A Paradigm Shift in the Implementation of Ethics Codes in Construction Organizations in Hong Kong: Towards an Ethical Behaviour

Abstract

Due to the economic globalization which is characterized with business scandals, scholars and practitioners are increasingly engaged with the implementation of codes of ethics as a regulatory mechanism for stimulating ethical behaviours within an organization. The aim of this study is to examine various organizational practices regarding the effective implementation of codes of ethics within construction contracting companies. Views on ethics management in construction organizations together with the recommendations for improvement were gleaned through 19 semi-structured interviews, involving construction practitioners from various construction companies in Hong Kong. The findings suggested some practices for effective implementation of codes of ethics in order to diffuse ethical behaviours in an organizational setting which include; introduction of effective reward schemes, arrangement of ethics training for employees, and leadership responsiveness to reported wrongdoings. Since most of the construction companies in Hong Kong have codes of ethics, emphasis is made on the practical implementation of codes within the organizations. Hence, implications were drawn from the recommended measures to guide construction companies and policy makers.

Major Barriers and Best Solutions to the Adoption of Ethics and Compliance Program in Chinese International Construction Companies: A Sustainable Development Perspective

“…When the anticipated ECP outcomes are inconsistent with organizational goals(e.g., performance emphasis) or with external values, the ECP will less likely be adopted [15,24,28] B18 Great culture distance Great cultural differences between the host country and home country increase the difficulty in converting ECP strategies to operational levels from the perspective of cognition and practice. [29,30,33] Buildings 2022, 12, 285 6 of 19…”

“…Targeting the "psychosocial barriers", S18 "encouraging management to take the lead in creating a culture of ethics and compliance" was ranked as the fourth-best solution. While the ECP is primarily rooted in avoiding legal penalties, legal compliance alone is far from enough to standardize employees' behavior [8,10,15]. We cannot expect to rely solely on ECP to detect and control unethical conduct which is characterized by inherently secretive, covert, and clandestine.…”

“…Unlike fragmented anti-corruption measures, the ECP is a formal system institutionalizing ethics into business [13], which needs long-term investment in terms of appropriate finances and personnel resources. Thus, the adoption of ECP in construction companies encounters several barriers, such as political barriers, psychosocial barriers, and organizational barriers [14,15]. In China, the ECP started to be widely concerned by construction companies in 2018.…”

“…In China, the ECP started to be widely concerned by construction companies in 2018. Even the essential compliance elements such as codes of ethics and compliance were not commonly practiced by construction organizations [15]. To date, little research focused on the current state, major barriers, and best solution for ECP to be adopted in ICCs.…”

Exploring the intellectual structure of research in codes of ethics: A bibliometric analysis

“…To further our knowledge in this area, some academics analyze the content of codes of ethics to determine the factors that improve their effectiveness (Helin & Sandström, 2007; Ki & Kim, 2010). Similarly, other scholars work on identifying the determinants that influence the effectiveness of codes of ethics (Constandt et al., 2019; De Waegeneer et al., 2017; Ho & Oladinrin, 2019) as well as the characteristics of an adequate implementation system (Kaptein, 2015).…”