to generation. We might call this static morality
ii. Reflective morality: Reflective morality requires that moral ideas are carefully examined and tested..
1.1.2 Purpose of morality
The purpose of morality is constituted in the three purposes to:
i. Keep society from falling apart;
ii. Ameliorate human suffering;
iii. Promote human flourishing;
1.1 Moral principles
Moral principles are principles based on reason and rationality. They guide us on what we should do, what
qualities we should nourish, and what kind of lives we should look for. Moreover, the application of moral
principles should not be limited to a specific society or culture.
1.1.1 Types of Moral Principles
There are two types of moral principles: absolute and relative. Moral absolutism is an ethical view that
certain actions are intrinsically right or wrong. Moral relativism believes there are no absolute rules to what
are right or wrong, and that moral principles can change depending on the situation.
i. Absolute Moral Principles
Absolute moral principles are based on universal truths about the nature of human beings. For example,
murder is wrong because it goes against the natural order of things. These are also sometimes called
normative moral principles, or those that are generally accepted by society. Below are some examples of
absolute moral principles:
 Don't kill.
 Speak the truth.
 Be careful with what you say and do to others.
ii. Relative Moral Principles
Relative moral principles are based on opinions and circumstances that may change over time or from person
to person or for different situations. Relative moral principles depend on a person's beliefs. Relativism is to
what people perceive as good or bad in relation to themselves
.It is morally wrong to spend money on a luxury item.
 . Describing Virtues
Virtues mean goodness or the state of being good. An example of goodness is volunteering to serve meals at a
homeless shelter. Virtues are also attitudes or character that enables us to be and to act in ways that develop our
highest potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion,
generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues.
Types of Virtues
 Moral virtue:
Moral virtue is the disposition or tendency to do the right thing and avoid doing wrong. We develop this
disposition over time and through training. In other words, a good character is an achievement, not a natural
endowment. ―Doing right‖ becomes second nature to us, if we have developed our moral character properly.
We must strive to achieve a virtuous character, and we do this by constantly practicing the virtues and
thereby developing a good character.
Civic Virtues:
Civic virtue is an important concept in many contemporary societies, and it has been for a long time.
Essentially, civic virtue means that individuals have a duty to their communities and their societies that they
should place above their own desires.
Important Civic Virtue Characteristics
 Self-sacrifice: Putting the needs of a community over one's own needs is one of the most deeply
rooted parts of civic virtue.
 Participation: Participation in government and in the community is part of what makes one a
good citizen.
 Doing one's part: The idea of civic virtue is that each individual has their own duties that help
make society function as well as possible.
 Cooperation: Being a cooperative member of society, obeying the law, and working well with
others are some of the things that proponents of civic virtue promote
 Compassion is the ability to feel sorrow over another person‘s suffering, and to express that
sorrow in a way that is intended to alleviate that suffering.
 Physical virtue: Physical Virtues include speed, strength, coordination, and so on.
 Social virtue: Concerned with society with our relationships with our fellow members, it is
dealing with wealth and expenditures, honor and reputation, humor and anger, since the ways in
which we handle these activities, goods, and emotions either enhance or disrupt human life on
the individual and communal levels.
 Intellectual virtues: Are the virtues of understanding. We all have the ability to perceive Truth,
but some refine this ability into a virtue. Intellectual virtues include the effective use of
language, logical reasoning, and the ability to identify likenesses and differences, and so on. The
cardinal intellectual virtue is wisdom.

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 5.1.1 Common Core Moral Values Descriptions for the Workplace
i. Autonomy
The ability to work in a way that is most conducive to performing at your best is something both you and the
company may value. As an employee, you may want to feel empowered to make decisions and take action.
Many companies prefer to give you the flexibility to work at your own pace and in your own way as long as
you continue to meet satisfactory performance standards.
ii. Integrity
Valuing integrity in the workplace means that you strive to do the right thing, even when you think no one is
looking. You may also value honesty, transparency and a commitment to doing what‘s best for your clients,
customers, teammates and company.
iii. Innovation
iv. Challenge yourself to see what‘s possible to better meet the needs of your team, your customers and
your company. You are a work in progress, striving to improve and do better. Think of creative
ways to solve tough problems. Take calculated risks. Finding new ways to solve a problem moves
the company.
v. Growth
Many people and companies believe that the growth of a company comes with the professional
growth of the team.
vi. Service
Being service-minded or customer-oriented means that you care about providing a quality experience to the
clients you serve.
6.1 Culture
Culture is a broad term that encompasses various unique ways of doing things in a certain society. It can be
divided as material and immaterial culture. Material culture includes clothes, household utensils, tools,
houses and ornaments. The immaterial/non material culture includes language, beliefs, values and norms.
i. The relation between morality and culture
Culture reflects the moral and ethical beliefs and standards that speak to how people should behave and
interact with others. They act as prescriptions for correct and moral behavior, lend meaning and coherence to
life, and provide a means of achieving a sense of integrity, safety, and belonging.
ii. The difference between morality and culture
Normative ethical relativism theory says that the moral rightness and wrongness of actions varies from
society to society and that there are no absolute universal moral standards binding on all men at all times.
Each culture establishes the basic values and principles that serve as the foundation for morality

