Review

Neil Oakes
Review, "Get Aligned", Law Society Journal, September 2006, 44(8): 82-3.

A recent study conducted by The Economist magazine in the UK found that almost 80 per cent of 'how to' management books are not read beyond the fourth page. Interestingly, more than 90 per cent of purchasers felt better off for having purchased them. A text centred on the implementation of workplace values could potentially boost these scores.

3D Ethics: Implementing Workplace Values tackles the complex issue of business ethics. Attracta Lagan and Brian Morgan assert that "ethics is not just about morality, it is a complex dimension of personal and corporate life that can lead to higher performance for both business and society".

We know that organisations perform at full potential when they consist of a group of stakeholders with an aligned values set. In an age of cynicism towards management-speak (who can blame the cynics, with 'mission statements', 'business process re-engineering', 'TQM', 'client-centred development', etcetera?), discussions about organisational values often provoke a mass rolling of the eyes. It is useful to have a tool that provides a practical case for values, and an exploration of their relationship with ethics and morals, without jargon, spin or pointless ideals.

To date, the business world has largely depended on the law to set its ethical course - 'if my actions meet the requirements of the law then they must be okay'. High-profile companies such as Nike, Reebok and James Hardy highlight the critical dimension of managing relationship obligations beyond legal accountability.

3D Ethics examines personal, corporate and social ethics in a concise, readable and interesting manner. The book contains individual and team discussion exercises that are bound to pep up the conversation in the dullest of lunch rooms. At the very least reading it will raise ethical awareness in your organisation.

The book reflects on individual employees' personal values and on many of the socio-economic issues shaping our world today. It then discusses the impact of these considerations on the development and application of your organisation's mission, vision and values, and the impact of your organisation on the society and environment in which it operates.

This work is directly applicable to most of the corporate sector. Like many aspects of management, adapting its principles to fit neatly into a professional-service environment requires some selective editing (but not too much!). If your firm has any stakeholders who don't quite get the 'do unto others...' thing, you will find it rewarding and thought-provoking. It may even be a catalyst for behavioural change.

3D Ethics: Implementing Workplace Values should be mandatory for all captains of industry. I suspect, unfortunately, that books like this are indeed ready by many to about page four. I would encourage all managers and leaders to read it in its entirety. It would be a shame to leave it to the already converted.