Ethics In Workplace KFC

Assessment Item 3:

Write a 3000 word essay in which you:

• Use an organisation that is or has been in the news during the past two years (work-related learning) and identify an ethical dilemma faced by that organisation as an example.
• Apply at least two theoretical concepts from managerial ethics to examine this dilemma critically.
• Go on to examine and critically evaluate how these theoretical concepts influence managerial practices in the chosen organisation.
• In conclusion, reflect critically on how leaders may ensure organisational decisions are made ethically.
• Academic and professional communication skills: You must follow an essay structure that is at a minimum an introduction; a main body that outlines the argument, analyses the material you have researched and assesses this according to the guidelines above; and a conclusion.Your writing style must follow professional literacy: Citations and a final reference list that follows the APA 6 guidelines accurately; the quality of writing and presentation: accurate mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.); use respectful language to discuss all people; avoid emotive language; employ inclusive, non-sexist language. Use a minimum of ten (10) citations/references 

INTRODUCTION

Ethics and social responsibility are today an integral part of the functioning of any organization. Ethics inspires the organization to do what is morally correct rather than blindly focusing on the profit and growth objective. However, following such path has never been easy for ethically responsible organizations. Many organizations face ethical dilemmas in their businesses' strategies and operations. The inevitable question that often arises in businesses is that if both profitabilities of the company and ethical responsibility becomes contradictory in any situation than what to choose. The question becomes tougher because of the mere fact that employees and management are professionally responsible to the organizations as well as morally responsible for the society. However, most of the socially responsible organizations take ethics and morality very seriously. They always try to find a middle way of functioning such that their profits, as well as ethics, are not compromised. Unethical practices not only damage the company's moral but also harms its reputation. And in today's business environment reputation is everything. Like many major MNCs, Kentucky Fried Chicken have also faced some serious ethical dilemmas in its business life. KFC is one of the leading global restaurant chains. After McDonald's KFC is the second largest in the fast food restaurant business globally. Since 1950, the year it was founded by Colonel Sanders it has traveled a long path ahead. It has more than 17000 outlets across 105 nations. But as the business expanded KFC also faced several ethical dilemmas across various nations and cultures. KFC has responded to some of these dilemmas to ensure an ethical business. In this essay, we will try to discuss and analyze the story and reasoning behind ethical dilemma in KFC. 

DECISION MAKING AND ETHICS

An ethical decision making is required in situations when a person, organization or system faces an ethical dilemma. Usually, in a situation of ethical dilemma, four sub-processes occur in a sequence before a decision is taken. The four steps are:

• Moral sensitivity or recognition is the step in which the organization learns about the existence of the ethical dilemma. It often happens through external sources like the press, media but it can always be found from within if the organization is vigilant about its moral character.
• Moral judgment or analysis is the step in which the administration should decide what are the right and wrong things to do in the situation. And after a thorough analysis, it ends up in choosing few options.
• After the choice of options is done, the management must be motivated enough and should also motivate its team to follow the chosen course of action (Wayner, 2014). This is what is done in moral focus or motivation step.
• Moral character determines the strength of the motivation of the organization to bring about the change. A weak moral character will lead to failure of application of the moral decisions taken.

These are the four sub-processes whose success can ensure the following of a moral path by an organization in case of an ethical dilemma.

LEADERSHIP ROLES & KFC

Leadership can be defined as the attributes of a person which makes a person capable of leading people in an organization towards the targeted goal. They have the capabilities of not only motivating but leading the people. In KFC leadership is given immense importance to manage new projects as well as to lead the company and its restaurants. There are several kinds of leadership styles mentioned in theories. Some of them are:

• Authoritative Leadership: They believe in strictness and consider team members and juniors as resources. Good in achieving quick results but not in bringing inherent changes. Not very suitable to lead people to an ethical dilemma.
• Democratic/Participative Leadership: They treat people as fellow mates and have an emotional connect with them (Khurana, 2011). They are lenient but can bring inherent changes in teams' mindsets. They can be effective in leading organization in ethical dilemmas.
• Transactional Leadership: Can work only when both the leaders and followers see a profit and return for themselves. Not very suitable for ethical dilemmas and thus can't bring psychological changes in the team.

Transformational Leadership: They have a vision and can create motivation and commitment in the team. They are best suited for the organization to bring transformational changes under an ethical dilemma situation.