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 iii. Diverse cultural groups
Despite various styles, unique ways of getting things done, it is however, important to treat all cultures
equally. Because, having cultural diversity means having different dressing styles, traditional foods, cultural
dances etc. making; for example, Ethiopia beautiful and interesting country
6.1.1 Elements of work place culture
Culture is fairly nebulous and subjective but culture comprises a few specific elements: artifacts, stories,
rituals, heroes, symbols, beliefs, attitudes and values.
 Artefacts
Are physical items found to have particular symbolism for a company. This could include an early product
line or the napkin that comprised the original idea for the company. Artefacts remind us of things created
from an earlier time.
 Stories
Culture is often disseminated through stories about past events and people. These stories could be true or
elaborations on a nugget of truth. The story might be of heroism or just plain luck.
 Rituals
Rituals are the repeated actions your company takes. These actions might be cantered on ceremonies, such as
a promotion or a retirement. They may also be associated with employee celebrations, such as the release of
a new product or the closing of a large sale, or they might be companywide, like the annual holiday party.
The predictability of the rituals and the depth of their meaning combined to help keep organizational culture
strong.
 Heroes
Heroes are the folks other employees look to emulate. These folks could be anyone throughout the
organization, from the founders to new hires. A hero might be a customer success representative who went
out of his or her way to delight a customer or the programmer who spent a little extra time to make the latest
release contain one fewer bug. These people symbolize and teach others the ideal behaviours and norms of
the workplace culture.
 Symbols
Cultural symbols can be found throughout an organization, from how people greet one another to the clothes
each person wears. Symbols can indicate status and trigger certain behaviours. A military uniform is full of
symbols. It tells others who salute first and the importance of the person wearing it. An office's decor is also
filled with symbols. The style of furniture, items hung and even the colour of the walls all contribute to
telling everyone more about the people who inhabit it.
Beliefs
People within organizations will often have shared beliefs. These beliefs unify the group's understanding of
the world and provide a foundation for action. This can smooth out communication between subgroups but
can also become a blinder if not checked.

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  Attitudes
Is your organization laid back, rigid, direct or political? Attitudes are the external manifestations of
underlying beliefs that people use to signal to others‘ said beliefs. How do people within your organization
treat one another? Are people open to change and new ideas or is there a rigorous hierarchy that dictates the
attitudes of individuals?
 Values
Values are the rules that everyone agrees to abide by within the group, and these can be seen throughout all
of the other elements of culture. Cultural values shouldn‘t just be a list that is framed sitting next to the
bathrooms; they should be lived and used to make decisions.
6.2 Multiculturalism
It is the view that cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those of minority groups, deserve special
acknowledgment of their differences within a dominant political culture. That acknowledgment can take the
forms of recognition of contributions to the cultural life of the political community as a whole, a demand for
special protection under the law for certain cultural groups, or autonomous rights of governance for certain
cultures.
Multiculturalism is both a response to the fact of cultural pluralism in modern democracies and a way of
compensating cultural groups for past exclusion, discrimination, and oppression. Most modern democracies
comprise members with diverse cultural viewpoints, practices, and contributions. Many minority cultural
groups have experienced exclusion or the denigration of their contributions and identities in the past.
Multiculturalism seeks the inclusion of the views and contributions of diverse members of society while
maintaining respect for their differences and withholding the demand for their assimilation into the dominant
culture.
6.2.1 Cultural diversity
Culture is considered to be the underlying values that direct how people behave. Cultural diversity in the
workplace is a result of practices, values, traditions, or beliefs of employees based on race, age, ethnicity,
religion, or gender.
Economic globalization is one of the driving forces of cultural diversity in the workplace. The modern
workforce is made up of people of different genders, ages, ethnicity, religions, and nationalities. Employers
have realized that workforce diversity provides both material and intangible benefits.
In order for employers to reap the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace, they must communicate
their commitment to addressing the challenges of a diverse workforce. Employers must be seen to be
celebrating their employees‘ diversity to avoid workplace issues, like awkwardness and hostility.
6.2.2 Types of diversity
Diversity in the workforce refers to specific groups of people who have typically experienced discrimination.
To help these employees‘ overcome barriers at work, many companies have created diversity and inclusion
programs.

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When you think about diversity, it can mean a lot of things. Here are just some of the different types of
diversity in the workplace.
 Race – Race is may be one of the first things you think of when you think about diversity.
Employees of colour have often faced challenges — getting hired, being accepted by the co-workers,
receiving fair compensation.
 Education – Not everyone‘s path to employment is the same. Having a mix of educational
backgrounds is a huge asset to an organization, but can also create conflict.
 Ethnicity – As the workforce becomes more and more global, ethnic diversity might bring about
language barriers or cultural differences in how business is carried out.
 Gender – According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 208 years to reach gender equality
in the U.S. Cultural diversity in the workplace also applies to gender.
 Religion – Religious diversity can impact your staff‘s dress, dietary requirements, and request for
particular days off.
 Workers with disabilities – Diversity in the workplace also applies to workers with disabilities.
Whether impairments from vision, learning, or mental health, diversity comes in many ways. As a
result, companies need to ensure that their diversity and inclusion programs recognize and make
provision for the wide spectrum of disabilities.
6.2.3 Workplace Issues Involving Cultural Diversity
Every company that‘s emerged as a positive example of cultural diversity has faced issues in relation to
facilitating people from different groups to work cohesively. HR personnel and the company‘s leadership
should be responsive to these issues. The following are some diversity workplace issues that you might need
to address:
 Conflict – This occurs when discrimination, prejudice, lack of respect, and racism are allowed to
fester in a workplace. Intolerant attitudes can turn into open conflict if companies don‘t take the correct steps
to show that any type of discrimination won‘t be tolerated.
 Harassment – Training should be provided as to what constitutes harassment. Employees who
harass others should be dealt with according to company procedures. Like all the other issues arising from
diversity in the workplace, harassment can have a devastating effect on employees and the company as a
whole. Uber is an example of a company that has suffered damage as a result of harassment claims.
 Disregarding needs – Some companies ignore the needs of disabled employees by failing to provide
them with the necessary equipment to access all facilities and to undertake their jobs. Employers need to lead
the way in creating a comfortable workplace for all of its employees, irrespective of whether they have a
disability.
6.2.4 Managing Diversity in the Workplace
The issues around a diverse workplace can be managed and mitigated if employers take active steps to
ensure that their companies are recognized for tolerance and acceptance.

