Utilising human resource management in developing an ethical corporate culture

Ebben van Zyl

doi:10.15249/6-1-9

Ebben van Zyl University of the Free State

Abstract

South Africa is characterised by rapidly escalating crime, including white-collar crime, and unethical behaviour in public and private organisations. This necessitates innovative ways to deal with the situation. The objective of this conceptual and theoretical research is to investigate ways in which human resource management can be utilised to instil and develop an ethical corporate culture in South African organisations. A theoretical model of ethical behaviour is discussed as a basis for this study. It is indicated that human resource management can have an effect on organisational factors and is therefore an important tool in developing an ethical corporate culture.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Becker, W.S. (2010). Ethics in human resources: An exercise involving new employees. Journal of Human Resources Education, 4:27-34.

Blickle, G., Schlegel, A., Fassbender, P. and Klein, U. (2006). Some personality correlates of business white-collar crime. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 55:220-233.

Boshoff, E. and van Zyl, E.S. (2011). The relationship between locus of control and ethical behaviour among employees in the financial sector. Koers, 76:20-31.

De Koker, L. (2007). Financial crime in South Africa. Economic Affairs, 27:34-38.

Du Plessis, A.P., Mosola, B.M. and Struwig, F.W. (1997). An empirical analysis of employee’s perception of ethical behaviour in business. Acta Criminologica, 9:14-21.

Elliot, R.T. (2010). Examining the relationship between personality characteristics and unethical behaviours resulting in economic crime. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 12:269-276.

Esterhuizen, W. (1992). Sake-etiek. Goodwood: National Book Print.

Government Gazette. (1998). Cape Town.

Holtfreter, K. (2005). Is occupational fraud ‘typical’ white-collar crime? A comparison of individual and organizational characteristics. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33:353-365.

Institute of Directors in Southern Africa: The business leaders. (2009). Code of Governance: Principles for South Africa (King Committee on Governance). Johannesburg, South Africa.

Kemp, S. (2002). South Africa’s dismal corporate ethics. Pretoria: Van Schaik.

Lange, M. (2001). Welcoming remarks. Presented at workshop: The moral renaissance: Government, politics and spirituality. 3-4 May 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Lyons, A. (2011). Leadership ethics and the Corporate Ethics function: Leveraging HR to mitigate the risk. Capstone Paper, Master of Professional Studies in Human Resource Management, Georgetown University, Georgetown.

McGee, J.A. and Byington, J.R. (2009). The threat of global white-collar crime. Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, 2:25-29.

Mishra, N. and Sharma, G. (2010). Ethical organisation and employees. Asian Journal of Management Research, 4:59-80.

National Crime Prevention Strategy. (1996). Inter-Departmental Strategy Team: Pretoria, South Africa.

Palomino, P.R. and Martinez, R. (2011). Human resource management and ethical behaviour: Explaining the role of training in the Spanish banking sector. Ramon Llull Journal of Applied Ethics, 2:69-88.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers. (2007). Economic crime: People, culture and controls. The 4th Biennial Global Economic Crime Survey, South Africa.

Rossouw, D. (1994). Business ethics – A Southern African perspective. Johannesburg: Southern Book Publishers.

Segon, M. (2011). Managing organisational ethics: Professionalism, duty and HR practitioners. Journal of Business Systems, Governance and Ethics, 5:13-25.

Simms, R.R. (1992). The challenge of ethical behaviour in organisations. Journal of Business Ethics, 11:505-513.

Stead, W.E., Worrell, D.L. and Stead, G.S. (1994). An integrative model for understanding and managing ethical behaviour in business. In J. Drummond and B. Bain (Eds). Managing business ethics, pp. 100-130.

Strandberg, C. (2009). The role of human resource management in corporate social responsibility. Burnaby: Strandberg Publishers.

Van Vuuren, L.J. and Eiselen, R.J. (2006). A role for HR in corporate ethics? South African practitioners’ perspectives. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 4:22-28.

Van Zyl, E.S. (2001). Management modelling behaviour: An important requisite for the implementation of business ethics. Koers, 66:233-239.

Van Zyl, E.S. (1993). The implementation of business ethics in South African companies. Paper presented at workshop: Werketiek binne die Suid-Afrikaanse Organisasiekonteks. 21 June 1993, Pretoria, South Africa.

Van Zyl, E.S. and Boshoff, E. (2010). The relationship between ethical behaviour and self-concept amongst a group of secondary school teachers in the Northern Cape. Acta Criminologica, 23:40-52.

Van Zyl, E.S. and Lazenby, K. (2002). The relation between ethical behaviour and workstress amongst a group of managers working in affirmative action positions. Journal of Business Ethics, 40:111-119.

Watkins, M.L. (1993). The performance values of white and black managers in South Africa. Paper presented at workshop: Werketiek binne die Suid-Afrikaanse Organisasiekonteks. 21 June 1993, Pretoria, South Africa.

Wilmot, P.L. (1994). The prevention and detection of white-collar crime. Accounting South Africa, 4:4-98.

Wiley, C. (1998). Re-examining perceived ethics issues and ethics roles among employment managers. Journal of Business Ethics, 17:147-161.

Zuma, J. (2000). The need to restore the moral fibre of our nation. Paper presented at seminar: The moral renaissance – government, politics, ethics and spirituality. 3-4 May 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa.