Success in eradicating corruption and unethical conduct depends largely on an individual’s conscience, persuasion and commitment to the highest standards of morality. The power of making a choice to act in a certain way depends on one’s moral calling and ethical stand point.
Almost every stage of human life socialises individuals into a certain way of doing things, whether acceptable or not. Socialising agents determine behavioural traits and outcomes. The family is the first socialising agent where values are passed on to individuals before they start learning about them through other institutions such as schools, religion and society.
It is imperative for adults, specifically parents, guardians and professionals dealing with children, to pass down universal values of hard work, honesty and justice among others. A story is told of a child who spent time perusing the Holy Book in an effort to locate the character of a parent who was full of greed and deceit.
We are what we speak. Society grapples with glorification of wealth without sweat, grades without hard work, and employment without merit. This societal dilemma calls for collective action in shaping attitudes and behaviour change for a value-based society. The effect of significant others in shaping a person’s character and attitude, either at home or the workplace, cannot be refuted.
Ethics and integrity cannot be divorced from today’s work environment. New entrants get socialised into morally acceptable conduct through formal induction programmes and informal processes. At the core are the organisation’s vision and philosophy espoused by the leaders.
Findings of Ethics at Work Survey of Employees ( 2018 ) indicate that employees in institutions founded on value-based belief systems reflect high levels of ethical compliance, professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness.
These ethical standards form the building blocks of an organisation’s ethical pyramid. The foundation of the pyramid calls for ethical awareness of ethical problems, the middle level calls for ethical reasoning through ethical issues while the apex calls for ethical action.
Action level is about creating an environment for people to make disclosures on malpractices and turn down offers aimed at impairing their judgment – not because they are being monitored but due to personal commitment to moral and ethical standards – in performance of duty.
Tilley ( 2005 ) looks at the intent, means and end in providing an understanding of ethics and handling ethical dilemmas. When the motive of one’s character is clear, honesty and patriotism gets epitomised via the resolve to positively influence others towards upholding a morally acceptable behaviour.
Consequently, prudent resource use, minimal ethical breaches, declaration of conflict interest and transparency in handling of pecuniary advantages will be achieved.
Means within the context of ethics and integrity refers to processes and channels of actualising the intent. The means through which decisions are made should reflect high levels of ethical compliance. At the apex of the pyramid is the end where the outcomes of actions, decisions or behaviour are actualised.
At this level a person of integrity works towards upholding value-based conduct founded on ethical principles. The end-point of the ethical pyramid is a shift on integrity, ethics and good governance.
Integrity should guide the means through which complete severance of corruption and unethical conduct can be realised. We are all called upon to embrace integrity and be beyond suspicion in character and without doubt, the dragon of corruption and unethical conduct will cease rearing its ugly head in our country. Eliminating corruption and unethical conduct is possible, attainable even.
When our conscience stabs us hard, leaving us mourning and in anguish whenever we try to entertain corruption in our thoughts and desires, let alone actions, we will be able to surmount this vice. Can we stand up to be counted among the virtuous, ethical and of utmost integrity if subjected to scrutiny?
I do not expect an answer but a demonstration of our collective acts of integrity. It is our responsibility to uphold integrity. Trust me that one day we will be honoured as integrity heroes, heroines and champions in the ‘Integrity Book of Records’. Let’s keep this conversation alive.
Governance educationist