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Here are some tips for managing diversity in the workplace:
 Create written policies – Companies should include their policy in relation to diversity in their
employee handbook. The policy should contain information about non-discrimination laws, the code of
conduct, and the compensation and benefits policy.
 Provide sensitivity training – Employees should be provided with sensitivity training to create a
better workplace culture. Sensitivity training can help employees to value views that are different,
understand words, and actions that cause offense and what needs to be done if they‘ve been offended.
 Create an accountability plan
Use regular surveys to check in on your progress, and have a plan in place for how you‘re going to ensure
staff upholds these policies.
6.2.6 Multiculturalism in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is one of the most diverse nations in the world inhabited around 84 ethnic groups. The essence of
multiculturalism in Ethiopia is to develop harmonious coexistence among people from diverse ethnic, social
and cultural backgrounds. Embedding cultural and local knowledge dimensions would enhance learners'
ability to deal with different educational and cultural identities constructively to unit a diverse group of
individuals for a common national goal. Ethiopian universities are centres of multiculturalism.
The current Ethiopian regime has used the ethnic federalism policy to restructure Ethiopia‘s geopolitical,
social and education policies along ethnic and linguistic lines. The official discourse of Ethiopian ethnic
federalism and multicultural policies has emphasized the liberal values of diversity, tolerance, and
recognition of minority groups. However, its application has resulted in negative ethnicity and social
conflicts among different ethnic groups
. Importance of Diversity Culture in Ethiopia
Level of awareness and understanding on each other‘s cultural values and features among nations and
nationalities of the country will be increased. Mutual respect and understanding among nations, nationalities
and peoples on the basis of equality will be enhanced. Multiculturalism is the key to achieving a high degree
of cultural diversity. Diversity occurs when people of different races, nationalities, religions, ethnicities, and
philosophies come together to form a community. A truly diverse society is one that recognizes and values
the cultural differences in its people. Today, entire countries, workplaces, and schools are increasingly made
up of various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. By recognizing and learning about these various groups,
communities build trust, respect, and understanding across all cultures. Communities and organizations in all
settings benefit from the different backgrounds, skills, experiences, and new ways of thinking that come with
cultural diversity

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 7 Advantages and Disadvantages of multiculturalism
i. Advantages
There is no doubt that the multiculturalism will bring many advantages.
 It will boost the tourism industry, increase employment and income, raise local government
revenue; hence multiculturalism is good for economy.
 Better mutual understanding could be great helpful to eliminate deep-rooted prejudice and
racist issues.
 It enhances openness and inspire creativity, they might blend different cultures together and
creature new unique food, architecture, music, and culture.
 Innovation and creativity: Immigrants from different nations bring a great source of diverse
knowledge and experience. They help improve trade and bring a lot of creativity and innovation
to a country.
 Economic growth: Doing business with people from different cultural jurisdictions like
immigrants can bring in new skills in the business. This helps a business tap into local and
international markets which contributes to economic growth.
 Community flavour and flair: Ethnic restaurants and stores add flavour and colour to
communities to attract tourists through their cultural celebrations, diverse cultural foods, and
participation in local festivals.
 Understand people: Multiculturalism helps us understand diverse cultures and lets us know
how to get along or interact with people from different cultures.
 Know what culture to take up: It enables you to find out what other cultures can be combined
or used in your culture.
 Learn different languages: You can be friends with people from different nations and as you
interact with them, you can learn their language.
 Know religion and traditions: Multiculturalism gives you an opportunity to know other
countries and know new traditions, new cultures, and religions by interacting with them.
 Skilled migrant labor: A multi ethnic country is a home for many immigrants with the
majority of them being a highly skilled work force. The skilled workforce brings a mix of
cultural experience needed for problem-solving and creating a strong team.
ii. Disadvantages
The side effects of multiculturalism are limited but still worth to be mentioned:
 Religious conflicts: Different religious beliefs bring a lot of conflicts within the
community and can bring tribal clashes.
 Language barrier: People from different cultures use different languages or terms
which are different from that of the natives creating some barrier in communication.

