LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY, WHISTLE BLOWING AND PRIVACY

PRACTICES THE ETHICAL ISSUES IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:
RESEARCH PROJECT

A Qualitative Paper presented to

The Faculty of the Department of College Business Administration
Lyceum of the Philippines University Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of

Operations Management 1

Proponents:
Lee, Aleiza Aubrey
Macabalos, Cyrille Mae
Macabalos, Chloe Jane
Moyo, Andrea C.
Tagle, Jean Princess
Nabuya, Daniel Angelo

June 2022
 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

Abstract

The continuing tale of the interaction between employees and employers in the

history of workplace ethics. The 2018 Global Business Ethics Survey says that 40% of

employees say their organization has a weak ethical culture and that little progress has

been done to reduce misconduct. Business ethics is viewed as an essential element that

impacts the success and income of each business, and its importance is expected to

develop in the future. Business control is developing an increasing number of problems

in the twenty-first century, even as lots of ethical demanding situations emerge at the

same time. It is vital to have thorough attention to ethical problems in addition to the

identification of preventive actions. Workplace health and safety, whistle blowing, and

privacy practices are some of the ethical concerns that companies are dealing with.

Knowing how to recognize and prevent these ethical concerns before they become a

problem might help to keep the focus on corporate development and success rather than

loses. To manage ethical difficulties in the company, detailed awareness of what those

issues might look like is required. Understanding these difficulties is critical to handle

correctly when they develop in the company.

 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

Introduction

Navigating ethical concerns is one of the most difficult issues for any busi -

ness organization. Some ethical difficulties in business are governed by legisla-

tion, while others are less clear. It is up to the business owner and management

in these circumstances to hold employees accountable for unethical behavior.

Also, of all, to conduct oneself ethically. According to the 2018 Global Business

Ethics Survey, 40% of employees say their organization has a poor or weak-

leaning ethical culture.

Ethics are the written and unwritten guidelines that regulate our expectations of

ourselves and others. Business ethics is a combination of moral standards, phi-

losophy, politics, and law. It serves as a guideline for a corporation's ethical oper-

ations as well as a moral standard to control business behavior. In the long term,

ethical behavior earns the corporation more advantages than immoral behavior.

Business ethics also known as the study and creation of corporate policy based

on the companies’ rules. This idea defines an employee's attitude in interactions

with coworkers and outsiders.

Ethical issues are problems (issues or situations that demand a corporate organi-

zation or a person to make decisions that must be evaluated as ethical (right) or

unethical (wrong). An ethical problem occurs when a choice, activity, or event vi-

olates an organization's or society's ethics. Complex ethical difficulties include di-

versity, compliance, governance, and compassionate decision-making that align

 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

with the organization's underlying ideals. Conflict may be dangerous to a busi-

ness since it signals a violation of relevant legislation. It may be difficult to handle

ethical problems properly when there are no rules.

This study discuses and identifies 3 ethical issues in Operations Management,

Workplace Health, and Safety, Whistle Blowing, and Privacy practices. Under-

standing these issues, how to recognize it, and more importantly, prevent these

issues from becoming a problem.

1. Workplace Health and Safety

Everyone has the right to secure working surroundings and operating con-

ditions. According to the ILO, 7,397 people die every day because of workplace

accidents or illnesses. The following are several the most commonplace worker

protection considerations:

1. Unprotected sides and edges, as well as main edges, provide fall protection.

2. Hazard communication, for instance, categorizing unsafe compounds

3. Scaffolding, for instance, needed resistance and maximum weight figures

4. Emergency approaches and respiratory/filter equipment necessities are exam-

ples of respiration protection.

5. Controlling unsafe energy, which includes oil and gas, is an instance of lock-

out/Tagout.

6. Powered Industrial Trucks, which include fire trucks, should meet sure safety

standards.
 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

7. Ladders, for example, recommendations for how much weight a ladder can

support

8. Methods of electrical wiring, which includes techniques on a way to twine a cir-

cuit to lower electromagnetic interference

9. Machine Guarding, for instance, declaring that guillotine cutters, shears, elec-

tricity presses, and different equipment require a factor of operation guarding.

10. Electrical, General Requirements, such as not locating wires or systems in

wet or moist areas.

An ILO report published in 2019 focused on the growth of "Psychosocial haz-

ards" and "work-related stress." Psychosocial concerns also cause harm to em-

ployees, such as work-related stress and mental health difficulties, which need to

additionally be considered. High work expectations, employment uncertainty, and

a lack of autonomy can all make contributions to health-associated behavioral

hazards.

Inspect the workplace regularly and regularly for any dangers and educate per-

sonnel on safety measures. Recognize and reward good work and provide possi-

bilities for growth for staff. Inform employees that assistance is accessible and

have regular discussions with staff to better understand their requirements. these

are some basic guidelines for promoting workplace safety and health, that The

World Health Organization has gathered.

 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

2. Whistle Blowing

Because of the huge use of social media, worker whistleblowing has

turned out to be more common and become easier to do. Whistleblowing hap-

pens when a worker makes a protected disclosure to their organization or the

proper authority about specific issues recognized through their employment. Fail-

ure to conform with legal obligations/crook offenses, dangers to health and

safety, environmental harm, and miscarriages of justice are a few examples. To

be protected, the disclosures should be in the public interest and disclosed to the

employer or an appropriate agency.

A whistle-blower policy can be beneficial for the following reasons:

1. It allows companies to educate their employees and management, as well as

reaffirm the standards anticipated in their organization.

