Ethics in Industrial and Organizational Practice

Ethics has to do with defining what is meant by right and wrong or good and bad, and justifying according to some rational system what one ought to do or what sort of person one should be. As applied to the practice of industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology, professional ethics concerns the moral appropriateness of our work activities and the proper treatment of all those with and for whom we work, including employees, clients, client organizations, and their various stakeholders, interns, students, and professional colleagues. Many of the moral standards that guide such ethical practices are deontological, or rule based in nature, having to do with principles such as the fulfillment of duties and obligations, keeping one’s promises, respecting people’s dignity and autonomy, maintaining their ...