Business Ethics

Ethics Policy

Business ethics is the system that holds the reputation and the morality of an entity. This concept refers to unethical or ethical behaviors from the perspective of an employee, manager, or organization. In the evaluation of ethical conduct, various moral norms can be included. The philosophy of quality management as well as the practices of the company are a combination of assets of the organization; these two concepts ensure that the corporation can adhere to its compliance requirements. The policy statement enables the business entity to operate in an efficient manner. The following paper provides a tentative policy statement for the MCC Company working in the construction industry, as well as other ethical principles that guide the actions of its employees.

Policy Statement on Quality

The MCC policy statement on quality will be applied to all the procedures and activities that are carried out within the company. The statement will allow the firm to continuously satisfy the requirements of the business and the needs of the customers. The success of MCC will be based on its commitment to the development of the personnel. The company will ensure that it combines its traditional and modern techniques. The firm will focus not just on the production of quality products, but also on the provision of services of high quality in the construction industry. The technique implemented in the enterprise will ensure that it listens carefully and looks into the needs of each customer to make certain that all of MCC’s clients can get what they need. The company will also able to anticipate what it will receive before any agreement is signed.

The MCC’s philosophy will be to be able to maintain its operations and, if possible, to make necessary improvements. The aim will be to sustain the firm’s record of the provision of qualitative work, which meets the budget and timeline of the customer. To achieve this, the company will have to be committed to working as a team. MCC’s code of ethics will stipulate the following:

· guarantee of client satisfaction;

· assurance of the high quality of the projects and products;

· identification of inadequacies and the need for improvements;

· all entities involved will be expected to comprehend the needs of the clients;

· the employees will be expected to continuously meet the output standards.

All MCC directors and employees will be expected to show absolute commitment to the policy statement on quality, which ought to comply with the international criteria.

Declaration of Health and Safety

The objective of MCC will be to ensure that the suppliers and the employees are given a safe environment to work. The company will strive to meet the safety, health, environment, and fire requirements. Essential steps will be taken to protect the security of all persons, with the inclusion of the public. MCC will focus on the identification, regulation, and assessment of the HSQE risks that may result from the company’s services or its activities. It will strive to maintain and improve its safety performance and compliance with the legislation requirements.

· The company will evaluate the risks associated with its activities regularly and properly.

· It will have a proactive culture of safety and health with the inclusion of reports on incidents.

· MCC will carry out occupational health surveillance.

· The firm will establish first aid and welfare facilities.

· The company will develop safety procedures that will ensure that it takes only those contracts which can be completed in a safe environment.

The board will have the responsibility to ensure that the above statement is reviewed annually. After its introduction to the company, all the employees will be briefed on the policy.

Environmental Policy Statement

MCC will show full commitment to effective management as well as the improvement of the environmental performance. The focal point will be the reduction of the effect that the business has on the environment. The company will be dedicated to total compliance with environmental management systems.

To ensure that it achieves its goals, the company will meet the expected legal requirements.

· The firm will ensure that all personnel that works for it understand their responsibilities and the manner by which they would comply with the HSQE legislation.

· The company will train its subcontractors and suppliers to ascertain they execute their tasks in a way that is environmentally friendly.

· MCC will work with the authorized entities such as the Environment Agency to guarantee that its works are completed in an advantageous manner.

· The firm will be committed to the continuous improvement of its environmental management systems.

· The company will have an organized plan of management of its premises and adjacent territories.

· MCC will ensure that all the works on its construction sites are environmentally friendly.

· The company will eliminate the use of polluting substances.

· The firm will use materials and energy from renewable sources.

The board will have the responsibility to ensure that the above statement is reviewed annually. After its introduction to the company, all the employees will be briefed on the policy.

Statement on the Hours Worked

MCC will take responsibility to ensure that all the staff, as well as the suppliers, are aware of the working hours and rules. According to the company,

· no employee will work more than 11 shifts within 13 consecutive days;

· no employee will work longer than 74 hours per week;

· no employee will work more than 14 hours per shift;

· each worker will have a 14-hour rest period between consecutive shifts;

· each employee is expected to have sufficient meals as well as free time to rest depending on the shift length;

· all workers will have a 48-hour period every two weeks to recover;

· no employee will be expected to work longer than 14 hours;

· all workers will have the right to refuse to work if they feel overworked.

