Moral Values in Small Organizations

Doug Lennick and Fred Kiel

Moral values are crucial to organizations of all sizes and stripes, big and small, for-profit and nonprofit. Integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness are undeniable values, no matter what the venue. Although the four core principles are the same, the moral challenges that dominate an organization are often size-dependent.

Poll a cross-section of employees who work for small organizations, and you begin to see differences in the character of small versus large organizations. Small company employees typically place a premium on decision-making freedom. Some value risk and adventure, while others value the small-town intimacy or the potential to have a larger impact. Another ...