Comcast: The Ethical Climate Of An Organization

The ethical climate of an organization can both impact the employees who join the firm, and be impacted by employees. For example, an individual who has thrived in a trusteeship and then joins a profit-maximizing organization, may struggle to assimilate to the culture, and ultimately leave. Conversely, a quality-of-life management organization may appoint a president or CEO whose style aligns with a profit-maximizing management structure, and that individual may drive a cultural change in the organization.

Profit-maximizing organizations drive a corporate culture of serving one’s own interests, treating individuals as commodities to drive the bottom line, and values profits over people (Manning, & Curtis, 2012). A good example of a profit-maximizing environment can be found in the accounts of Goldman Sachs employees (Bourne, 2015). In such an environment, employees are often highly competitive, distrustful, and use innovation to find ways to circumvent legal and ethical constraints on profitability.

In a trusteeship management style environment, human capital is valued, however, it is not valued to the detriment of profitability. I believe that my company, Comcast, is most aligned with the trusteeship management style. Many of our initiatives and tactics are based on employee needs and feedback. Employees are seen as critical to the success of the organization, while some employees are considered to play a more crucial role in the organization’s success than others based on their roles. Although our company is profit-driven and considers the success of the shareholders, it is willing to make substantial financial investments based on the needs of employees, and incorporates programs to give back to the communities in which we do