Ethics In The Workplace

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Ethics in the Workplace What is ethics? Is ethics an ability that grows in us from a child or does our parents teaches us ethics? According to dictionary.com, states that the word ethics means, "the code of good conducts for an individual or group." Ethics also means, simply stated, that ethics refers to standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on. There are many characteristics of ethics. There are good and bad ethics. But when sociologist Raymond Baumhart ask business people "What does ethics means to you?" According to him, the replies he received were: "ethics has to do with whether their feelings tell them what's right or wrong, Ethics has to do with their religious beliefs, being ethical is doing what the law requires, Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts, and I don't know what the word means." (Wallace, 1985) All of those could be true, but the word "ethics" is hard to define and many views are quite shaky. If at a young age you find your daughter is stealing from the corner store, do you tell her that it is not ethical. Do you teach her that stealing is wrong? But is that ethical? So the question still remains, "What is ethics?" "According to Norman E. Bowie, "Ethics is two things. First, ethics refers to well based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually In terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics, for example, refers to those standards that impose the reasonable obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fr... ... middle of paper ... ...private sector. Corporations will be able to avoid embarrassing scandals that are presented all over national news. Small business will be able to keep and attract more clients and customers. Negotiations between businesses could be accomplished with more consideration for the other company in mind, which would only help both. Above all, a high level of ethics in your business should be in place at least for the customers. If anything, it is the customer that should be considered the most when it comes to ethical business practices. In the long run, a company will reap great profits from a customer base that feels it is being treated fairly and truthfully. Strong Ethics is a Critical Quality of Leadership. Verschoor, Curtis C., Strategic Finance, January, 2006, Vol. 87, Issue 7, P. 19-20. Ethics, Marrkula, A. C., Copyright 20005, Center for Applied Ethics.

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