The company is obliged to review the working hours and ensure they comply with the Fatigue Management Procedure. MCC will not allow any employee to leave work during his or her shift without permission. The board has the responsibility to ensure that the above statement is reviewed annually. After its introduction to the company, all the employees will be briefed on the policy.

Statement on Drugs and Alcohol

MCC will ensure that the statement applies to all the employees, procedures, and suppliers. The objective will be to ascertain that the company’s performance and employees’ duties are not impaired due to the consumption of drugs. MCC will take a responsibility to make sure that all the employees, as well as the suppliers, are aware of the working hours and rules. According to the firm’s policy, the personnel and the sub-contractors will not work while they are under the influence of any drug or substance that can affect their safety when performing their duties. The employees will not be allowed to make use of over the counter medication without the knowledge of the supervisor. The staff members will also be prohibited to be in possession of any drugs while they are on duty.

· The company will anticipate that all the staff members work in compliance with the “The Transport at Work Act”.

· The employees will be expected to monitor the progress of achieving their objectives and targets.

· The personnel will be required to comply with the alcohol and drug policy of the company.

· The employees will be expected to undergo random alcohol and drug tests.

The testing will be carried out periodically in order to ensure the worker’ safety monitor how they observe the corresponding regulations. If an employee has a positive result, it may lead to instant dismissal. The manager will be notified immediately if the test is failed. If the person refuses to take the drug test, it will be considered a fail. Only 5% of the personnel will be tested at one time.

Statement on Behavioral Safety

The MCC Company will ensure that it provides safety and health leadership on the projects to enhance a culture of health and security. The management will ascertain that the employees are involved in the process of decision making. Safe behavior will be essential and crucial for the success of the company. About 80% of the injuries that take place in the workplace are a result of unhealthy conduct. MCC will run some initiatives that facilitate the reduction of incidents.

· The top managers will be trained on techniques of behavioral safety via in-house training events.

· The employees will be taught to recognize both safe and unsafe practices. They will be encouraged to seize any unsafe activities.

· The staff members will be encouraged to make reports on the working conditions that may be unsafe.

A yellow card system will be offered for all the employees who are found to be ignoring the safety procedures. If one gets two yellow cards in one year, he or she will be suspended from duties. All employees will be expected to report the site managers who will seem to disregard the safety requirements. The company will offer instructions, procedures, and tools that ensure that all its workers are safe. The board will have the responsibility to ensure that the above statement is reviewed annually. After its introduction to the company, all the employees will be briefed on the policy.

Statement on Sustainability

The objective of MCC will be to ensure that it delivers services as well as products that comply with sustainable development. The concept of sustainability will be divided into three parts: economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability. To achieve its viability, the company will have to attain some goals. The business entity will:

· reduce the consumption of energy;

· optimize the supply chain;

· set measurable objectives;

· carry out practical training sessions and implement healthy employment policies;

· create a sustainable structure and adopt conventional practices;

· manage operational risks and impacts.

The board will have the responsibility to ensure that the above statement is reviewed annually. After its introduction to the company, all the employees will be briefed on the policy.

Fatigue Management Statement

Fatigue has been one of the main factors causing accidents in the workplace. It has also been associated with reduced alertness and an increase in errors. MCC will be aware that fatigue may result in accidents, and one cannot overcome it by putting in more effort. The company will take it upon itself to ensure that the employees, as well as suppliers, are aware of the challenges associated with fatigue. The concept of fatigue management is a communication process based on a joint effort. The suppliers and the employees will be encouraged to discuss any issues of progress that they face. Top management will be aware that the management of fatigue is a continuous process that needs total commitment.

As such, the company will:

· provide off-duty periods to its workers that will allow them to get enough sleep to continue working safely;

· create a safe environment that will ensure that no substances affect the functioning of the employees;

· plan fatigue-related training in which all workers will take part;

· encourage its employees to report whenever they feel they are fatigued;

· expect its personnel to report about any outside duties that may impede their performance;

· encourage its employees to inform their superiors if they have any condition that may challenge their tasks;

· expect its workers to comply with the regulations put in place by the company.

