By Debolina Dutta, Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Pawan Budhwar
IIMB Management Review | September 2022
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iimb.2022.10.002
Debolina Dutta, Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Pawan Budhwar, "Ethics in competency models: A framework towards developing ethical behaviour in organisations", IIMB Management Review, Volume 34, Issue 3, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iimb.2022.10.002.
IIMB Management Review, September 2022
Competency models describe desired behaviours, skills, and attributes to facilitate organisational goals' achievement. The primary focus of a competency model is to align individual behaviours to organisationally expected behaviours. Given that employees’ ethical behaviour has become the sine qua non for organisations, it is surprising to see the absence of ethical competency in organisations’ competency models. Based on two separate studies with the heads of HR in Indian and South-East Asian organisations, the present study identified three core reasons for the absence of ethics in competency models (i.e., ideation, conceptualisation, and implementation challenges). Also, the study proposes a framework for fostering ethical behaviour amongst employees. Implications of the research for theory and practice are discussed.
Debolina Dutta is a Clinical Professor, senior HR leader, and an ICF‑certified ACC level coach with over 30 years of industry experience and 6 years in academia. She brings deep expertise across Human Resources, Organisation Development, and Leadership Capability Building, having worked across diverse geographies and organisational contexts, including multinational corporations, private enterprises, and start‑ups.
Globally recognized for her contributions to the HR profession, Debolina has been named among the 100 Most Influential Global HR Professionals by the World HRD Congress, a Most Influential HR Leader in India, and nominated as one of the Top 16 Women Leaders. As an executive coach, she works closely with mid‑management and senior leaders on leadership transitions, personal effectiveness, and organisational change. Her work is supported by certifications in behavioral facilitation as well as expertise in psychometric tools.She has served on the Board of IIM Indore and advises organisations on talent strategies and AI-HRM adoption.
Debolina has led large‑scale organisational development and transformation initiatives spanning change management, mergers and acquisitions, HRIS implementations, and the design of structured talent and leadership frameworks, often in complex, multicultural environments. She is an alumna of IIM Indore (FPM‑Industry), IIM Bangalore, and the College of Engineering, Pune, and a published thought leader with case studies in Harvard Business Review and research articles in leading academic journals. Through her academic, consulting, and coaching roles, she continues to shape future‑ready leaders by integrating research, practice, and coaching‑led development.