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 Information Sheet 1. Developing the Concept of Profession and Professionalism

2.1 Developing the Concept of Profession and Professionalism

The word profession can be defined as a vocation or occupation requiring, especial, usually advanced
education, knowledge and skill. Thus, the term profession refers to the knowledge, skill and ability which can
be obtained through formal education and training. A person who attained a certain specialized skill is known
as a professional. A man trained in machine or automotive technology, a man trained in medical science and
the like. It should also be acceptable by the society. On the other hand, professionalism is defined as ―The
skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well‖
Although each profession requires people with specific skills and talents, every efficient employee should
have general professional qualities. These qualities can help you show employers that you are a well-rounded
individual. Those who are highly respected and admired in their roles exude professionalism. Some qualities
of a professional include
 Knowing your staff.
 Standing for something.
 Keeping your word.
 Being honest.
2.2 Characteristics of professionalism
There are different characteristics of professionalism. But Commitment and confidence, responsibility and
dependability, honesty and ethics, and appearance and professional presence are central professional
characteristics.

Information Sheet 2. Describing the Concept of Ethics and Professional Ethics

2.1 Fundamentals of Professional Ethics

Professional workers are in charge to change the culture of ethics in their respective organization. They are
expected to be role models in accepting and implementing their professional code of ethics. As the result,
fertile and conducive work environment will be created and effective, efficient, just, and ethical services be
delivered to the customers and the public at large.
Ethics is: the critical examination and evaluation of what is good, evil, right and wrong in human conduct.
A specific set of principles, values and guidelines for a particular group or organization.
Professional Ethics: Professional ethics refers to ethics that enables professionals to distinguish what is
right from what is wrong using morality as standard of evaluation professional ethics can be conceived as
parameter by which actions and behaviors of a professional can be determined as right or wrong. In absolute
terms all professions do not have the same set of values and standards such as accountants, managers,
lawyers, trainers, medical doctors, engineers and Technicians etc.

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2.2 Approaches to Ethics
Strictly speaking, morality is used to refer to what we would call moral standards and moral conduct while
ethics is used to refer to the formal study of those standards and conduct. For this reason, the study of ethics
is also often called "moral philosophy." All moral theories address the questions of what is Good, why it‗s
Good, and where the Good is located? There are only three basic kinds of prescriptive moral theories. These
are teleological theories, deontological theories, and virtue-based theories.
1.2 The Branches of Ethics:
There are different branches of ethics in different perspectives.
Normative ethics is concerned with principles of morality. This branch itself can be divided into various sub-
branches (and in various ways. For this time there are four major branches.
i. Normative Ethics is a branch of moral philosophy, or ethics, concerned with criteria of what is
morally right and wrong. It includes the formulation of moral rules that have direct implications for what
human actions, institutions, and ways of life should be like.
ii. Descriptive Ethics is a form of empirical research into the attitudes of individuals or groups of
people. In other words, this is the division of philosophical or general ethics that involves the observation of
the moral decision-making process with the goal of describing the phenomenon.
iii. Meta Ethics is the study of the nature, scope, and meaning of moral judgment.
iv. Applied Ethics is the practical application of moral considerations. It is ethics with respect to real-
world actions and their moral considerations
2.3 Importance of Professional Ethics
A professional code of ethics is designed to ensure employees are behaving in a manner that is socially
acceptable and respectful of one another. It establishes the rules for behavior and sends a message to every
employee that universal compliance is expected.
2.4 Ethiopian Ethical service delivery
In the Ethiopian context, twelve principles Ethical service delivery are identified as the bases for ethical
service delivery in the working areas and the public at large. Based on these principles each profession is
expected to develop its own professional codes that address the particular nature of the profession. The
values are stated as principles of ethical service delivery and are 12 in number. These are:
i. Integrity ix. Impartiality
ii. Loyalty x. Respecting the law
iii. Transparency xi. Responsiveness
iv. Confidentiality xii. Leadership
v. Honesty
vi. Accountability
vii. Serving the public interest
viii. Exercising legitimate authority

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2.5 Ethics and Law
Laws are norms, formally approved by state, power or national or international political bodies. Many laws
are instituted in order to promote well-being, resolve conflicts of interest, and promote social harmony.
However, there are several reasons why ethics is not law.
 First, some actions that are illegal may not be unethical
 Second, some actions that are unethical may not be illegal.
 Third, laws can be unethical or immoral.
2.6 Principles of Common Professional Ethics
There are fundamental principles of professional ethics that apply to all professions regardless of their
specific specialization. They are:

a. Punctuality: Punctuality refers to the state of being strictly observant of an appointed or regular
time across all professions a worker should be punctual not only when he/she meets deadlines and
when he/she is always available during working hours.
b. Honesty and integrity: honest basically refer to the art of telling the truth. Employers and
institutions expect their workers to be honest and hence professionals should be honest, and at the
same time work in good behavior and integrity.
c. Proper utilization of resources: A worker in any profession should handle the resources in a
way that she/he can use the resources for longer time. In other words, avoiding of wastage in any,
be it material or financial resources.
d. Loyalty and self –efficacy: Any worker, in a given profession must stand for, and not against the
employer or the institution. Moreover, an ethical professionals must develop self-efficacy, that is
an appraisal or evaluation that a professional about his /her professional and personal competence
to succeed in a particular task.
e. Working in cooperation with collogues: A worker of a given profession should make sure that
he/she has a good relationship with other workers. The main rationale behind these codes of
professional ethics is to create a fertile and good atmosphere for cooperation and better
productivity. He/she should serve hand in hand with other professional for better productivity and
effective provision of service.
f. Anti-corruption spirit: One way of fighting corruption is by making professionals to comply
with the laws, rules, and regulations of the state.
g. Confidentiality: A worker of give profession need to keep some information that should be kept
secret. For instance, in case of physician or nurse he/she has to keep all the information regarding
the patient contained in a patient‘s chart. Another example is that a trainer should keep all
information of student‘s achievements confidential.