The board will have the responsibility to ensure that the above statement is reviewed annually. After its introduction to the firm, all the employees will be briefed on the policy.

Addressing Ethical Dilemmas

Customer Relations & Daily Choices

MCC will deal with multiple options when it comes to the field. It will encourage its staff members and suppliers to make use of the construction ethical principles to guide their actions. The company will not be able to come up with rules that will apply to all situations. Ethical behaviors hence depend on the employees. Such construction principles of ethics will include the Norm of utility. The standards of service will be based on functional theory (Belle, 2015). It will be founded on the basic premise that actions are categorized as right or wrong, according to the consequences of the actions. The theory presents the idea that from the customers’ perspective, the best moral actions are those, which can maximize utility for the former (Buckley, 2013). In this regard, the utility can be considered as the well-being of the client. Utilitarianism can be considered as a form of a consequence principle, which suggests that the aftermath of any action is the core definition of what is right or wrong. The concept can be combined with virtue ethics, which regards virtue as a moral right (Enderle, 2014). The employee’s intentions will also be considered important in the ethical sense. As such, any decisions made on a daily basis, as well as interactions with the customers, will be based on what would be best for the clients.

Price Estimation and Tendering Process

MCC will expect that its employees conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the company’s values. The firm will not be able to monitor all actions of its personnel. It will advocate for natural good from the employees. Their actions are to be guided by the utility theory of ethics. Its proponents have different opinions when it comes to intrinsic morality and decision making. According to their perception, the maximization of intrinsic rights means optimal consideration for the other party (Enderle, 2014). They state that workers have to do everything they can to maximize the well-being of the clients and other parties involved; this is referred to as hedonistic utilitarianism. It will guide the actions of the employees to ensure that prices set to favor the customers as well as the company (Provis, 2015).

The second construction ethical principle that will be used in the evaluation of the bidding and tendering process is the moral norm of consideration. The standard of review is a principle of the normative ethical theory, which determines what makes an action right or wrong. The focus of the norm is the response (Belle, 2015). Some of the basic premises of the theory are that customers have different levels of dependence and interdependence on MCC. This is in contrast to the consequential and deontological theories, which perceive the clients as having various interactions and interests (Kaptein, 2015). The second premise is that those aspects that are of value to the outcomes and the choices of a person need extra consideration to be perceived in accordance with the effects that they have on the selection of a person. The last premise is that it is essential to take into account the particular details of a given situation to be able to promote the interests of the entities involved (Provis, 2015).

Bribes

MCC will expect its employees to resist bribes. It will encourage its staff members to adhere to the construction of ethical philosophies. There are four moral elements applicable to bribes. These are responsibility, attentiveness, competence, and responsiveness. The concept of attentiveness means that one should be able to recognize the attempts to be bribed, and not to respond to them. The second element is responsibility. For one to be able to be ethical and avoid taking bribes, he or she has to take it upon themselves (Kaptein, 2015). The concept is associated with the element of obligation. The duty is already related to the roles of the employees. Concerning the ethics of construction, responsibility is general, while commitment refers to an instance where the action is needed, such as in the event of a legal contract (Belle, 2015). The third element is that of competence. The bidding process should be carried out in a competent manner. Finally, ethics is not achieved if one recognizes the attempt to be bribed, takes the responsibility, and is competent but does not respond to the issue. This is the last moral aspect applicable to bribes (Provis, 2015).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the success and the reputation of MCC will be attributed to its strong ethical foundations. The company’s moral codes will guide the actions of its managers, employees as well as sub-contractors. Its policy statement will deal with areas such as quality, health and safety, environmental policy, hours worked, drugs and alcohol, behavioral safety, sustainability, and, finally, fatigue management. Other actions of the employees will be guided by a series of ethical principles applied in the construction industry. The moral law will govern the actions of the staff members when it comes to the tendering process, bidding, bribes, and customer relations. With compliance with its ethical policy, the company MCC will be the leader in the construction industry.