Kelley Pettus

Reflection 1

 

For my first reflection, I was required to review the company code of ethics and then hypothesize an ethical dilemma and two possible solutions. I focused on the possibility of a social media manager abusing social media. For a word document, click here. 

 

 

Summary of Code of Ethics:

 

Like many companies, the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) outlines its Ethical Standards in its employee manual. ACVB is first and foremost committed to adhering to the law; the ACVB is also committed to acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness. ACVB employees are expected to serve all constituents impartially, and special treatment toward or from a constituent is barred except for the knowledge or consent of the President and CEO. Employees must not issue false or intentionally misleading information about the ACVB or any affiliates, and they should participate in no event that furthers their personal gain at the expense of ACVB.

 

The Standards of Conduct outlines unacceptable behavior, including excessive absences, negligence of duties, destruction of ACVB property, and other policies.

 

Penalties for violations of Ethical Standards are outlined in the manual as well. A first offense will be issued a verbal warning either by the employee’s supervisor or the CEO. A second offense warrants a written warning that documents the problem, issued by the supervisor or CEO. A third offense faces suspension or termination from the company.

 

The ACVB also outlines a whistleblower policy, which protects employees who report illegal or dishonest activity. Employees who report violations are protected in the areas of confidentiality and retaliation.

 

 

 

Personal Reflection on Code of Ethics:

 

I think that the ACVB’s policies are clearly outlined, as are disciplinary actions. I do not thing this code of conduct alone is all-inclusive of the ethical behavior I have seen in the workplace. In talking to Human Resources Manager Cindy Nale, I know that there are procedures in place in the case of harassment or other workplace discrimination that is not explicitly stated in the Ethical Standards document.

 

I do think that some of the Standards of Conduct are a bit subjective. For example, how often must one be tardy to be considered “excessively tardy?” Other standards such as “engaging in behavior designed to create discord and lack of harmony” are incredibly ambiguous. I understand that the code of conduct aims to outline standards without hard cutoffs, but hard numbers are needed, just as they are used in the disciplinary policy. If the disciplinary policy is “three strikes, you’re out,” then the same standard should be used in the Standards of conduct. The standards need to be more unified and specific.

 

 

Possible Ethical Dilemma: 

 

The ACVB specifically outlines “excessive time spent surfing the internet” and “negligence of duties” as unacceptable standards of conduct. An ethical dilemma that could arise might be that a Social Media Manager Mary is accused of spending too much time on Facebook and Twitter and that she is using her personal accounts rather than working with ACVB accounts and promotions. A whistleblower, whose confidentiality has been protected, has reported that Mary spends her time scrolling through her personal Facebook when she should be doing other work and when approached about it responds that Facebook is part of her job description.

 

 

Solution 1:

 

Solution 1 is that Mary could simply receive a warning from her supervisor or CEO. A verbal warning can often be misinterpreted as a “guideline” rather than as “law.” Mary will then continue on her own social media escapades until she is either scared by a written warning or terminated from the company. This solution follows ACVB’s disciplinary procedures and gives Mary her own freedom in the workplace to choose whether or not she wishes to cooperate. The cons are that it does not set a standard of self-responsibility in the workplace, nor does it rely on personal accountability (for Mary or for the whistleblower who anonymously reporter her.)

 

 

Solution 2:

 

Solution 2 is that stricter guidelines could be set in place, such as monitoring of social media use on computers or a data cap on social media activity per day. Social media managers would be required to use their time and energy within a certain limit to achieve ACVB goals. This would allow for some creative freedoms while still promoting the interests of the company. The ACVB should also never face the same cooperation issues again. However, enforcing guidelines literally with technological limits imposed on workers could impede productivity and creativity, and it creates a more hostile and less independent work environment. For those who do not need this kind of monitoring, rules like this could be disastrous.

 

 

My Solution:

 

While Solution 2 guarantees that guidelines will be followed, I would choose Solution 1. Adhering to policies that employees are familiar with and that have defined limits is a better solution for a problem in self-motivation. Not all those in the workplace should suffer because a single person abused her privileges. Workplace privileges should be given until proven otherwise and then disciplinary action should proceed. Preventative measures create too hostile a work environment for progress and creativity, which is detrimental to the health of a business.