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 h. Commitment: A professional should help his /her clients and the whole community to maintain
and satisfy societal or public demands.
i. Persistent tolerance and democratic culture: Any worker or professional have to develop
the ability and willingness to accommodate differences in ideas, outlooks or views is
indispensable
j. Respecting the dignity of people: A professional or worker should respect the dignity of all
personal serving them in accordance with their basic needs, irrespective of their sex, personal
status, religion or by supernal factors involved.
k. Impartiality /Non-partiality: A professional should be impartial he/she should treat all
equally in his/her service delivery without any discrimination. for example, a trainer should treat
his/her students equally on the basis of their academic performance or achievement.
l. Accountability and responsibility: Any worker in a given profession has
professional responsibilities or duties. As part of a given organization, everyone is expected to be
answerable for his/her actions.
m. Transparency: That is, his/her work must be open to the public to whom he/she delivers public
services. Confident professionals who work for the people effectively and efficiently are usually
transparent.
n. Responsiveness: Responsiveness refers to the extent that a professional satisfies the needs,
preferences, or values of his/her has connections and professional relationship with his clients or
public, he/she has to able to reply or respond to the people‘s demand.
2.7 Some Characteristics of Work Ethics
Among the many characteristics of work ethics, the following are some to be mentioned:
 Teamwork
 Appearance
 Attitude
 Productivity
 Organizational Skill
 Communication
 Cooperation
 Respect

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 Best Recommended Core Ethical Values includes the following.
A. Integrity, including. Exercising good judgment in professional practice.
B. Honesty, including. Truthfulness
C. Fidelity, including. Faithfulness to clients;
D. Charity, including. Kindness
Responsibility, including. Reliability / dependability
Information Sheet 3 Reflecting and Evaluating Ethical Practices in the Work Place

3.1. Evaluating Ethical practices in the work place

Ethical practices of workers or professionals can be evaluated using ethical standards of workers.
Some Examples of good ethical behaviors in the workplace includes: Obeying the company's rules,
Effective communication, Taking Responsibility, Accountability, Professionalism and Ethical.

3.1.1. Obeying the Company's Rules

In the most basic sense, the benefits of rules and regulations in business are that they protect the
company. By protecting employees, you protect the company from lawsuits. Following rules and
regulations help employees understand what is expected of them and what will happen if they violate
the rules

3.1.2. Effective Communication:

Keys to Effective Communication are:
 Be positive.  Be a mirror
 Be a listener  Be real
 Be an echo.

3.1.3. Taking Responsibility:

It is the way to take responsibility for your life by doing the following:
 Take responsibility for your  Make yourself happy.
thoughts, feelings, words and  Live in the present moment.
actions.  Use the power of intention.
 Stop blaming.  Feel calm and confident
 Stop complaining.
 Refuse to take anything personal.

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 3.1.4. Accountability: is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's
actions public officials lacking accountability. Some steps to accountability may include:
 Mustering the Courage to see it:
 Finding the Heart to own it:
 Obtaining the wisdom to solve it:
 Exercising the means to do it
Professionalism:
―Professionalism is someone's inherent ability to do what is expected of them and deliver quality work
because they are driven to do so.‖ Professionalism also encompasses the way an employee interacts
with other people, including coworkers, customers and supervisors "the trend towards
professionalism". Characteristics true professionals possess in the workplace
 A neat appearance.
 Proper demeanor (in Person and Online)
 Reliable.
 Competent.
 Communicator.
 Good phone politeness (Etiquette).
 Poised (Self-assured).
 Ethical
Trust and Mutual Respect for Your Colleagues at Work
These examples of ethical behaviors ensure maximum productivity output at work.
Encouraging mutual respect will help to: Reduce workplace stress, conflict and problems. An increase
in workplace respect will help to improve communication between colleagues, increase teamwork and
reduce stress as peace in the workplace soars. Increase productivity, knowledge and understanding.
Every worker should try best to get respect and trust from colleagues in the work place.
The Ways to Get Respect from Your Coworkers are
 Follow the Rules.
 Work Hard.
 Talk Less, Listen More.
 Assume the Best About People.
 Apologize and Admit Mistakes.
 Take Criticism and Learn from It.
 Stand Up for Yourself.

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  Help Other People Succeed.

To build trust in the workplace also considers the following:

 Listen more than you speak.
 Solicit and act on feedback.
 Show appreciation every day.
 Empower your team by trusting them first.
 Encourage coaching.
 Practice consistency.
 Focus on nonverbal communication soft skills and
 Create an inclusive culture

3.2. Ethical & Unethical Behavior in Workplace

Workplace ethics are a dynamic set of values that vary with people and their definition of a workplace.
For some, it is a physical office they go to every day, while others, their home office. No matter
whether you work from home or commute to work every day, workplace ethic is required to build a
successful career. Organizations are known to embrace ethical practices and behaviors to increase
productivity and uphold integrity—while setting a penalty for workers who default workplace ethics.
Workplace ethics are the set of values, moral principles, and standards that need to be followed by
both employers and employees in the workplace. It is the set of rules and regulations that need to be
followed by all staff of the workplace.

