The culture of an organization is set by its founders and is often difficult to change afterward. When we think of the development of culture as ongoing and conducted through each employee, we can see ways to increase the ethical, positive, and/or spiritual aspects of the environment. Despite differences across industries and cultures, ethical organizational cultures share some common values and processes. Therefore, managers can create a more ethical culture by adhering to the following principles:

Be a visible role model. Employees will look to the actions of top management as a benchmark for appropriate behavior, but everyone can be a role model to positively influence the ethical atmosphere. Communicate ethical expectations. Whenever you serve in a leadership capacity, minimize ethical ambiguities by sharing a code of ethics that states the organization’s primary values and the judgment rules employees must follow. Provide ethical training. Set up seminars, workshops, and training programs to reinforce the organization’s standards of conduct, clarify what practices are permissible, and address potential ethical dilemmas.

Visibly reward ethical acts and punish unethical ones. Evaluate subordinates on how their decisions compare with the organization’s code of ethics. Review the means as well as the ends. Provide protective mechanisms. Seek formal mechanisms so everyone can discuss ethical dilemmas and report unethical behavior without fear of reprimand. A positive organizational culture emphasizes building on employee strengths, rewards more than it punishes, and encourages individual vitality and growth. Though many companies have embraced it, we are still learning how and when it works best.