...Business Ethics: The Responsibilities of Employees and Employers Debra J. Scott Columbia Southern University Business Ethics: The Responsibilities of Employees and Employers Ethics are an extremely important aspect of every successful business; they are crucial on the end of the employer as well as every employee. Employees and executives need a clear definition of business ethics and a clear explanation of the significance of ethics in relation to the position and to the business as well. It is shown to be beneficial to employees and executives to use a decision making process in the development of making important decisions; there are many approaches as well as many consequences to making ethical decisions. Good ethics start with the employer and how they handle and execute their ethics and provide a good working example for their employees. There are many viewpoints on what ethics are, especially in relation to business, “Ethical obligations are a set of “ought to” standards that define a moral course of action and draw a line between right and wrong” (Lohrey). Business ethics can be comprised of written and formal guidelines in relation to an organization’s morals. Many businesses use their code of conduct or credo as their guidelines to communicating their organizational ethics, “Business ethics manifests both as written and unwritten codes of moral standards that are critical to the current activities and future aspirations of a business organization. They can differ...
Words: 2028 - Pages: 9
...Role of Ethics in the Workplace Xxxxxxxxxx STR/581 12/10/2012 Abstract The individual assignment this week was titled Ethics Reflection Paper. The focus of the paper was the role of ethics in the workplace as well as awareness of personal views regarding ethical behavior. Students were given the opportunity to participate in the Williams Institute: Ethics Awareness Inventory and the Williams Institute: Ethical Choices in the Workplace and discuss my results. This information was reflected in the paper. Furthermore, the focus was the importance of ethics in Strategy Management and the values of First Solar, Inc. The Role of Ethics in the Workplace Individual ethical standards reflect the importance of character, results, and equity and the ineffectiveness of obligation and rules. The individual rating was above the mean. Character, results, and equity are an integral component to ethical behavior in the workplace. Conversely, the personal rating is below the mean in regard to obligation. Ethical behavior is not a requirement. Obligation implies coercion to comply due to cultural norms and standards. Morality is an option. In order for a firm to ensure that ethical behavior is practiced by employees, the strategy plan must delineate the importance of individual decisions in ethical behavior. “A focus on the rules alone can cause a person to lose sight of the role ethical principles play when individuals are faced with ethical decisions” (University...
Words: 710 - Pages: 3
...Discuss the importance of business ethics in an organization We hear about this word ‘Ethics” almost every day. We are all aware of the fact that there is a public consciousness which is related to ethics that is way much more important than it was few years back. It is obvious that business ethics are important throughout every area of the business. Most businesses are often more likely to become successful when they are known for dealing honestly with people from its employees and customers to shareholders and vendors. What does the word ‘business ethics’ really mean? Business ethics are nothing more than the code of values and principles that govern the actions of an individual, or a group of individual, regarding what is right and what is wrong. Business ethics are not just about the difference between right and wrong, but they are the actual application of that knowledge to business. Their absence in an organization can be harmful to the progress of any businesses or organizations. Every time a new business is launched, whether it is business of a sole trader or an enterprise, the owner or owners must first legally adopt a code of ethics. For small businesses, the code of ethics is usually unwritten and sometimes not even discussed and decided upon, but still it exists. Where as, for larger businesses such as a full-blown brick-and-mortar corporate enterprise, they often have written codes of ethics and employees are trained and required to adhere to it. It is...
Words: 1994 - Pages: 8
...CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ETHICS, AND VALUES GSGM 7253 WORKPLACE ETHICS: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES (Term Paper) by: ANWAR REDHWAN BIN LOKMAN HAKIM MD1409MD0088 (redhwan_ocean@yahoo.com) LECTURER: PN SALBIAH BINTI ABD RAHMAN (salbiah710@yahoo.com) TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Abstract 3 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Literature Review 4 2.1.1 Why Ethics in Workplace is Importance 4 2.1.2 Ethic’s Issues In Workplace 5 2.1.3 Ethic’s Challenges in Workplace 7 2.1.3.1 Fair Treatment 7 2.1.3.2 Trust 7 2.1.3.3 Resources 8 2.1.3.4 Harassment 8 3.0 Case Study Based on Enron Scandal 8 3.1.1 Misleading 8 3.1.2 Embezzlement of Enron 9 4.0 Recommendation – Implementing Ethics in The Workplace 9 4.1.1 Identify and Reform Value Company 9 4.1.2 Welcome Commitment Can See From Senior Manager 10 4.1.3 Involving the Board 10 4.1.4 Developing a Code of Ethic or Code of Business Ethic 10 4.1.5 To Build Ethics Mission and Vision...
