​@Moe 

Great article, and a really important area that not many companies even think about :)

Not my area of expertise - however, I have found working for a ton of different organisations that the moral/ethical compass is very much drawn from the company values.  This means not only curating a brilliant company values set, but actively ensuring all areas of the business reflect them - in policy, process and mindset. 

This might be hard to hear, but at the end of the day, morality just isn’t a primary concern for most businesses. It only comes up in the context of avoiding trouble and protecting reputation… and maybe some companies have realised that employees are more engaged if integrity is pushed as a value. Beyond that, morality has never been central in any of the companies I’ve worked with.

Given that context, there’s still something we can influence - and that’s pushing for holistic clarity and alignment. This can actually resolve the morality/integrity problem indirectly! I know it sounds strange, but hear me out.

Some of the most aligned companies operate either like a MACHINE (focused on efficiency and stability) or like an ECOSYSTEM (focused on connectivity and innovation). Smaller teams might be more like NAVY SEALS (focused on agility and customer relationships).

Leaders need to consider and articulate which organisational model they want to fit into. For example, one question I ask is, “What positive change is your business making to people or the planet?”

With a series of simple yet profound questions like this, we can dig into a company’s context and identity. You’ve got to provide employees with a framework for sense-making, decision-making, and principles on how we work together. With this foundational context and clarity in place, people gain a clear sense of direction. They stop trying random things because they understand how to succeed, what takes priority, and what behaviours are expected of them - even when things go wrong.

So, instead of tackling morality as yet another standalone symptom, companies that prioritise alignment indirectly address the issue of moral disengagement - without having to pour disproportionate time and resources into it, which often exacerbates employee cynicism.

I’d love to hear whether this resonates with anyone - or if there are different perspectives to consider!

PS: Thanks for sharing the article, ​@Moe. 

Where my thoughts go with this is, where’s actually the power to influence this?

Leaders have the power to lead with integrity and avoid unethical behaviour in the first place. To ​@Majid’s point, where the captain(s) steers the ship is where it’ll go. 

Staff have the power to raise their voice and disagree with practices and decisions made. Although, unless there are transparency and communication channels, it’ll be difficult to have your voice heard. Even with the proper channels, it can be hard because you would also need to feel psychologically safe and have the motivation to speak up. Worst case scenario, they can blow the whistle, but at that point you’re beyond moral disengagement.

As HR, if we have a seat at the top table, we can help leaders steer in the right direction, avoid the unethical icebergs and encourage high moral standards. As ​@nicolegoodlord mentioned, the accepted standards of morality is likely to derive from the organisation’s values and how they’re lived day-to-day. That starts at the top and for leaders to lead by example.

If HR’s power to influence the top crew is limited, all we can do is follow our own internal compass and try to encourage good behaviour through processes, policies, coaching and mentoring, improvement projects, etc., whatever is within your remit. In this instance, if you believe that the journey and direction is headed towards immoral and unethical behaviour despite your efforts to implement good practices, it’s probably better to jump ship. 

(I don’t know why I got into the ship analogies, but I just went with it! )