Towards Extending the Ethical Dimension of Human Resource Management

Viruli A De Silva,H H D N P Opatha,Aruna S Gamage

doi:10.5539/ibr.v9n10p151

Viruli A De Silva, H H D N P Opatha + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v9n10p151

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Abstract

Enduring interest in the ‘social’ aspect of the ethical dimension of Human Resource Management (HRM) on employees and society is a positive trend towards humanity. To maintain justice, fairness and well-being towards its stakeholders, it is necessary for an organization to perform HRM functions ethically. Authors identified two possible meanings to the ethical dimension of HRM. In addition to the above, a second possible connotation was recognized, and labeled as ‘Ethical Orientation of HRM or EOHRM’. This is ‘to direct HRM functions to create, enhance and maintain ethicality within employees, to make an ethical workforce in the organization’. EOHRM is conceptualized based on three dimensions: acquire, develop and retain. Elements of EOHRM are the functions of these three HRM fields. Ethical characteristics would be embedded into elements and question items of the instrument, in order to measure EOHRM. It seems that this concept has been unexplored by scholars in the existent HRM literature. This article attempts to bridge this knowledge gap to a significant extent. EOHRM is offered as a novel concept to HRM architecture, and it gives favorable directions towards future research.

Highlights

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a vast academic discipline as well as a crucial practice
“To direct HRM functions to create and enhance ethicality within employees, in order to make an ethical workforce in the organization”
Literature revealed, no theoretical or empirical investigation has been conducted, in Sri Lanka, and perhaps globally, to explore how HRM functions could be ethically oriented, or how HRM functions could be directed to create, enhance and maintain ethicality within employees, in order to make an ethical workforce in the organizations

Summary

Introduction

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a vast academic discipline as well as a crucial practice. “What does it means to us as humans to manage humans as resources?” authors identified a common view among scholars: „it is essential to perform HRM functions ethically in an organization in order to maintain justice, fairness and well-being towards its stakeholders‟. While giving due recognition to the above established meaning and the valuable contributions made by the earlier scholars to „ethics-HRM‟ literature, authors identified a second possible connotation to the „ethical dimension of HRM‟, and labeled as „Ethical Orientation of HRM‟ or EOHRM It is „to direct HRM functions towards creating, enhancing and maintaining ethicality within employees, in order to maintain an ethical workforce in an organization‟.

Methodology

Ethics

HRM and Its Role in the Context of Ethics

Ethics-HRM Debate

10. Conclusion