These ethics are implemented by employers to foster both employee-employee relationship and
employee-customer relationships. An organization may decide to put these ethics into writing or not—
they are however meant to be followed.
3.2.1. Ethical Behaviors in the Workplace
Ethical behaviors ensure maximum productivity output at work and could be pivotal for career growth.
The following are the examples of ethical behavior:
A. Obey The Company’s Rules & Regulation
At the start of an employee contract, companies may need the employee to sign various documents,
including the company rules and regulation agreement form. Also, the employee may be given a
handbook that may serve as a guide. Some common rules are tardiness, inappropriate dressing, and
language, etc. Due to the excitement of getting a new job, some employees do not properly read these

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rules and may end up deferring them in the future. Therefore, it is important that new employees
properly read these rules & regulations in other not to defer them.
B. Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is very important to avoid misunderstandings when dealing with issues in the
workplace. Communicating effectively may mean different things to people at different points in time.
Effective communication may also have an employee breaking one of the rules and regulations of the
company without getting penalized for it.
C. Develop Professional Relationships
Good professional relationships are not only a thing that fosters teamwork among employees, but also
help with individual career development for employees. Developing professional relationships with
coworkers or other professionals outside the workplace will also directly or indirectly improve
productivity. Professional relationships between low-level and high-level employees will make it easier
for ideas to be shared and knowledge to be passed to junior employees. That way, the company can
confidently have an intern work on a tough project to meet a pending deadline due to the guidance from
older employees
D. Take Responsibility
It is important for employees to always take responsibility for decisions made both individually and in
a team. This is, in fact, a leadership trait that every employee who is looking to take up a managerial
position in the future should exhibit. Understandably, employees may want to save their job and are
therefore scared of taking responsibility for a particular event. However, they shouldn't let this fear
take them. out of the team.
E. Professionalism/Standards
There are professional standards that everything an employee does in the workplace. The use of
informal words in a formal workplace is highly unprofessional. These standards should be held high
and applied to every part of an employee's activity in the workplace. This should include the way they
speak, kind of work they deliver and their relationship with coworkers and customers.
F. Be Accountable
Accountability is also a very good trait of an employee. One of the things that may short change a
talented and responsible is the lack of accountability. Lack of accountability may result in your boss
thinking you have an "I don't care attitude" to the company's project or worst take you as a liar and
may lead to job loss in the long run. For example, at the beginning of each year, a certain amount of
money is allocated to each department. The manager is meant to oversee how this money is spent. If at
the end of the year, the manager cannot make an account of how the money was spent, he may then be
suspected of stealing company funds.

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 G. Uphold Trust
An employee should not do anything that may make his or her employee withdraw trust. As an
employee of a company, your employee trusts you to get work done perfectly on time. Things like
missing deadlines regularly or delivering work that needs to be revised over and over again will deny
you a promotion. It may even leave the employer not giving you tasks to complete in the future—a
nightmare for freelancers.
H. Show Initiative without being told
Is the company running behind deadline and you feel you can stay a few extra hours after work to
finish up? Do it. You are a freelance designer and your client wants a particular poster designed but
doesn't have a copywriter to write the content. If you can write the contents, do so. Don't delay a
client's work because of a few contents.
I. Respect Your Colleagues
It doesn't matter whether you are dealing with the intern, a junior, janitor, etc. they should all be
treated with respect. As a manager, treating your team members with respect will help improve their
productivity. Giving constructive criticism and saying kind words to them even when they are not able
to deliver perfectly will help them strive to do better in the future.
J. Work Smarter
Don't just work hard, work smarter. The reason why you see an employee promoted to the post of
manager after just 2 years and a hardworking employee who has been with the company for 10 years
failed to get a promotion is smart work.
3.2.2. Unethical Workplace Behaviors
A. Lies:
Lying is a trait that is detested in and outside the workplace. It kills trust, affects relationships and may
even put people in trouble. There are different situations where employees lie in the workplace-with
just one lie opening the floor for many others. It could be a sales manager lying about the number of
clients they were able to get in a month or an employee calling in sick just to attend another job
interview.
A lot of employees start lying from their CV, by adding experiences they didn't acquire, and the skills
they don't have. Employees need to understand that lying about work may eventually get them in
trouble and needs to stop before they lose their job.
B. Taking Credit for Others Hard Work
It is very common for managers to take credit for their team member's hard work when reporting to the
management. A team member may have brought an idea that helped the sales team improve their sales
by 200%. However, when giving a report, the manager doesn't mention the team member's name but

