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Enabling Ethical Code Embeddedness in Construction Organizations: A Review of Process Assessment Approach

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Abstract

Several researchers have identified codes of ethics (CoEs) as tools that stimulate positive ethical behavior by shaping the organisational decision-making process, but few have considered the information needed for code implementation. Beyond being a legal and moral responsibility, ethical behavior needs to become an organisational priority, which requires an alignment process that integrates employee behavior with the organisation’s ethical standards. This paper discusses processes for the responsible implementation of CoEs based on an extensive review of the literature. The internationally recognized European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model (EFQM model) is proposed as a suitable framework for assessing an organisation’s ethical performance, including CoE embeddedness. The findings presented herein have both practical and research implications. They will encourage construction practitioners to shift their attention from ethical policies to possible enablers of CoE implementation and serve as a foundation for further research on ethical performance evaluation using the EFQM model. This is the first paper to discuss the model’s use in the context of ethics in construction practice.

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Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (PolyU K-QZ14).

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  1. Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin & Christabel Man-Fong Ho

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Correspondence to Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin.

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Oladinrin, O.T., Ho, C.MF. Enabling Ethical Code Embeddedness in Construction Organizations: A Review of Process Assessment Approach. Sci Eng Ethics 22, 1193–1215 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-015-9679-4

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