DEFINITION
Business ethics are a set of moral standards or guiding principles for the conduct and decision making of employees and managers. In a business environment, ethics are a key factor in responsible decision making.
Any organisation needs to be constantly alert to the challenges of operating ethically. It needs to develop ethical practices and principles that are supported and adopted throughout the business and to work in partnership with the many industry and international bodies seeking to secure ethical practices and protect the rights of employees.
EXAMPLE OF GOOD ETHICS
According to the annual ranking of Ethisphere Institute, Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2014. The company was founded in San Francisco,
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This can be devastated by irresponsible behaviour to such an extent that the business will cease to trade;
• Improved employee and organisational morale;
• Increased ability to attract new stakeholders/competitive advantage – maintaining highly ethical approach to business can be a source of competitive advantage. One advantage may be publicity. Also ethical businesses may find that stakeholders are more likely to do business with them as they believe that you deal fairly with them;
• Improved customer loyalty and attract new customers – there are more and more customers who make all their purchasing decisions based on the ethical performance of the business. Some consumers will only invest their funds in business that they regard as having a social conscience.
• Reduced risk of negative exposure and public response caused by poor ethics - consumers are generally more aware than ever how organisations conduct their business. The media is quick to expose any business seen as
Ethical business practicese include assuring that the highest legal and moral standards are identified in your relationships with the people in your business community. You know the most important person in your business is your customer. You should always go for long term profit instead of short term profit. A reputation for ethical decisions creates trust in your business among business associates and suppliers. Strong supplier relationships are critical to a successful business. So customer trust is only kept , if they are treated as initially they were promised to be treated.
Every day businesses are faced with making decisions that can have far reaching effects within their organization and the communities in which their business are based. Company Q is one of these businesses. Recent decisions made within this company have demonstrated a trend that would suggest Company Q has a negative attitude toward social responsibility. This attitude can be evidenced by the closing of two stores in high-crime rate areas because they were consistently losing money, offering minimal amounts of health-conscious and organic foods despite high demand, and declining donations of day-old products rather than donating these items to the local area’s food bank due to concerns of fraud and stealing by employees.
Ethical issues are becoming very essential and critical topic for examining the organization’s performance. According to Chang, (2011) nowadays, every organization has realized the vitality that ethical functionality gives to a business and need of attention to this emerging responsibility of organizations.
To conclude, business who are ethical get more business as the customers are loyal to them and trust them for example, if there is a new product in the market; it would take a long time for the customer to trust that product however if you have been ethical in the past the customers would buy the
Reasons vary from the benefits of CSR, the goodwill and marketing of the company and even as a method for increasing the company’s profit margin (Thorpe, 2013). In some areas, there are significant cost savings affiliated with CSR. The
While each business has a unique culture, environment, and business structure leading to the success of the company, there is always an ethical way of conducting business. We live in a domain where change is the only constant; new businesses are being created, businesses are expanding, growing in monetary value and stakeholder integration, and currently lead the success of a thriving economy. The businesses that stand apart from competitors
Also the importance of understanding ethics in a business is away of collecting lacking information of employees involved, like power or to helping to harm the employees, customers and everyone involved in the company. One of the most positive ethic roles a company is practicing giving to charity donation each year is practicing ethical behavior. The benefit of the company can allow additional taxes, and send a positive message. Therefore, the business can bring in a lot more customer’s, and increase a positive image towards the relationship with the business to allow the firm to bring in more new employees. Also business and personal ethics is a learning experience for young and through adulthood, is a practice through our daily lives. Some business give their employees information that contain statements, policies, and other responsibilities that all employee should follow. While these effects are if the employee refuse to respect the organization by following the business guidelines.
Taking the ethical stand can be risky. There is no guarantee that being ethical can increase profits. Nonprofit organizations for example operate in good faith, and not necessarily out there to make a profit. The ability of an organization to remain transparent is a must do if they are to remain in business. When organizations are not transparent, they could be under a cloud of suspicion and at risk, affecting their profit and damaging their good name. The whole world and non-governmental organizations will be looking for that transparency. Technology has become so widely available that positive or negative information will be known, almost immediately around the world.
Every company should have a code of ethics, because it maintains the company’s values, culture, and reputation. It communicates to employees that the company is committed to doing business responsibly. It also guides employees’ conduct and how they should interact with each other, customers, vendors, contractors, and the general public. Code of ethics set clear standards and expectations for employees, and if everyone in the company adheres to these policies, then the company will create a culture that reflects the code. Companies with code of ethics also show that they are committed to integrity and social responsibility, which in turn will make their customers feel more reassured, and help with the company's bottom line as well as protect the company from potential liability.
Ultimately, businesses exist to make a profit for their owners and shareholders. In most cases, ethical behaviour adds expenses to the business, reducing profits. Profits are a good thing - they ensure that people have jobs. The smaller the profits, the fewer income tax dollars are paid, which would hurt government programs.
Business ethics refers to the consideration of moral decisions and responsibilities in the process of operating a business. Business ethics, practiced throughout the deepest layers of a company, become the heart and soul of the company 's culture and can mean the difference between success and failure. Values drive behavior and therefore need to be consciously stated, but they also need to be affirmed by actions. Ethical business environments are created with foundations of integrity, accountability and commitment.
In comparing and contrasting two articles which analyze and evaluate ethics in business, the impact of corporate social responsibility and ethical behavior by corporation and their managers can be understood by the public perception documented in a survey of Hawaiian residents, as well as the argument of negative value to consumers when self-interest and lack of ethics are part of an organization’s business model. The survey results in Choy’s article demonstrate the impression of a decline in corporate ethical behavior over the past twenty years. Both articles use the environment of competition to discuss the characteristics of ethical and moral behavior in the corporate realm. The recommendation based on the evaluation of information in the two articles is for business organizations to employ ethical and moral practices that include the values of society, and use traditional morality in all business dealings. The value of corporate social responsibility will be acknowledged and appreciated by consumers, and both economic and social gains can be achieved.
The Ethical Behavior would enhance the performance of the company, because the ethical behavior would creates the good image of the company among the stakeholders. If The WorldCom would have adopted the ethical behavior in the organization it would not have attained bankruptcy in the market. The company acted in unethically to misrepresent the accounts of the company (Salter, 2008).
(Panza & Potthast, n.d.) Ethics is very important to a company’s success. Ethical behavior can bring benefits to a business. They can attract customers, which can lead to a boost in sales and profits. It can attract the right employees and increase productivity. It can also attract investors and keep the company’s share price high. Unethical behavior on the other hand can damage a company’s reputation and make it less appealing to stakeholders. It could also result in lower profits.
Ethics involve an individual's moral judgments concerning what is right and/or wrong. Individuals or groups of people are responsible for making decisions in an organization (shaw, 2008). Decisions within the organization are always emanate from the company's culture. However, the decision to act ethically and morally requires an individual judgment. Thus, members of staff are obligated to make decisions that reflect their right course of action (shaw, 2008). This involves rejecting the option that could lead to the greatest short-term gain. The leadership of most organizations stresses the need to adopt ethical behaviors and corporate social responsibility. Ethical dealings can earn the organization various benefits. For instance, it may attract more clients to the business thus boosting sales; employees could be motivated to stay longer in the organization thereby reducing recruitment expenditures. Ethical behaviors could also earn the business a favorable reputation that could attract investors. Categorically, a lack of social responsibility or unethical behavior may hurt the firm's reputation and scare away investors. Sales and profits could fall in the process.