Managers and their professional ethics
The term “professional” carries with it an inherent responsibility and accountability to uphold ethical standards.
This is a sequel to my earlier post on management as a profession. Comments of my friend and colleague Gagandeep Singh made me realise my piece was incomplete. I had only touched upon "specialised knowledge" and not dealt with the issue of "professional ethics" when it comes to management.
The term “professional” carries with it an inherent responsibility and accountability to uphold ethical standards.
Let’s explore how it plays out in the context of management presently.
I have sometimes come across terms like “business ethics” and “social responsibility” but very rarely the term “management ethics”. Thus, the notion of management ethics rarely goes beyond adherence to the prevalent laws of the land.
This of course is necessary, but is it enough?
The predecessor of Manager in the Indian context was a Munim—a representative of the owner/ feudal lord. His ethics were drawn essentially from his loyalty towards his master. If management is to be seen as a profession then the manager's ethics has to go beyond loyalty to the owner and must include adherence to some professional standards. Just as a Doctor's ethics is not governed only by the loyalty towards their employer alone.
What could that look like for a manager?