Ethical issue AT&T case is advocacy for workplace equality
The ethical issue in the AT&T case is advocacy for workplace equality. This demonstrated by for the “affirmative action” reforms that the organization has over time fought for through civil right. The organization partnered with other department to end the workplace discrimination. The involvement of the AT&T in the Ward Cove is commitment of the organization of the defensive Corporate Social Responsibility. The organization has moved over various milestones towards ensuring that it attains the much important equality amongst women and minority groups in workplace and do away with any form of discrimination (Roland, p56)
The promotions of the civil rights by AT &T promoted the development of the workplace ethical consideration in most of other organizations in the industry and beyond which borrowed from this example. Discrimination and favoritism is an issue since most of the organizations have denied women and other minority groups the opportunities of achieving their individual best potentials due to different diversity issues within the many workplaces. Therefore, the example from the case study is a perfect educational scenario of what other different organization with such workplace diversity issues should emulate in their practices.
Ethical model: Fairness
This ethical model focuses on the equal treatment of employees within an organization. the model of fairness according to Aristotle demands that the equals should be treated equally while the unequal individuals be treated unequally. However, the moral question on the ethical model of fairness is based on the reason as to whether an action is fair or whether there is favoritism or any discrimination based on any factor. According to the model, employees within an organization need to feel that a decision made regarding their treatment is fair and is keen on their overall level of play, benefits and opportunities for their promotion among other aspect of the organizational operations (Herlihy, p45).
The various theories of fairness at a workplace like in the case of AT&T all converges at the point of employees encountering fairness through communication. The organization communication method should be about inclusion and respect that can result in employees feeling like they are all equal part of the organization. In the case of AT&T, the organization issue of diversity based on gender and the aspect of minority was later corrected through civil right advocates from the initial case where the women and the minority groups were initially treated unfairly (Roland, p57).
- Pertinent issues
Professional/industry code of ethics involved
The facts on the case by AT&T is particularly focusing on the professional code of ethics. Professional code of ethic guides the worker as well as an employee in a given professional setting. It is key in the development of workplace equality as well corporation of both employees and the employers in a workplace. The most important facts about the case of AT &T case from the professional code of ethics are fairness and civic virtue. According to fairness code of ethics, worker should be treated fairly regardless of their background or racial origin.
The organization aggressively started advocating for fairness of women and the minority group with bid of promoting the same in other companies. The leadership of AT&T on the case of Ward Cove was particular based at promoting the overall diversity in most American workplace stations. The organizations advocating the women and the minority groups to attain the highest paid position within the organization is one most important aspect drive towards achieving this code of ethic of a workplace (Roland,p 67)
On the professional code of ethic of Civic virtue, it is based on an organization recognizing the law and customs of the society. It also advocated for social responsibility within an organization, AT&T acted in a manner that demonstrated the social responsibility by pushing for equality and fair treatment of every group in the society.
- Stakeholders
The key stakeholders in this case are the employees of the AT&T, its management, and the community where the organization is operating. In the case, the other groups which have in the longest time oppressed the woman and the minority group was harmed by the participation of this organization to advocate from the far treatment of these groups. This is because according to the court ruling on the Ward Cove, the other companies in the same industry were compelled by the law henceforth to start the process of better treatment by the companies.
Beneficiaries
From the case study the greater beneficiaries from the action of AT&T management into advocating for the civil right act were the individual employees of both AT&T, the other employees in the same industry from the other companies and the larger community. The AT&T did benefit from this particular advocacy. The overall reputation of the organization currently stands way high due to lack of discrimination that the leadership has struggled to develop. Generally, it can be considered that the entre American society and beyond benefited from the action of the AT&T demonstrated in the case study.
Rights
From the case, the right of women and the monitory groups have been exercised. These two groups have obtained the right to equal and fair treatment in the industry and to equal right of promotion in the workplace with a better payment unlike in the past. The rights of the minority group to equal access of the opportunities within the workplace through fairness have also been greatly exercised from the case. Other than the employees alone, the right of the communities around the different companies have also been exercised. From the Wards Cove ruling, the companies have been compelled according to the civil right act to participate in the corporate social responsibilities which has been expressed in this case as the right of the community leaving adjacent to the companies. The right of the other companies’ management s seen to have been denied since they do not have the chance of paying the workers below the set standards(Mor et al , p32).
