Executive Eye
Adrian Furnham on moral managers and staff morale
Do moral managers and moral organizations result in staff with higher morale? To be moral means to distinguish clearly between right and wrong and to have an ethically driven code of conduct. Businesses typically don’t rate morality as a desirable competence, but they do encourage integrity. And integrity is all about honesty, incorruptibility and an uncompromising adherence to a moral code. It is the opposite of deception, dishonesty and double-dealing.
Working in a moral company with a boss who demonstrates integrity means you know where you stand. It makes life both predictable and fair. It does not necessarily remove the need for pragmatic “ducking and diving” by managers. But integrity is essential for good decisions and behaviours. Managers have to be fair and even-handed, and to reward effort and ability proportionally. And they need to take an interest in their staff.
Managers must also be law-abiding, honest and transparent. Nobody is immune to bias (see Business Spotlight 4/2018), but good managers must be self-aware enough to avoid applying different standards to different people and situations. Favouritism, half-truths and cover-ups get noticed and can significantly reduce morale.
Can one have too much integrity? Perhaps. All of us know the zealous, fanatical and fundamentalist enforcers of moral principles. They are characterized by intolerance and inflexibility. Of course, there are issues that can never be compromised. But there is wisdom in knowing where the boundaries lie.
The word “ethical” is used more often than “moral” nowadays. And we see all types of companies jumping on the ethical bandwagon. We have ethical investing, ethical sourcing and fairtrade products. Sometimes, it seems as if companies protest too much when talking about their ethical credentials. And this kind of spin is not good for morale. Spin is propaganda, not morality.
So, yes, morale is related to morality. Good people are attracted to organizations with a reputation for honesty. Some are even prepared to trade off salary for reputation and the knowledge that the product or service has a solid moral basis. No wonder that some organizations list integrity as a desirable managerial competency. They know that moral managers supervise in a way that increases staff morale. And they know that staff morale can’t survive with managers who lack integrity.