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Three Types of Ethics

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In the world today there are many times that an individual may find themselves challenged with making an important moral decision. The individual will have to use his or her personal, professional, and organizational ethics in order to provide what he or she believes to be the correct action to take. This dilemma is encountered by the working force everyday. The three primary areas of ethical behavior must be clearly understood by all, to allow for an ethical “balance” in the world.
Personal Ethics
Personal ethics differ from person to person depending on numerous influences throughout ones life. Influences such as parents, religion, culture, environment, life experiences, and law all have a role in shaping personal ethics. Even though law does influence ethics, law is a last resort when private morality does not prevail (White, 1996). These principles learned help guide a persons actions and aid in their decision making process. A wise man once said, “Ethics is not simply what is “right” or “wrong”, it’s having the courage to do the right thing”. An example of a personal ethics dilemma: A man is out walking his dog in Little Italy and notices a woman drop her watch when exiting a cab. The woman is quickly approaching him on the sidewalk. Does he tell her that she dropped the watch? Or does he pick it up and keep it for himself? If the man is of good character he will tell the woman she dropped her watch. This lack of personal gain is an excellent example of proper personal ethics behavior. A person’s character should be consistent in all areas of life. This personal values system carries directly over into the professional environment and translates into professional ethics.
Professional Ethics
Professional ethics also tend to differ from person to person depending on their professional life. Professional ethics are the responsibilities that an

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