Analyzing Employee Perceptions of Workplace Ethics: Implications for Organizational Integrity

HRMARS - Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to analyze employees’ perceptions of workplace ethics within the organizational context, and (2) to examine the factors that influence these perceptions, including employment sector, type of organization, gender, age and years of working experience (job tenure). Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a quantitative research design. Data from 146 respondents were analyzed using SPSS, applying descriptive statistics and regression analysis to examine patterns and relationships among the variables. Findings: The results show that employees generally perceive most unethical behaviors as unacceptable, with charging personal entertainment to expenses and pretending to be sick rated highest in severity, while making personal phone calls at work is the most tolerated. The findings also show that among demographic and organizational factors, job tenure significantly influences employee ethical perceptions. Research limitations/implications: The study highlights critical implications for organizational integrity, emphasizing that understanding employees’ ethical perceptions helps bridge gaps between formal codes and actual practices. Organizations should tailor ethics training and policies to employee experience levels, ensuring clarity on both minor and major ethical issues. In Malaysia’s multicultural and multi-sectoral context, these findings underscore the need for targeted interventions and further research on how experience, culture, and organizational factors shape ethical decision-making. Originality/value: This study offers a novel contribution by positioning employee perception of workplace ethics as a critical driver of organizational integrity, an area often overlooked in ethics research. It uniquely demonstrates that job tenure significantly shapes employee ethical awareness and decision-making, revealing how experience influences the internalization of ethical norms beyond technical competence.