Words: 3390 - Pages: 14
...The Importance of Ethics Moraima Carballo The Art Of Leadership Debra Hayes 02/09/2015 Abstract Ethics is the heart of leadership, as reflected in the title of the 1998 leadership classic by Joanne B. Ciulla. During this research you will find out several information about ethics in a world place leader most understands the concept of ethics.Ethics is not just a subject that is studied in the classroom; it is a fundamental factor in every business relationship. Ethics are standards by which one should act based on values. Values are core beliefs such as duty, honor, and integrity that motivate attitudes and actions. Ethical principles are values that relate to what is right and wrong and thus take precedence over non-ethical values when making ethical can be applied beyond the classroom and put them in the workplace. As a result this research will demonstrate how a leader would not be able to succeed in a workplace even in his or her personal life without knowing the concept of ethical and leadership and putting it as a ritual in a world place. The Importance of Ethics In todays day world ethics has become a difficult subject. There are many reasons why ethics in a workplace has been a common problem todays day. To begin with in the world of work ethics have to be interrelated with quality respect loyalty, and what is right and wrong. An understanding of ethics begins with an analysis of values, both individual and organizational. Effective managers...
Words: 779 - Pages: 4
...A Discussion of Leadership and Ethics Grand Canyon University LDR 800 October 13, 2010 Leadership and Ethics 2 Abstract Recognizing the importance of ethical behavior in leadership requires leaders that understand its value. Leaders must have the ability to choose the ethical values that are most important to their organization. Generally speaking ethical behavior gains significance and becomes relevant when people must enforce the laws upon themselves because of the environmental or organizational setting of their workplace; consequently, in the everyday routine of those in an organizational setting, workers are exposed to many different situations and environments that require varying codes of ethics (Wyne, 2010). Leaders are expected to not only enforce those ethical codes of behavior but to live daily by those codes in an effort to gain the trust of those working with and for them. As a result, an organization that is strong in ethical standards is formed. Educational leadership is widely recognized as complex and challenging (Woods, 2009). Building teams that are motivated to exercise ethical behavior takes the fortitude and dedication of leaders whose leadership abilities expand merely talking about implementation of these standards but open the door to action in ethical and moral awareness. The intent and discussion in this paper involves a look into leadership and its connection with ethical models...
Words: 1388 - Pages: 6
...Ethical Organization Profile MGT/216 Larry Henry Phoenix Toys is a toy manufacturer that strives to provide the consumer with superior customer service and merchandise for the entire family. In a workplace, there are several moral and ethical issues that may arise and it is responsibility of management to outline and enforce a code of ethics for employers to follow. Phoenix Toys will ensure that moral, ethical and social issues adhere to the applicable state and federal laws. Phoenix Toys refuses to tolerate discrimination, harassment, and bribery. Each employee should be knowledgeable of these issues and take steps to ensure that such issues do not occur. Phoenix Toys monitoring system is in place and the human resources department will make sure that ethical standards are upheld. The enforcement of the ethical standards will be fair and just. Modern-day toy manufacturers differ from those often portrayed in classic movies with wooden benches and hand-painted dolls. Safety regulations considers the controlling of the types of paint, metal, plastic, size of parts, and removability of parts determining the safety of a toy. Phoenix Toys is under pressure to produce a quality toy, for an affordable price, with top safety standards. If an employee is aware that a violation of the ethical agreement has occurred, the employee must notify a supervisor. Establishing a mandate for employees to enforce the ethical guidelines assures the company that those who are aware...
