Describe the individual and communal perspectives for the ethical standards in an organization, offer examples of both, and describe the problems with each perspective

Question

Please provide the best answer for the best statement.

Answer 1

Answer: Many U.S. Americans take an individualistic perspective, viewing ethical failures as resting on the shoulders of specific individuals within the organization. From this outlook, each person in the corporation is responsible for his or her own behavior. For example, in the case of the recent Volkswagen emissions scandal, where the company used elaborate systems to get around EPA pollution controls, only the engineers who designed the systems as well as others who knew about their behavior but did not “blow the whistle” are accountable via the individual perspective. In the communal view, however, individuals are considered to be members of a community and are all partially responsible for the behavior of its members. The assumption here is that the ethical standards within an organization are created by and should be monitored and reinforced by all of its members. For example, everyone within the Volkswagen organization, especially the managers and CEO, is responsible because they had a duty to create and maintain high ethical standards within the company. Unfortunately, problems exist with both approaches. When society views individuals alone as responsible, they alone are punished, whereas the organization is left essentially unchanged. Yet, when society views corporations in a completely communal way and hold them responsible for their unethical practices, no individual may be held accountable or liable, leaving them free to continue unethical practices.