The three alternative towards solving the issue identified in question one with the main actor being AT&T include, educating the management of the different organization, employee and other bodes according to civil right acts to end discrimination. The other alternative is acting as a leader through examples to end to the issue of discrimination like in the way the leadership of the AT&T acted in ensuring that women and monitory groups were promoted to better positions like other groups. Lastly, the other alternative includes the development of partnership with other bodies towards advocating for key legislative measures aimed at ending the issue of discrimination.
The other remedy/alternatives that I have been able to identify from the issue of diversity revolves around change of view of the entire stakeholder involved in the cases. AT&T is the key actor in all these three alternatives towards bring an end to the workplace discrimination. One, it is important for the management of the different organization to conform to the needs of the civil rights act. developing a better understanding of the need by the management of the other organizations/companies to understanding the need to end the issue of discriminations and favoritism helps deal with this issue (Mor et al , p 45).
The other alternative to ending the issue of discrimination in a workplace identified include partnering with the different civil right bodies in ensuring that they act up the other organization according to the law to end the problem. For instance, AT&T worked with the EEOC, the department of Labor and the department of justice in ensuring that they collective brought to an end the issue of workplace discrimination on the women and minority groups. In order to achieve this aspect alternative, the different stakeholders based their legislative actions in ensuring that the workplace discrimination is achieved. This is demonstrated from the cases of Wards coves ruling as well (Ilmakunnas, p23).
The AT&T also joined other kind of transformed organization in defending for the civil rights enforcements following the Wards cove ruling. Lastly, acting as an example for others, this is one other way of solving the issue of discrimination. The leadership of AT&T from the group in the process of advocating for the right of the different employees started by treating women and minority groups fairy promoting the to occupy higher position within the organization. However, all these alternative revolves around development of the measure of better ethical consideration among all the different stakeholders involved n a particular industry to work collectively either through alternative 1,2 or 3 towards ensuring a better outcome.
AT&T developed the three strategies with the best consideration of the harm and the benefit that each of the alternative to the issue of diversity at workplace, discrimination and favoritism would be considered unacceptable for the different groups. Most importantly however s that the company started by promoting the social cooperate responsibility and an education strategy that would go a long way in informing the many organizations on the issue of workplace discrimination. Ethically, AT&T applied different consideration that does not violate the other organizations right into ensuring that it give out the understanding of the different alternatives differently towards ending issue of discrimination (Ilmakunnas, p37).
- Recommendations
- a) Based on the ethical model of fairness identified in question 2, it is important for an organization to apply the greater aspect of fairness among all the employees. The model advocates for greater level of fairness, it keys for an organization to focus on ensuring that treating all the groups within an organization fairly based on their individual contributions. In order to avoid discrimination ensuing that the greater aspect of fairness model which focuses on professional code of ethics are adhered to.
- b) The key code of ethics of personal performance at a workplace is based on civic virtue and farness, the recommendation on treating all employees within an organization will not only end the issue of discrimination within an organization in a short term but incorporated n the culture of the organization the will assist the organization into achieving a greater fair treatment and fairness n all workplaces. Identification of the two code of ethics will ensuring that no one looks down upon each other and this will be key in ensuring the greater success in eliminating the diversity issue identified in the AT&T case.
Work cited
Remley, Theodore Phant, and Barbara Herlihy. Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2014. Davis, Michael. “Profession, code, and ethics.” (2002).
Barak, Michalle E. Mor. Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications, 2016.
Ilmakunnas, Pekka, and Seija Ilmakunnas. “Diversity at the workplace: Whom does it benefit?.” De Economist 159.2 (2011): 223-255.
Tharp, Roland. Teaching transformed: Achieving excellence, fairness, inclusion, and harmony. Routledge, 2018.
Tarzian, Anita J., Lucia D. Wocial, and ASBH Clinical Ethics Consultation Affairs Committee. “A code of ethics for health care ethics consultants: Journey to the present and implications for the field.” The American Journal of Bioethics 15.5 (2015): 38-51.
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