2. Employees should make protected disclosures to a well-qualified management

3. A clear whistle-blowing policy can safeguard a company if a current or former

employee makes a false or malicious complaint. When such an accusation is

made, a whistle-blower policy can explain the repercussions.

4. A whistle-blower policy signals to employees that the company takes any mis-

conduct extremely seriously and is committed to uncovering and correcting it.

5. A clear whistle-blower policy fosters a culture in which misbehavior is handled

immediately and perhaps before any regulatory action or reputation damage oc-

curs.
 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

6. A whistle-blower policy can also highlight to employees the value of secrecy to

their company and clients.

As a result, organizations must recognize the necessity of having clear whistle-

blowing protocols in place and successfully communicating with employees at all

levels. Whistle-blowing rules should be adapted to the specific employer's com-

pany and industry, especially for employers in the financial services industry.

3. Privacy Practices

Another ethical problem is the use of company-owned equipment. Em-

ployees have these days found that the line between work and private life has

crossed. This idea is mainly because of technological advancements. Employers

may also now track each employee`s computer and cellular activities. While that

is meant to make sure that personnel keep on with work-associated activities

during the working day. To avoid an ethical issue with worker privacy, encourage

all stages of personnel to bear in mind the advantages of being monitored. To

avoid an ethical issue with worker surveillance, each personnel and employers

have to be aware of the real advantages of being monitored, and whether it's far

a beneficial manner of developing a report on their job performance. It makes no

sense to hide company’s monitoring from employees; if employees know they

are being watched, they'll be less inclined to do things they warned them about.

Employers must analyze the influence on morale if everyone suspects they are

being spied on. Employers may monitor practically every element of workers' at-
 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

work behavior using monitored workstations, cameras, microphones, and other

electronic monitoring equipment. Because of privacy concerns, some managers

may be hesitant to use cameras at all. Ethical concerns may inspire private-sec-

tor businesses to treat their employees with dignity. Finally, the best approach to

prevent ethical issues in business is to publicly discuss them.

 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

Result

These studies helped the researcher understand that there's no such fac-

tor as a perfect business and that most, if not all, business owners could face

ethical troubles at some time in their careers. Even if an organization takes all re-

quired measures, it must always be prepared to cope with ethical demanding sit-

uations in business, and it's far nice to look at some real-life times to fully grasp

how ethical issues in business may express themselves. At the beginning of the

study, the researchers believe that when it comes to "ethical issues," it only gives

bad views, not understanding that this moral problem can be useful and trans-

form into a company`s strength. Ethical concerns may be avoided if a company

can recognize and discover the underlying and increasing issues inside the orga-

nization. Companies can also fix issues if they are well prepared and have an ap-

propriate solution to the problem. It is also critical to take an action while the

problem is still minor to avoid it from growing and causing more harm to the com-

pany and its employees. That is why dealing with dilemmas in business accept-

ably and effectively is important.

 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

Discussion

To become an ethical business, the company must adhere to a few basic

ethical business principles. Leaders should consider their values when making

critical judgments. Determine suitable disciplinary action and ensure that the

penalty is proportionate to the offense. A code of ethics is essential for everyone

in any organization, but it is especially crucial for leaders. Avoiding ethical con-

cerns in the company always begins at the top. Having established policies and

processes in place to guarantee that such policies are both recognized and fol -

lowed. Various everyday steps can make to recognize and, more importantly,

prevent ethical concerns from arising in your firm. When making decisions, be

sure to express and enforce a strong code of ethics and expect the workers to do

the same. Keep up to date on the rules that affect the business and make sure

that the organization is following laws. Being present in the organization ensures

that the organization and its people are constantly doing the correct and ethical

thing.
 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

Reference List:

Mohammed T. Nuseir and Ahmad Ghandour, (August 2019) pp 592-605, Ethical

issues in modern business management, inder science online

https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJPM.2019.102153

Tim Dhoul, (October, 2021), What is Operations Management?, topmba

https://www.topmba.com/mba-programs/what-operations-management

True Tamplin, (May, 2022), What Is Business Ethics?, finance strategists

https://learn.financestrategists.com/finance-terms/business-ethics/?gclid=CjwK-

CAjwkYGVBhArEiwA4sZLuBjmpDNg2tjN-kYfPX5eY8ewt1qQmgN9IU49fMUR-

J93JxpscCUbUbhoCtxkQAvD_BwE

https://www.foxwilliams.com/2017/06/22/whistle-blowing-policies-why-have-them-

and-what-to-put-in-them/

(April 2019) The Latest on Workplace Monitoring and Surveillance, AMA

https://www.amanet.org/articles/the-latest-on-workplace-monitoring-and-surveil-

lance/

Laura Holton (No date) Top 8 Ethical Business Practices to Follow, Myva 360

https://myva360.com/blog/ethical-business-practices

Ben Shabat (July 2020), 8 Common Ethical Issues Facing Businesses in 2021,

become https://www.become.co/blog/ethical-issues-businesses/
 LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

Kitson, A., Campbell, R. (1996). Ethical Issues in Operations Management. In:

The Ethical Organisation. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-

24405-8_13

Indeed Editorial Team (December 2021) 8 ethical issues in business and how to

manage them, Indeed https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/

ethical-issues-in-business

February 19, 2020 HR Professionals, Leaders, Performance Culture, 6 Ethical Is-

sues in Business and What to Do About Them, https://sprigghr.com/blog/hr-pro-

fessionals/6-ethical-issues-in-business-and-what-to-do-about-them/