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continuum of ethical behavior
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The definition of ethical behavior or ethics as a whole is one that eludes many people. There have been many philosophers that have tried to create a set of guidelines that create a code or baseline to a decision. Immanuel Kant is one such person who has created some of the bases that all theories have been based. Kant’s principals or the categorical imperative is the base for the “Golden Rule”; which is taught to young children. Do on to others, as you would have others do on to you. To quote Kant, “Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.”
Ethical behavior is the way that a person should act using a set of rules or standards that have been formed within a community of people. These communities may be those of a religion or those of a geographic region. There are several different sets of ethical codes that are created. Something that is ethical in one community is not in another. Deciding what action is the ethical choice is one of the hardest choices of any decision. An example that brings ethics into play is deciding weather or not to bribe an elected official to get a governmental contract. Without looking at existing law, some might say that it is unethical to create an unfair advantage for one company over another. Rationalizing a decision as ethical may be hard. In this situation employees or lobbyists for the corporation may claim that it would be unethical to not do absolutely everything in their power to bring business to the company. By not doing so it would hurt the employees, stockowners, and investors. Is it ethical to hurt the financial well being of so many people? Looking from the point of view of all of the other companies looking to get a piece of this government contra...
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...o consider. What seems a simple decision at the time may, in the end, turn out to be a very important action that defines how ethical or unethical a project or set of actions turn out to be. In the situations posed earlier there are many dilemmas that pop up. The actions that are taken in these circumstances define the integrity of the people and communities that make the decisions.
Works Cited
Brass, D., Butterfield, K., & Skaggs, B. (1998). Relationships and Unethical Behavior: A Social Network Perspective. The Academy of Management Review, 23(1), 14-31. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://gatton.uky.edu/faculty/brass/spain/unethical.pdf
Immanuel Kant Quotes. (n.d.). . Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/i/immanuelka152161.html
Singer, P., (1993). A Companion to Ethics. Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press.
Ethics is an important proponent when considering any decision. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is something everyone should know. However, the importance of ethics gets minimized when a decision that seems wrong actually has benefits. In the efforts of improving society, often ethics is violated. Sometimes in order for society to be better off as a whole, there has to be little sacrificing of ethical practices along the way to do so.
When there is a dilemma that affects a group of people, actions by the right people can be
The text defines ethical dilemma as situations that have two or more values in conflict (Woodside & McClam, 2015). As a human service professional, there may be times when situations may emerge and an individual might be uncertain of the proper action to take. A human service professional must look at all points of view. In addition, they must establish a list of problems and examine the multiple viewpoints. Furthermore, they must develop potential outcomes and analyze the impact each decision may have. This will assist the profession to have the ability to have an understanding of critical thinking, professional code of ethics, and to form rapport (p. 270). Ethical behavior has six principles that is shared among members of the human
Their organizational initiatives are often self-serving; however, the emerging workforce isn’t motivated by selfish managers. This selfish behavior often turns into unethical conduct. Unethical dealings in the workplace are always wrong. It is crucial to promote ethical behavior. Everyone must understand that once caught, unethical behavior is not just a problem for those directly involved, it is everyone’s problem.
Incorporating ethics into everyday decisions in the business world can greatly reduce the scandalous behavior that has as of late has run ramped. Obviously, we have seen the results and consequences of business conducted absent any moral or ethical boundaries. When decisions are made without the consultation of ethics there is no direction from the moral compass and surely consequences will follow. Choices contemplated by managers may often seem difficult, but assessing the options against ethics can assist the manager in making the best decision.
Ethical behavior is behavior that a person considers to be appropriate. A person’s moral principals are shaped from birth, and developed overtime throughout the person’s life. There are many factors that can influence what a person believes whats is right, or what is wrong. Some factors are a person’s family, religious beliefs, culture, and experiences. In business it is of great importance for an employee to understand how to act ethically to prevent a company from being sued, and receiving criticism from the public while bringing in profits for the company. (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers, & Langvardt, 2010) Business ethics is when ethical behavior is applied in an business environment, or by a business. There are many situations that can arise in which a person is experiencing an ethical dilemma. They have to choose between standing by their own personal ethical standards or to comply with their companies ethical standards. In some instances some have to choose whether to serve their own personal interests, or the interest of the company. In this essay I will be examining the financial events surrounding Bernie Madoff, and the events surrounding Enron.
