The Importance of Ethics in the Workplace

The Importance of Ethics in the Workplace From birth, most of us are taught what is right and wrong. Ethics is a trait that most human beings acquire, but with differences in values and perspectives, it may be hard to achieve. The problem lies in how ethics are taught to people. It is our duty as Americans and people on this Earth to train ourselves to become ethical in every thing we do. We should be practicing good ethics everywhere, at work, home, and school. Having good ethics should be part of our daily lives. This paper will discuss ethics and the importance of it in the workplace. The Random House Dictionary (1999) defines ethics as: "1 A system of moral principles", "2 The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.", "3 Moral principles, as of an individual", and "4 the branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions." The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning (Paul & Elder, 2003) breaks down the definition of ethics a little further. In the reading, it lists and shows examples of ethical concepts. The first ethical concept mentioned is, "Going beyond what is obligated to improve the lives of others." The traits of the concept are described as being charitable, generous, unselfish, and humanitarian. This ethical concept and its traits are similar to the United States Air Force's Core Value, "Service before Self." An example of this branch's core value is troops deploying to defend our nation and to protect the rights of the innocent. This core value shows them being unselfish by leaving their families behind. This is a very selfless act that the troops are showing America and the world. There are many other groups in America and around the world that show these traits. One particular

References: Bonczek, S. & Menzel, D. (1994) Achieving the ethical workplace. Public Management, 76, 13-17. Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2003) The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning. Dillon Beach, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking. Rosche, J. (2002) Workplace ethics: it starts with you. Contract Management, 42, 6-7.