Review James Shaffer's four drivers of employee engagement in Chapter 8 of Trevino.
Analyze your own workplace to determine which of the four Shaffer drivers is best exemplified by your employer, and describe your example. How do you contribute to that driver of employee engagement?
Reading
Textbook Readings
· Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2021, 8th Edition). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
· , Ethical Problems of Managers
Reading
· Drafting an Effective Ethical Code of Conduct for Professional Societies: A Practical Guide. Administrative Sciences (2076-3387), 6(4), 1-11. doi:10.3390/admsci6040016.
Review James Shaffer's four drivers of employee engagement in Chapter 8 of Trevino.
Analyze your own workplace to determine which of the four Shaffer drivers is best exemplified by your employer, and describe your example. How do you contribute to that driver of employee engagement?
We propose that improving levels of employee engagement can also improve an organization’s ethical culture (see Chapter 5). But how does a company begin to do that? First, it needs to focus on the four drivers of engagement; second, it needs to identify and develop great managers. According to James Shaffer, an expert in communication and employee engagement, the four drivers of engagement are as follows6:
Line of sight. Employees understand the company’s strategic direction, how the company makes money, and how their individual efforts play a role in that revenue‐generating enterprise. Note: Business goals and ethical values are important elements in an organization’s strategic direction.
Involvement. Employees are involved in the enterprise; they actively participate, and their ideas are heard. Note: This kind of employee involvement encourages the two‐way communication that is critical for ethical issues to be identified and resolved.
Information sharing. People get the information they need to be effective, when they need it, and information goes in all directions—up, down, and across the organization as needed. Note: Cultures that encourage information sharing are more likely to be open organizations that identify and resolve ethical issues rather than sweeping them under the rug.
Rewards and recognition. Business goals and values are clearly spelled out, and employees know what they need to do and how they need to behave to get rewarded. Note: It is critical for companies to pay close attention to the incentives that goals and values will provide for ethical (or unethical) behavior.
While there are a number of employee engagement models, we think this one makes a lot of sense and that the four drivers of employee engagement are critical building blocks of an ethical culture.
In addition to focusing on the four drivers of engagement, organizations need to recognize on a fundamental level the critical role that managers play in increasing engagement and building an ethical culture. According to Towers Watson, an international human resources consulting firm, the following key senior manager behaviors influence employee engagement (and these behaviors, when modeled and endorsed by senior managers, should trickle down to lower‐level managers and supervisors and influence employees’ ethical behavior).7
Senior management is sincerely interested in employee well‐being.
Senior management communicates openly and honestly.
Senior management is visible and accessible.
Senior management effectively communicates the reasons for key business decisions.
Senior management’s actions are consistent with stated values.
Think about these manager behaviors. Which do you think play a direct or an indirect role in building an ethical culture? Which might build engagement but not influence ethical culture? Which do both? Have you had a manager who exhibited these behaviors? If yes, how did it make you feel about your work and the organization? If no, what messages did that send to you and others? If you’re a manager, or plan to be one, what will you do to ensure that those who report to you are fully engaged—cognitively, emotionally, and physically?