Words: 2605 - Pages: 11
...Running head: A NEW WORK ETHIC 1 A New Work Ethic? Strayer University Business Ethics – BUS 309 October 25, 2010 A NEW WORK ETHIC 2 1. Describe how typical the attitudes that Sheehy reports appear to be in work environments you have experienced. With the new generation of workers, in particular recent college graduates the attitudes of the Sheehy reports are neither unusual nor unprecedented. This generation unlike those of the past, are not exposed nor in some instances, taught the meaning of hard work, dedication, sacrifice and how success can evolve from those types of attitudes. Unfortunately through influences of the media such as television, and in some instances glorified unethical business practices of corporate CEO’s, this new generation of workers with a new work ethic, succumb to believe that hard work does not matter and that treating co-workers and external customers indifferently will get you what you want no matter what the consequences may be. As I have worked and currently work in a prominent, nationally recognized entity, and have hired both college and non-college graduates, there seems to be an attitude of entitlement with the new work ethic and workforce. There are expectations of promotions, and high salaries without proven ability of performance. There is a lack of understanding and true reality of where they fit within the organization and how they meet the performance standards. These attitudes are far different...
Words: 1992 - Pages: 8
...Code of Ethics Anonymous HCS/335 April 7, 2014 Patricia Daugherty Code of Ethics Introduction The organization’s code of ethics serves as a guide to its employees when making difficult decisions. Ethics helps professionals with their actions and practices that are directed to improve the welfare of people in an ethical way (Fremgen, 2009). An organization’s culture and mission statement also help its employees make ethical decisions. The Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) organization is the national public health organization that is committed to protect the health and safety of our nation. CDC’s mission statement focuses on to protect the health and safety of our communities through prevention strategies and control of disease. The mission statement motivates the employees to do their best to prevent diseases and infection. The code of ethics provides guidance to ensure that CDC employees avoid situations that could violate ethics law (CDC, 2013). The organization’s mission statement and culture reflect its ethical values. Organization’s Goals and how they are tied to its ethical principles The organization’s goals are to provide protection for our nation’s health and safety. The CDC has pledged to treat all human beings with dignity, honesty, and respect. They have also pledged to provide an environment for positive personal growth and integrity. The CDC provides employment for over 17,000 employees and they work to provide a diverse work environment...
Words: 1713 - Pages: 7
...Ethics and Moral Issues in Business BIS/216 September 14, 2011 Many businesses today have several issues to deal with on a daily. In this paper the subject to discuss is the differences between ethical and moral issues in business. Also discuss the differences on personal ethics and business ethics. Businesses have to be careful about dealing with the issues concerning moral and ethical dilemmas. Today’s businesses cannot afford any legal mishaps or wrong doings against the company. An ethical issue is the philosophical analysis of human morality and conduct. Moral issues are potential issues that help or harm anyone. The differences between these two issues are ethical deals with codified standards of behavior in a company, and a moral issue deals with actions right and fair. The website cfagbata.com said “companies are now realizing the importance of ethics in business that is crucial for them to succeed” (cfagbata, 2011, p. 1). Companies have to be very careful not to cross the lines between these two issues. The issues can cause confusion and disorder within the workplace if the business does not handle the issues properly. Personal ethics and business ethics are frequently foundation on the societies’ ideals and actions. The difference is one is personal dealing with that individual with the issue instead of the whole company itself. The business ethic is dealing with the company who issues or concerns became a problem within the workplace or environment...
Words: 592 - Pages: 3
...Unethical Behavior at Workplace- Company Time Misuse Ethics is based on the recognition of certain human rights. Unethical behavior can occur in the relationships between employees, in the way an employee goes about his business or how s/he uses company resources. Unethical behavior can even break the law in some situations. The problem here is that employees misuse company time. So the dilemma occurs when employees discover other employees are misusing company time. They know this is wrong by the company's standards. The employees own sense of what is right and what is wrong instantly comes into question. That employee needs to consider how she or he feels about that particular activity, as well as informing about that activity, or turning a blind eye. The unethical behavior of company time misuse is a trend because employees can see it occurring constantly within the workplace across multiple organizations. My target audience is all the lower and upper level employees in business areas such as sales and marketing. In order to solve this issue, there are three solutions. The first solution is to establish the implementation of company policy. The second solution is to set-up the implementation of ethical outline conferences. The last but not the least, the third solution is to create an implementation of ethics training program. The best solution is to set-up the implementation of ethical outline conferences, which will provide employees with a patent outline of what is expected...
