Business Ethics
What is ethics?
Ethics is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible, obligatory or permissible, praiseworthy or blameworthy. It is associated with guilt, shame, indignation, resentment, empathy, compassion, and care. It is interested in character as well as conduct. It addresses matters of public policy as well as more personal matters. (http://www.onlineethics.org/Education)
In business ethics is applied and practiced in all levels however the level where the practice is approached is various, in today’s business environment ethics has become a core competitive advantage that big companies are promoting to overtake each other’s by presenting a quality ethical environment.
"Business Ethics" can be defined as the critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affects others. (http://www.businessethics.ca/definitions/business-ethics.html)
BENEFITS OF ETHICS FOR BUSINESS
One of the main benefits for a business of behaving ethically is that a better image is given to the world at large, and especially to consumers, resulting in greater profit. It also means that expensive and potentially embarrassing public relation disasters are avoided. As far as employees are concerned, if the business is seen to behave ethically, for example with regard to the environment, it will recruit more highly qualified employees, and this leads to better employee motivation as the employees are proud of their jobs.
PROBLEMS OF ETHICS FOR BUSINESS
Being ethical can increase costs for the business, e.g. they have to pay reasonable wages to all employees. If a business is truly putting its ethics into practice it will have to pass on the same standards down the supply chain and this will mean no longer doing
Ethics is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible, obligatory or permissible, praiseworthy or blameworthy. It is associated with guilt, shame, indignation, resentment, empathy, compassion, and care. It is interested in character as well as conduct. It addresses matters of public policy as well as more personal matters. (http://www.onlineethics.org/Education)
In business ethics is applied and practiced in all levels however the level where the practice is approached is various, in today’s business environment ethics has become a core competitive advantage that big companies are promoting to overtake each other’s by presenting a quality ethical environment.
"Business Ethics" can be defined as the critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affects others. (http://www.businessethics.ca/definitions/business-ethics.html)
BENEFITS OF ETHICS FOR BUSINESS
One of the main benefits for a business of behaving ethically is that a better image is given to the world at large, and especially to consumers, resulting in greater profit. It also means that expensive and potentially embarrassing public relation disasters are avoided. As far as employees are concerned, if the business is seen to behave ethically, for example with regard to the environment, it will recruit more highly qualified employees, and this leads to better employee motivation as the employees are proud of their jobs.
PROBLEMS OF ETHICS FOR BUSINESS
Being ethical can increase costs for the business, e.g. they have to pay reasonable wages to all employees. If a business is truly putting its ethics into practice it will have to pass on the same standards down the supply chain and this will mean no longer doing