Ethics in the Workplace Essay Example

Ethics in the Workplace
Classical and Contemporary Ethical Philosophies Ethical philosophies served as guide for people in the workplace to make moral decisions in conducting business. There are classical normative ethical philosophies as well as contemporary ethical philosophies being used. They have been applied in the different levels or dimensions of the business organizations. People do know that there are business organizations that have disregarded ethical standards and encounters ethical issues inside their company. There are times that ethical standards or norms have to be set aside to achieve something worthwhile for the company. Lately, businesses recognize the importance of ethics to help establish the integrity of the company. The ends justify the means is the common thinking in business but in terms of ethics what is considered morally right is the one that counts.
Classical normative ethical philosophies include relativism, pragmatism, behaviorism and positivism. Relativism as a philosophical doctrine pertains to the denial of ethical absolutes. In business it asserts that all practices or beliefs can be equally valid and good or that moral values are relative to particular standpoint or culture.
Pragmatism as another philosophical doctrine stands on the ground that something is right if it works satisfactorily. Pragmatic people in business are guided by more practical reasoning and observation rather than theory. The most practical consequences are the criteria for what is considered as valuable.
Behaviorism was related to a movement in psychology and philosophy that believes in the interpretation of human actions as totally determined and predictable. In business decisions it could explain why a certain behavior can be adapted in an organization.
Positivism as a conceptual theory is the process of equating knowledge with observable experience. Positivists are similar to rationalist. It could mean that ethics, laws or rules need not have