Words: 3136 - Pages: 13
...Running head: A NEW WORK ETHIC 1 A New Work Ethic? Strayer University Business Ethics – BUS 309 October 25, 2010 A NEW WORK ETHIC 2 1. Describe how typical the attitudes that Sheehy reports appear to be in work environments you have experienced. With the new generation of workers, in particular recent college graduates the attitudes of the Sheehy reports are neither unusual nor unprecedented. This generation unlike those of the past, are not exposed nor in some instances, taught the meaning of hard work, dedication, sacrifice and how success can evolve from those types of attitudes. Unfortunately through influences of the media such as television, and in some instances glorified unethical business practices of corporate CEO’s, this new generation of workers with a new work ethic, succumb to believe that hard work does not matter and that treating co-workers and external customers indifferently will get you what you want no matter what the consequences may be. As I have worked and currently work in a prominent, nationally recognized entity, and have hired both college and non-college graduates, there seems to be an attitude of entitlement with the new work ethic and workforce. There are expectations of promotions, and high salaries without proven ability of performance. There is a lack of understanding and true reality of where they fit within the organization and how they meet the performance standards. These attitudes are far different...
Words: 1992 - Pages: 8
...Ethics and Organizational Design- A Literature Review Abstract This literature review observes the views of organizational design and business ethics as they relate to one another in business. The first portion of this paper defines organizational design and business ethics to establish their importance and also examines managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility, sources of ethical principles. The second portion pursues to explain the relationship between business ethics and organizational design and how managers shape ethics through use of value-based leadership and formal structure systems. The third portion pursues to review the importance of ethics to organizational design and the structures that support or enforce ethical behavior in organizations. The fourth portion links literature reviewed and published over the past few years together based on their reference to ethics and organizational design. The literatures are linked together based on commonalities found in the opinions of the authors relating to a spiritual perspective, ethics and corporate structure, organizational and ethical theories, and ethical strategy. Last but not least, the review concludes with a summary of the important role that ethics plays in the organizational design and structure of a business and how it applies to members of management. Keywords: business ethics, organizational design, corporate social responsibility Outline INTRODUCTION I. Organizational Design/Business...
Words: 5201 - Pages: 21
...Research Quarterly Published by the Society for Human Resource Management Business Ethics: The Role of Culture and Values for an Ethical Workplace FOURTH QUARTER–2009 Whether in domestic or global companies, ultimately, the commitment to business ethics and the foundation is built through organizational culture, with ethical values reflected in the workplace. Business Ethics: The Role of Culture and Values for an Ethical Workplace Abstract An ethical workplace is established through an organization’s culture, values and leadership. To promote ethical behavior, human resource professionals, people managers and senior management need to be knowledgeable about business ethics—from leadership, codes of conduct and related legislation to compliance training, ethical decisionmaking, and cultural and generational differences around ethics. Transparency, fairness and communication are key for establishing and maintaining an ethical workplace. Introduction In the business world today, issues of trust, respect, fairness, equity and transparency are gaining more attention. Business ethics includes organizational values, guidelines and codes, legal compliance, risk management, and individual and group behavior within the workplace. Effective leadership, with open dialogue and thoughtful deliberation, develops the foundation of an ethical workplace, is woven into the fabric of the organizational culture and is mirrored in ethical decision-making. Toward this end, all organizational...
Words: 5913 - Pages: 24
...(i) Identify any THREE (3) unethical issues in your organisation. Nike (figure 1) is a very well-known company which produce quality shoe and athletic wear around the world. It is founded by an athlete named Philip Knight and his couch Bill Bowerman (Figure 2) in January 1964. Its slogan called ‘Just Do It’. The quality and standard of its products have been strongly recognised by people, even though Nike’s products are considered expensive, yet its performance makes it valuable. i. Inhumane working conditions. Although Nike’s products and services are able to satisfy its consumers, there are some invisibly unethical issues which happened between its employers and employees that are intolerable. The first serious case is Nike’s workers faced direct violence in the factory. According to the daily mail reporter, workers announced that they are being mentally and physically abused at the sweatshops. The supervisors often slap them in the face, kick them, throw shoes at them and call them ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs’. With the proofs, one of the workers in Sukabumi mentioned that she was kicked by a supervisor because of making a mistake while cutting rubber for soles. Some workers also described that they were being hit or scratched in the arm until they bled. Besides that, a 30 years old lady named Mira Agustina, was fired in 2009 for taking sick leave even doctor’s note was summited. She said furiously that it was a terrible work and the bosses frequently insult the workers by...
Words: 3676 - Pages: 15