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claims the idea as his. Employees need to reduce the use of "I", but embrace the use of ―We". By
taking credit for another person's work, you will be denying the person a promotion, bonus or
commendation for a job well done. This will discourage the person from sharing ideas that will benefit
the company in the future.
C. Verbal Harassment/Abuse
Employees need to stay away from using foul language on coworkers in and out of the workplace.
This is very important when dealing with customers. Customers are known to get angry and may result
in verbal abuse due to a bad product or service. They may even get insult you when they are at fault.
As a customer care representative, salesperson or any other employee, it is important that you don't use
abusive words on customers no matter how provoked.
D. Violence
Similar to verbal harassment, employees should not be violent when dealing with coworkers and
customers. Customers may likely provoke you, but it is better to keep shut and walk away rather than
turn violent.
E. Non-Office Related Work
A lot of employees have side hustles which they use to supplement salaries. This is very good and only
very few companies are against employees working to make money outside work hours. However,
some employees still do non-office related work during office hours. Employees who have side hustles
should try doing them on weekends or employing other people to handle some of the business logistics
to avoid eating into office hours to get the work done.
F. Extended Breaks
Companies give lunch breaks to employees and people take advantage of these breaks to do other
things outside office work like, go for interviews, meet with friends or even work on their side hustles.
They are free to do whatever they want this lunch break. Employees, however, take advantage of these
lunch breaks and extend them beyond time.
G. Theft/Embezzlement
Some employees are known for diverting company funds into their bank accounts-padding project
quotations, invoices, etc. to deceive the company on how much was spent on particular projects. This
act is detrimental to the company because employees who steal sometimes replace quality products
with counterfeits which are cheaper but causes damage in the future.
H. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is an offense that is not limited to the workplace alone. An employee accused of
sexual harassment will not only face consequences in the workplace but also tried at a court of law.

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Many companies have a zero-tolerance rate for sexual harassment in and outside the workplace. This
may tarnish the company's reputation and the only way to curb is to make an example of defaulters.
I. Corrupt Practices
Some common causes of corruption can be seen during the employment process of an organization.
They invite so many people to send their CVs and come for interviews but only people with the same
political affiliation with them get the job. This is also common with companies that ask for contractors
to bid for a project but the employees will only give them to their friends who may not even bid at all.
J. Management/Employers Unethical Behaviors
Workplace ethics is not for employees alone. Employers are also bound to workplace ethics and may
also be tried for unethical behavior.
K. Sex for Job /Promotion
It is common for managers, employers and major decision-makers to use their position in the
workplace to influence the hiring decision in exchange for sex.
L. Verbal Harassment
It is common among employers to verbally harass employees when they make little mistakes. This will
reduce employee morale and productivity. Employers should always say kind words to their
employees.
M. Undue Pressure
Deadlines are a great way to make sure the work gets done on time. However, when employees are
placed under undue pressure, they end up trading quality for on-time delivery. An example of undue
pressure will be giving an employee a 1-day deadline for a project that would normally take a week.
N. Nepotism
This is a common type of corruption that happens in the workplace. An employee who has been
working hard for years while influencing company growth may get sidelined for a promotion because
of another employee who is a family friend, family, or friend of the employer. Things like this are
what reduce employee morale or even push talented employees to dropping a resignation.
O. Unfriendly Work Environment
One of the things that can mar productivity is an unfriendly working environment. This may come as a
combination of abusive bosses, lack of commendation, nepotism, etc. An unfriendly environment is an
environment that combines various unethical behaviors into one.
P. Unrealistic Expectations
Creative usually have it worse when it comes to having unrealistic expectations from employees.

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3.3. How to Solve Unethical Issues at the Workplace
3.3.1. Have Rules
Organizations need to have predefined rules and regulations regarding workplace ethics. These rules and
regulations should be given to new employees together with their employment contracts. Also having the
rules written at strategic places at the workplace will also help remind
3.3.2. Accept Feedback/Complaint
Make it easy for employees to send feedback or complaint in case of harassment, abuse, or any other
unethical activities going on in the workplace.
3.3.3. List Consequences for Unethical Behaviors
Consequences for unethical behaviors should also be placed alongside the rules at strategic places in
the organization. That way, if anyone wants to ignore the rules despite seeing them, the fear of getting
punished will stop him or her from going ahead.
3.3.4. Swift Justice/Disciplinary Action
Some companies often cover up issues of rape, sexual harassment, etc. when the perpetrator is a high-
ranking member of the organization. Things like this should not be accommodated. Irrespective of
who breaks the rule, there should be swift disciplinary action by the organization.
3.4. Factors that Affect the Practice of Ethical Behaviour
There are different factors that can affect the Practice of ethical behavior are individual and social
Factors.
A. Individual Factors
Many individual factors affect a person's ethical behavior at work, such as knowledge, values, personal
goals, morals and personality. The more information that you have about a subject, the better chance
you will make an informed, ethical decision. For example, what if you had to decide whether to
approve building a new company store? What if you did not have the knowledge that the store would
disturb an endangered species nest? Without the appropriate knowledge, you could be choosing an
unethical path.
Values are an individual's judgment or standard of behavior. They are another individual factor that
affects ethical behavior. To some people, acting in an improper way is just a part of doing business.
Would you feel that it is ethical to make up lies about your competitor just to win a contract? Some
people's standard of behavior will feel that lying for a business financial win is not unethical.
Morals are another individual characteristic that can affect an individual's ethics. Morals are the rules
people develop as a result of cultural norms and values and are, traditionally, what employees learn
from their childhood, culture, education, religion, etc. They are usually described as good or bad
behavior. Would you have good morals if you pushed a product on a customer that you knew was not
going to help solve a problem?

