Ethical Issues in HR Profession: A Critical Assessment in the Context of Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper attempts to study the sourcesIJorms of ethical misconducts that today's managers face in the organizational context. Because of the nature of the HRM function, HR-managers must frequently make and implement decisions with ethical implications. This explains why HR-managers want to make the HR-department the organizational locus of the responsibility for ethical behavior at work. During the process of making and executing HRM policies and practices, HR- managers however, are often torn as a result of strong conflicting pressures associated with the field. HR is partially about enhancing commitment and boosting control, training and manipulation, surveillance and upholding right to privacy, making provisions for 'whistle blowing' and policing disloyalty, empowerment and change, to mention a few. Other unethical issues involving favoritism in employment, inconsistencies in pay, sex and religious discrimination and breaches of confidentiality are faced by HR-managers on a regular basis. Downsizing and outsourcing often lead to problems in maintaining employee motivation and sense of well-being in the face of growing job insecurity. The fact is that they do face conflicts between morality and the motive for profit maximization. The motive for profit maximization induces the HR- professionals to violate ethical norms. These violations have most of the times been patronized by the employees of all levels of management, and even by the board or by directors individually and collectively. In particular, the paper argues that where regulatory compliances are sub- optimal, expecting ethical conduct is quite superfluous. There is no easy way to deal with these dilemmas. The regulatory authorities and other stake-holders should think seriously and take problem-specific measures in this area including the establishment of well thought out code of ethical conducts for businessmen as well as professionals in this field