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Ethical decision making & moral judgment
The importance of ethical decision making and moral judgments
The importance of ethical decision making and moral judgments
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There have been various instances of unethical practices in the business sector. Many policies have been put in place to curb the problem of unethical behavior. Despite the continuous efforts businesses still suffer from unethical practices. This paper is to establish the reasons for consistent unethical behaviors despite the many policies that have been put in place to solve the problem. The paper focuses on behavioral ethics. The proponents of behavioral ethics believe that in many instances, some people make unethical judgments unconsciously. This paper examines the instances of involuntary unethical behavior and their possible remedies. The paper concludes by recommending that the policy makers should always consider the effect of behavioral …show more content…
By understanding the behavioral approach to ethics, we will be able to establish how an individual interpret their ethical decisions. This theory suggests that each and every individual interprets ethical norms differently, and for that reason, what is perceived as right by one person can be very unethical to another person. By enhancing such knowledge we a community is able to improve their ethical climate hence reducing the instances of scandals. Behavioral business ethics focuses on how people behave, but not how they are suppose or are expected to behave. By fully understanding the behavioral approach to business ethics we are able to supplement it with other traditional approaches to enable us provide a comprehensive ethical solution in the field of …show more content…
This is the reason why, despite the awareness of ethics and codes of conduct, very many people still find themselves unethical situations. There are contexts and situations where almost anybody can succumb into doing something unethical. It is therefore imperative that the leaders formulate more all-inclusive policies which are meant to cub unethical behavior. Listing the codes of conducts and ethical expectation may not do much into solving unconscious unethical
Throughout your life, you’ll face tough decisions where you'll have to decide possibly against your ethical beliefs. Ethics don’t necessarily always have to involve law abiding. It’s rather about trusting your moral path and doing the right thing. Dori Meinert is the author of “Creating an Ethical Workplace” she explains the thought behind the never black or white decision making when it comes to businesses. Can businesses truly trust those individuals hired to steer their companies? It was mentioned that last year 41 percent of U.S. workers said they observed unethical or illegal misconduct on the job, according to the Ethics Resource Center's 2013 National Business Ethics Survey. Meinert’s article was not only eye-opening but very truthful since we’ve all been faced or witnessed unethical decision making. Once employees see individuals breaking the rules and regulations others will then think it's okay, which could result in employees leaving or major hoops for companies to jump through. When we tolerate misconduct we lower productivity and diminish the reputation of a company. Meinert mentioned that if
The importance of having a code of ethics is to define acceptable behaviors and promote higher standards of practice within a company. The code should provide a benchmark for...
Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2011). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases: 2011 custom edition (8th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
The movie “Glengarry Glen Ross” presented a series of ethical dilemmas that surround a group of salesmen working for a real estate company. The value of business ethics was clearly undermined and ignored in the movie as the salesmen find alternatives to keep their jobs. The movie is very effective in illustrating how unethical business practices can easily exist in the business world. Most of the time, unethical business practices remain strong in the business world because of the culture that exists within companies. In this film, the sudden demands from management forced employees to become irrational and commit unethical business practices. In fear of losing their jobs, employees were pressured to increase sales despite possible ethical ramifications. From the film, it is right to conclude that a business transaction should only be executed after all legal and ethical ramifications have been considered; and also if it will be determined legal and ethical to society.
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.
An integrative model for understanding and managing ethical behavior in business organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 9(3), 233-242. Doi: 10.1007/BF00382649
Unethical behavior is a behavior which is not morally correct. When one is encouraged to embrace unethical behavior and actions, they are "trapped." They are psychological in nature, and such traps distort perceptions of what is wrong and what is right. One actually ends up believing that his or her unethical behavior is right and ethical. If one is not aware of their behavior it is hard for them to tell if their behavior is actually acceptable and ethical. Just like in the Stanford Prison Experiment, the volunteer guards adopted to their new roles. Within hours of beginning the prison experiment, some of the guards began to abuse their power and harass prisoners in that experiment. The volunteer guards behaved in a sadistic and brutal manner.
Understanding Ethical Behavior and Decision Making in Management: A Behavioural Business Ethics Approach. David De Cremer, Rolf van Dick,1 Ann Tenbrunsel, Madan Pillutla and
Ethics in business is a highly important concept, as it can affect a company’s profits, salaries paid to employees and CEOs, and public opinion, among many other aspects of a business. Ethics can be enforced by company policies and guidelines, set a precedent when a company is faced with an important decision, and are also evolving thanks to new technology and situations that arise due to technology usage. Businesses have a duty to maintain their ethical responsibilities and also to help their employees enforce these responsibilities in and out of the workplace. However, ethics and the foundation for them are not always black and white. There are many different ethical theories, however Utilitarianism, Kant’s Deontological ethics, and Virtue ethics are three of the most well known theories in existence. Each theory is distinct in that it has a different quality used to determine ethicality and allows for a person to choose which system of ethics works best with both the situation and his or her personal ethical preferences.
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.
To provide an example of a breach of ethical conduct in the workplace, we may remember the case of a financial manager in a corporation that decided not to pay overtime to some employees. After a deep outside investigation, the company was summoned with thousands of dollars to remedy the payment that was supposed to be paid to all employees who worked more than forty hours per week. Again, it is needed more than just a booklet stating that the company adheres to the code of business ethics. It is needed serious managers that can run the company with the most seriousness as possible. Consequently, any written codes of business ethics, regardless of how well it has been crafted, need people that adhere to its internal content with a serious desire to do the right thing.
Many ethical dilemmas are philosophical in nature, an ethical issue can be described as a problem with no clear resolution. In order to solve the issue or dilemma a consensus between the parties involved must be reached. There are several reasons to come to an agreement over an ethical dilemma, it is the basis for all aspects of personal and professional dealings. Each one of us is part of a civilized society and as such it is our responsibility to be rational, honest and loyal in our dealings with others. (Alakavuklar, 2012) states that individuals make decisions for different situations in business life involving various ethical dilemmas. Each time either consciously or unconsciously individuals may follow some ethical approaches
As business people, we must learn when to join the group and when to take a stand for what is good and right. It doesn’t mean that when everyone in business is not practicing ethics, we also do the same. What we must do is practice legal and ethical behavior to earn the respect and confidence of our stakeholders and the society at large.
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:
Ethics is the responsibility of each individual person, but starts with the CEO and the Board of Directors, setting the right tone at the top and moves down through the organization, including setting the tone in the middle. A company’s culture and ethic standards start at the top, not from the bottom. Employees will almost always behave in the manner that they think management expects them, and it is foolish for management to pretend otherwise (Scudder). One of the CEO’s most important jobs is to create, foster, and communicate the culture of the organization. Wrongdoings or improper behavior rarely occurs in a void, leaders typically know when someone is compromising the company