Broken Windows Theory: It is a theory in criminology to establish rules and indicate the effect of chaos and vandalism on areas Urban area Represented by crimes and anti-social behaviour. The broken windows theory is the product of the thought of theorists (describers) of theories in criminology, James Wilson and George Keeling. The theory is very simple and can be approximated that big things start small and then develop and grow. From the point of view of the two theorists. Crime is the result of chaos and lack of adherence to order in human societies.
The experience of the psychologist and sociologist Philip Zimbardo in the broken windows theory:
Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist and sociologist, conducted an experiment in 1969 that later became one of the most famous experiments in criminology studies in particular and in the social sciences in general. The scientist left two cars with open doors and missing license plates in two different areas, one of which was in a poor neighborhood and the other was in a rich neighborhood. Passers-by in the poor neighborhood began stealing and vandalizing the car in a few minutes and it was completely destroyed within three days. It took a longer time for passers-by in the wealthy area to start destroying the car, which prompted Zimbardo to intervene by breaking one of the car's windows. People began breaking more windows and stealing the car, and it took a similar amount of time in the poor neighborhood to completely turn the car into scrap in a few days.
What is interesting about these studies is that the people who deliberately vandalized cars and buildings were not criminals, and most of them were members of the public and law-abiding citizens. The broken window sent an indirect message that “no one cares and there are probably no consequences for damaging what was already broken.”
Applying the broken windows theory in the work environment and companies:
Business managers can use broken windows theory to strategically improve workforce performance by reducing undesirable employee behavior and encouraging positive customer behavior.
The broken windows theory has recently been applied to enhance organizational culture in the workplace and build an ethical work environment. It states that a company should take care of small issues and problems first to avoid larger problems in the future.
For example: The taking or theft of office supplies or misuse of company electronic equipment must be dealt with quickly to avoid the possibility of more serious crimes such as fraud.
A broken window in a business environment occurs when companies or organizations ignore the early signs of bad behavior that later manifests itself in the behavior of the senior leader and can damage the organization's reputation. The top manager must establish laws and rules that apply to the entire organization so that small issues and matters are dealt with quickly to prevent more serious crimes.
The broken windows theory can be more successful if the organization establishes clear policies, so that bad behavior cannot be tolerated. The broken windows theory provides a great example of why a company's ethical culture is something that should remain a top priority for a company's operations. It has been studied that “in the workplace, a company's values often have a greater influence on decisions than an individual's own values.” Ethical decisions in the workplace are made jointly in work groups or other organizational settings. It is subject to broken window behavior, personal values, behaving unethically, and exposure to others who behave unethically, and there are some reasons why this is true. Many companies want to ensure an ethical workplace and believe they have done so, but this belief does not necessarily reflect the truth. In a survey conducted by the Ethics and Compliance Institute (ECI) in 2018, it was revealed that 47% respondents had previously witnessed actions that violated either the law or the company’s ethical standards, and that these violations and crimes were often committed by people in management or in a managerial or supervisory position. The matter is not limited to the action at hand, but rather the message that is sent when nothing is done about unethical behavior, that is, it incites others to engage in unethical and unprofessional behavior at work, which leads to lower productivity, diminished profits, and a bad reputation for the company.
What can the company do to mitigate and reduce bad behavior?
Historically, it seems that the most effective way to encourage ethical behavior in the workplace is to create a strong culture around it. It is essential that they implement a program that sets out the elements of ethics, values and compliance that employees are expected to uphold and that these elements are clear and promoted throughout the company. Commitment to ethical behavior at the top of the management hierarchy is crucial to its success, because the majority of violations come from managerial positions. Therefore, those in leadership positions must clearly support these standards and achieve performance goals, as well as encourage anyone to speak up if they witness bad behavior.
Some ways in which bad behavior can be reduced in companies:
- Establish clear policies.
- Develop a developed training program that instills these values.
- An experienced and competent high-level official must be appointed to oversee compliance with these policies.
- Internal auditors should also investigate.
- Internal controls are essential in this process and must be strong in order to prevent and detect any behaviors that are not consistent with company policies.
- There must be policies in place to protect whistleblowers.
- There should be a guide for employees to get guidance on behavior they are unsure about.
- Those who do not adhere to corporate ethical standards should be reprimanded and punished.
- Those who comply with corporate ethical standards should be encouraged and rewarded.
In the end, the company will reap what it sows. If they don't make an effort to discourage poor ethical behavior from the beginning, they will likely need to make more of an effort to clean up the mess and its residual effects in the future.
(“The essence of the theory: It is based on human psychology, which says that a person has the ability and love of discipline and adherence to laws and public morals whenever he is provided with an environment that encourages this, and he quickly abandons this commitment whenever he sees the chaos around him!!”).
