Ethics and values are for me expectations set by an organization to maintain equilibrium. Today, you will learn about workplace ethics and how to adopt the right and sound practices. You will also learn how the implication of values in day-to-day activities at work is crucial.
What Are Ethics?
Ethics can be defined as the learning of what is good or bad, right or wrong and just or unjust – as simple as that.
What Are the Types of Ethics?
- Descriptive Ethics deals with the attitudes or individuals and groups of people. It aims at deciphering people’s beliefs on things like their values and actions.
- Normative Ethics is a field that studies ethical behaviors and deals with what ought to be.
- Business Ethics is about using ethics in the day-to-day running of a business.
Theories of Ethics
- Theory of Amorality: This is when the business itself has its own belief and ignores the ethical standards and ideals of the society.
- Theory of Moral Unity: Companies follow the standard general ethics of the society and do not have its own special ethics.
Types of Management Ethics
- Immoral: have a knowledge about what is right and wrong but they choose to do the wrong thing.
- Moral: Have a knowledge about what is right and wrong and they choose to do the right thing.
- Amoral: They believe that ethics are irrelevant and do not imply ethics when doing something.
Approaches to Ethics
- Conventional Approach
They believe that all actions should be in accordance with the norms of the society All behavioral patterns are judged based on the ethics of the society. Different societies have different ethics, so the views on what is right or wrong may vary depending upon the society the people belong.
- Principles Approach
Choosing what is right or wrong depends upon someone’s personal choice. They do not have to base their choice on the society norms. The main concern is that the sources of these principles are unlimited. Religious bodies and philosophers who have their own senses of right and wrong to any issues usually adopt this approach.
- Law
This is when the country uses legitimacy to transform ethics into explicit social rules and punish people who breach these laws. Usually people tend to associate laws with ethics. This happens mostly in business situations. It is often stated that ethical behavior has a higher standard than the law.
How Companies Manage Ethics?
- They have a code of conduct, which includes all its ethical standards and procedures
- High-level management usually manages all ethical issues and makes sure not to ignore ethical mistakes.
- They do not give authority and responsibility to people who have previous criminal records. They usually check the background of a person before recruiting him.
- They communicate norms of the company to all staff and train them to follow these norms
- They use auditing to detect fraud and constantly monitor performance.
- They continuously implement ethics.
- They take immediate action to stop fraud and to prevent future offenses.
What About Values?
Values are determinants and preferences on the right way of living and choosing the appropriate courses of action and outcomes. Since values lie behind all the decisions we make, it follows that they lie at the very core of the life we have created for ourselves through the choices we have made. Thus, through values, we express what is important in our life and, when we are true to our values, the lifestyle we live is our expression of these values.
Types of Values:
- Ethical
- Material
- Aesthetic
- Intrinsic
- Extrinsic
- Universal/American
- Group-specific value
Do you think ethics and values are as important as it is claimed?
