Compliance and ethics specialists have emphasized the importance of ethical values in the post-pandemic 'new normal.'
Organizational ethics after COVID-19
The new normal brought challenges that required determination and ethical and moral values.
The main problem is not necessarily a lack of values but a tendency to react passively instead of acting on what we consider just.
Passive morality appears when we condemn something but do little beyond expressing outrage.
People may recognize a solution but avoid acting because they do not want problems. Over time, this passivity can become detachment: when faced with injustice, we look for reasons to limit our involvement.
Apathy in organizations
The original article discusses several mechanisms behind this behavior—patterns most people have experienced to some degree.
Moral justification
Getting involved in an unjust situation only when our action will have a positive effect on everyone.
Euphemistic labeling
Softening the language used for injustice or comparing it with something worse.
Diffusion of responsibility
Spreading responsibility among others—for example, not stopping a fight because someone stronger could have done so.
Distorting consequences
Claiming the effects were not serious and forgetting that real people may have been harmed.
Dehumanizing victims
Convincing ourselves that an unjust act harmed its victims less than it appears.
Blaming circumstances
Using the situation as an excuse not to act.
Displacing responsibility
Leaving to others what we could have done ourselves. This can be especially harmful when everyone expects someone else to solve a problem.
As organizations adjusted to the new normal, these mechanisms could grow stronger alongside other barriers to ethical action.
The next challenge
The post-COVID era would test the ethical commitments companies had shown during the pandemic.
Organizations that respond responsibly to society's needs and carry emerging values into their daily work can strengthen trust and legitimacy among stakeholders.
To learn how to avoid these patterns and strengthen your organization, contact EthicsGlobal on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.