How A Digital Transformation Can be Led Ethically
Amid the current pandemic, the need for a digital transformation has grown significantly. The main focus is on what companies are doing to propel their success amid the pandemic.
Companies are currently adopting digital and innovative solutions, and ethical considerations should be prioritized. The main focus is on morals. The external and internal stakeholders are currently unable to tolerate firms that are ignoring the ethical lines. The leaders are supposed to embrace a new learning curve that entails learning about taking part in the digital transformation ethically.
It is easy to deal with the issues that arise because of the executive lifestyle. However, it is good to note that ethical violations repeatedly occur because of the company’s culture, and leadership is not the only issue. Employees usually act ethically because of their personal values. Nonetheless, they should better understand the risks that come about because of an ethical breach in the firm.
The main issue is that conversations relating to ethics are not being held. As a result, we can blame it on poor communication. The majority of firms also fail to look into the potential ethical risks, and if they do, it will not be openly. If such discussions were to take place, they should be between the upper management and the members. Such meetings should be held behind closed doors.
You may ask yourself, why are ethical concerns not prioritized? The main issue is the unwillingness to endorse a modern way of thinking. If we stick to the traditional thinking methods, there will be some form of stagnation. The cultural message should be strong, and it should encourage positivity.
The best solutions to some of these issues include:
• Embracing transparency.
• Ensuring ethics are a major part of the company.
• Developing strategies to solve the ethical violations and challenges.
Some of these solutions are simple, and they serve as a good starting point for solving ethical challenges relating to digital transformation. The leaders will also make decisions that will impact the company positively.
When it comes to digital transformation, interpersonal dynamics pose a major issue. Making the digital shift is a technical operation, and the right personnel should be deployed. They should also be experts in data operations and AI (artificial intelligence). For a firm to emerge as a leader amid the digital transformation, there is the need to have enough cross-domain competency to solve complex problems.
The main issue with bringing people who are technically minded together is that there will be expertise arrogance which results in intimidation. Some people will fear to ask questions and make inquiries.
The digital transformation is not all about tools or infrastructure. The main focus is on change management. A healthy transition is also possible as long as there is a multifunctional approach. The main mistake a corporation can make is to assume that the technical experts are the only ones allowed to air their opinions. Regardless of how technical an issue is, the solution will always be human-centric.
There should be a starting point for ethical digital transformation to take place. Using the GRC (government, risk, and compliance) standards, it is possible to create a framework that is highly structured. There will be a solid foundation that will enable the company to build and adopt different digital solutions.
The GRC standards come in handy since they can help carry out leadership evaluation, risk analysis, and progress reports. Some firms don’t know how to develop a GRC framework. As a result, they turn to service providers such as COBIT and IBM OpenPages.
The GRC process is automated and cloud-based. For it to deliver the desired results, there should be transparency and companywide input. Certain departments can be tasked with running the GRC process. The upper management and the employees should also be willing to coordinate.
An approach based on ethics also ensures the employees are safeguarded. When an approach is not ethics-based, the internal stakeholders such as the employees and owners put their reputation and careers at risk. The external stakeholders also have a lot to lose. As a result, there should be transparency, and all the parties involved should have a mutual understanding.
Final Thoughts
To mitigate some of these risks ethically, corporations should take time and have a conversation about transparency, inclusivity, and ethics. Some of these conversations should also be followed up when need be. The entire board should also be open-minded.
