Etiquette is a traditional code that outlines the appropriate and courteous manner to behave in public settings such as workplace and social gatherings. The primary distinction between etiquette and ethics is that ethics are concerned with one’s values or conscience, whereas etiquette is concerned with one’s manner of conduct. However, book of etiquette tell us how etiquette and ethics are growing problems in the workplace.
1. Loss of Efficiency:
When the norm at an organization is to close deals no matter what, workers are more likely to circumvent safety measures designed to prevent sales delays. In the end, we discover that the work needs to be done or errors need to be addressed, which reduces output. Another explanation is that workers who do their best to act ethically may feel that they are falling short of the achievements of their less scrupulous coworkers.
2. Lack of Respect:
We all have an innate sense of what is morally correct to do. Our “gut feel” is another term for this. We prefer to lose respect for our supervisors and leaders when we see them make judgments that feel blatantly wrong to us.
It’s quite challenging for a leader to steer a firm to success if his or her staff does not hold that person in high regard. Employees may not only lose respect for those who succeed while making poor choices, but they may also come to detest them.
3. Reliability as a Whole:
Companies that act unethically also lose the trust of their customers. It may take a well-planned or implemented marketing or rebranding campaign to reestablish credibility after customers have stopped doing business with you, and even then, things may never be the same.
Employees may come to feel the same way about working for your company as the general public does, which might have a negative impact on morale, motivation and respect.
5. Non-disclosure and Corporate Espionage:
Theft of sensitive information, which includes client lists, by current or former workers is a real concern for many businesses. Corporate espionage refers to the theft of a company’s intellectual property or the leak of confidential client information.
That’s why it’s sometimes wise to make nondisclosure agreements absolutely necessary. To further deter such unethical behavior, you as a human resources officer and manager, may want to implement severe financial consequences for infractions.
6. Favoritism or Nepotism:
Hiring managers and human resources specialists often have personal connections that make them desire to hire friends or relatives. Some workers may view this as nepotism and favoritism even though you follow all the rules for hiring fairly.
When the supervisors provide preferential treatment to some workers over others for no good reason, this is known as favoritism. As a result, it is possible that other workers output and happiness on the job will suffer, along with the company as a whole.
7. Dismiss Seemingly Menial Tasks:
When you are just starting out in an organization, you can learn a lot about the higher-up positions and what is necessary to be effective within the firm as a whole by doing the mundane or menial tasks.
8. Inefficiency:
Workers who lack a strong work ethic may show signs of inefficiency in their work. They get the job done, but it takes longer and costs more than if they had used more efficient methods.
9. Carelessness:
A deficiency of work ethic is seen in the carelessness with which an irresponsible worker approaches their job. In contrast, responsible workers value their obligations and duties highly.