Business ethics simply can be defined as the application of business values in the business practice of a company (Seawell 2010, p. 2). For a multinational company, business ethics is one of the critical aspects need to be taken into account in business decision-making processes. Failure to give attention on ethics may bring consequences on company’s reputation (Meyer & Jebe 2010, p. 159). The company is expected not only to pursue its own profits but also contributing to the environmental and social welfare of the community where it operates (Svensson & Wood 2008, p. 308).
The term “ethical business” is seen, by many people, as an oxymoron. This is because a business’s main objective is to make as much money as possible. Making the most money possible, however, can often lead to unethical actions. Companies like Enron, WorldCom, and Satyam have been the posterchildren for how corporations’ greed lead to unethical practices. In recent times however, companies have been accused of being unethical based on, not how they manage their finances, but on how they treat the society that they operate in. People have started to realize that the damage companies have been doing to the world around them is more impactful and far worse than any financial fraud that these companies might be engaging in. Events like the BP oil
I discovered how sticking to one’s morals should be the topmost priority for everyone involved in business, whether personal or professional. Regardless of what the consequences may be, the intensity of the problem, and the complexities it may bring, sacrificing one’s integrity should never be an option, as integrity goes hand-in-hand with the morals of an individual (Duggan & Woodhouse, 2011). They further go on to say that having individuals take part in building a code of ethics that supports employee integrity, they will act ethically. Also, I believe that companies should place more emphasis on the moral behavior of their employees, and clear-cut policies should be set regarding such ethical situations. Furthermore, I realized how serving justice while making decisions really helps in the long run, and that opting to go for the ideal rather than they deserved is not always the best option, and could hurt a company in more than one
[1] Ethics is defined as “the code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviour of a person or a group with respect to what is right or wrong” (Samson and Daft, 2005, p.158)
In this assignment we will be identifying an ethical dilemma an individual has experienced. We will begin with a short introduction of what an ethical dilemma is, moving on to providing brief details of the dilemma an individual has experienced. We will then go on to selecting one ethical theory, to show how it can help an individual understand and deal with the situation when placed within, followed by a conclusion.
Ethical behavior is merely making good business decisions based on an established "code of ethics". Entrepreneurs should establish a written code of ethics that can serve as a framework for decisions to be made by the entrepreneur as well as the employees. In developing this code of ethics you should consider the following items:
The Botwinick Prize in Ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2010, from The Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School: http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/leadership/speakerseries/botwinick
When faced with the issue of alleviating poverty or saving nature, many would agree with the following statement: as a society we ought to use available resources and funds to help the poor. In his article “Feeding people versus Saving Nature” Rolston opposes this position and asserts his view that there are times when we ought to choose to save nature instead of feeding the poor. I will argue in favor of Rolston’s argument and against those such as Singer, who strongly opposes the notion that preserving nature and allowing people to unnecessarily die is morally wrong. In reality there are many ways in which we can address the issue of global poverty without resorting to destroying natural ecosystems that we are dependent on.
When asked what is the definition of ethics, many responded that being moral meant doing the right thing. But how can we justify what is a good action and what is a bad action? All humans were created equal, but our principles, and ways of thinking can be extremely different. Some may say doing the right thing means following your heart, your inner feelings and intuition. But emotions can be misleading. Others say in order to do what is the morally right thing means to follow the law and do what is right by society, to be accepted. But today’s society is judgmental and can be corrupted with numerous opinions due to the diversity of cultures. So what does it mean to be ethical? Being ethical means doing what is right in terms of virtues, fairness, duties, responsibilities, obligations, and moral believes all which derived from cultures and family backgrounds.