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Many ethical work situations will also be affected by a person's goals. Which characteristics do you
feel are worthy to aspire to? Is financial gain ranked ahead of good character or integrity? If your
personal goals are about acquiring wealth no matter what the consequence, then you might act
unethical in the future.
Lastly, an employee's personality plays an important factor in determining ethical behavior. Do you
enjoy risk or do you prefer the safe route? Individuals who prefer to take risks tend to have a higher
chance of unethical conduct at work. For example, if you are willing to risk dumping chemicals into a
nearby water supply to launch a profitable drug, then your riskiness could end up creating health issues
in local citizens for the sake of financial gain.
B. Social Factors
4.1. Cultural norms, the Internet and friends and family are three social factors that can affect ethical
behavior. Different cultures have norms that vary from place to place in the business world. For
example, you might have to face a request for a bribe in order to conduct business in certain
countries in some countries. This might be unethical to you but considered an acceptable norm in
their workplace. Standards of Professional Practice
The Standards of Professional Practice are an agreed upon set of ethical and professional standards.
Members the professions use these standards in developing their own codes and guide them daily as
they continue their work. These include the following:
A. Professional Services
Members of the profession fulfill the responsibilities of their position by supporting the educational
interests, rights, and welfare of clients in accordance with the mission of the employing institution.
B. Agreement with Institutional Mission and Goals
Members who accept employment with an educational institution subscribe to the general mission and
goals of the institution.
C. Management of Institutional Resources
Members of the profession seek to advance the welfare of the employing institution through
accountability for the proper use of institutional funds, personnel, equipment, and other resources.
Members inform appropriate officials of conditions which may be potentially disruptive or damaging
to the institution's mission, personnel, and property.
D. Employment Relationship
Members honor employment relationships. Members do not commence new duties or obligations at
another institution under a new contractual agreement until termination of an existing contract, unless
otherwise agreed to by the member and the member's current and new supervisors. Members adhere to
professional practices in securing positions and employment relationships.

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 E. Conflict of Interest
Members recognize their obligation to the employing institution and seek to avoid private interests,
obligations, and transactions which are in conflict of interest or give the appearance of impropriety.
Members clearly distinguish between statements and actions which represent their own personal views
and those which represent their employing institution when important to do so.
F. Legal Authority
Members respect and acknowledge all lawful authority. Members refrain from conduct involving
dishonesty, fraud, deceit, and misrepresentation or unlawful discrimination.
Members demonstrate concern for the legal, social codes and moral expectations of the communities in
which they live and work even when the dictates of one's conscience may require behavior as a private
citizen which is not in keeping with these codes/expectations.
G. Equal Consideration and Treatment of Others
Members execute professional responsibilities with fairness and impartiality and show equal
consideration to individuals regardless of status or position. Members respect individuality and
promote an appreciation of human diversity in higher education. In keeping with the mission of their
respective institution and remaining cognizant of federal, state, and local laws, they do not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, affection or disability.
Members do not engage in or tolerate harassment in any form and should exercise professional
judgment in entering into intimate relationships with those for whom they have any supervisory,
evaluative, or instructional responsibility.
H. Professionals Behavior
Members demonstrate and promote responsible behavior and support actions that enhance personal
growth and development of workers. Members foster conditions designed to ensure a workers‘
acceptance of responsibility for his/her own behavior. Members inform and educate workers‘ as to
sanctions or constraints on worker behavior which may result from violations of law or institutional
policies.
I. Integrity of Information and Research
Members ensure that all information conveyed to others is accurate and in appropriate context. In their
research and publications, members conduct and report research studies to assure accurate
interpretation of findings, and they adhere to accepted professional standards of academic integrity.
J. Confidentiality
Members ensure that confidentiality is maintained with respect to all privileged communications and
to educational and professional records considered confidential. They inform all parties of the nature
and/or limits of confidentiality. Members share information only in accordance with institutional

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policies and relevant statutes when given the informed consent or when required to prevent personal
harm to themselves or others.
K. Research Involving Human Subjects
Members are aware of and take responsibility for all pertinent ethical principles and institutional
requirements when planning any research activity dealing with human subjects.
L. Representation of Professional Competence
Members at all times represent accurately their professional credentials, competencies, and limitations
and act to correct any misrepresentations of these qualifications by others. Members make proper
referrals to appropriate professionals when the member's professional competence does not meet the
task or issue in question.
M. Selection and Promotion Practices
Members support nondiscriminatory, fair employment practices by appropriately publicizing staff
vacancies, selection criteria, deadlines, and promotion criteria in accordance with the spirit and intent
of equal opportunity policies and established legal guidelines and institutional policies.
N. References
Members, when serving as a reference, provide accurate and complete information about candidates,
including both relevant strengths and limitations of a professional and personal nature.
O. Job Description and Performance Evaluation
Members clearly define with subordinates and supervisors job responsibilities and decision-making
procedures, mutual expectations, accountability procedures, and evaluation criteria.
P. Campus Community
Members promote a sense of community among all areas of the campus by working cooperatively with
staff, and others outside the institution to address the common goals.
Q. Professional Development
Members have an obligation to continue personal professional growth and to contribute to the
development of the profession by enhancing personal knowledge and skills, sharing ideas and
information, improving professional practices, conducting and reporting research, and participating in
association activities. Members promote and facilitate the professional growth of staff and they
emphasize ethical standards in professional preparation and development programs.
R. Assessment
Members regularly and systematically assess organizational structures, programs, and services to
determine whether the developmental goals and needs of workers are being met and to assure
conformity to published standards and guidelines.

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