The And Doing Well By Doing Good

The idea of striving for goodness has always been something that has been instilled in our minds since birth. We were always taught to the do the right thing. But why? What are the benefits of being a good person versus being bad? This is question that Colin Mcginn tackles in his article, “Why Not Be a Bad Person?” In it, he explains why he think virtue is the more intriguing moral standard, and explores why some people may disagree with him.

Values and ethics are essential in the workplace. It establishes how a company is run and remains profitable. Leaders are the key to demonstrating and creating the organization’s culture, ethics and values. It has to start at the top of the organization including the Chief Executive officer, board and owners. Leaders’ internalization and manifestation of the values in how they operate have a great influence on the employees. Every organization must start with a foundation, a code of conduct, code of ethics and a statement of values ( Ferrell, O.C., John Fraedrich, and Linda Ferrell).

Writers Gardner and Wooden explain that an organization, its leader, and its followers can only be strong if there is an alignment of moral standards and values, as well as open communication. In Coach John Wooden’s book, he states that having high morals and values dictates the capabilities to make responsible and appropriate decisions, which constitute good character. Coach Wooden states, “a good explanation of character is simple: respect for yourself, respect for others, respect for the game, whether it’s basketball, business, or anything else” (Wooden, 2005, p.73). To simply explain, a leader who treats others with respect will attract followers who believe these same standards. Equally, John W. Gardner echoes Wooden’s statement

According to a recent global IBM survey of over 1,500 CEOs, creativity is voted as the most important leadership quality for success in business, outweighing even integrity and management disciplines. A well known American literary theorist, Stanley Fish, once wrote, “integrity...is not a good qualification for getting people to work together”. In today’s world, people placing emphasis on innovation and communication more so than integrity has become increasingly prevalent. Demeaning the importance of integrity and character in good leadership could be a precarious assumption. A “people pleaser” without strong morals may gain temporary support, but the cause that he or she pursues may not be desirable for the well-being of the community as

A few factors assume a part in the accomplishment of an organization that are past the extent of money related explanations alone. Authoritative culture, service rationality and morals in business each affect how well a business performs in the long term. Regardless of the size, business or level of gainfulness of an association, business morals are a standout amongst the most critical parts of long term achievement.

In examining the correlation between the manner in which we conduct business and the principles to which we personally ascribe, it is undeniable that we are inextricably impacted by our respective familial upbringings, social environments and academic influences. Because values play such an important role in our lives, being able to recognize, understand and articulate one’s own values set becomes critical in sound decision making. Additionally, the ability to identify an employer’s corporate

As people, we all want to be understood by others. “When dealing with others, seek first to understand, then to be understood.” (Maxwell, 37) Finally, while trying to keep others’ needs in perspective, we do not want to be taken advantage of. When this happens it devalues you and the person you took advantage of. All of these will help give an individual the basic outlines of how to begin to look at “The Golden Rule.” To begin this process of adapting this “Golden Rule” lifestyle, the character of a person is the key to living a life of integrity and ethical excellence. A person’s character is more than just talk. People, who want to earn the respect of their peers and themselves, need to walk the talk. There are many things people do not get to choose, how tall they are or where they are born, but character is a choice that can be made by anyone. “Trust is essential when working with people. Character engenders trust.” (Maxwell 44) People tend to fall into three categories: those who don’t succeed, those who succeed temporarily, and those who remain successful. To have a quality character will help to remain successful throughout their lifetime. In the world today, we see examples in the media of people who do not act as ethically as they should. There are many reasons why people do not do the right thing. These reasons generally fall into five factors that someone compromises their ethics for. To begin with pressure is a major culprit. In our

Collins illustrates a persuasive profile of what it takes to be the leader of not a good but a great organization in the modern day. He also demonstrates the development of successful organizations as a consequence of ethical behavior rather than despite

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.

An essential component of leadership is to articulate and exemplify the organization's core values. These values must be clear, compelling, and repeated. The leader must both "walk the talk" and inspire his/her colleagues within the organization to also live these values. Values are at the core of individual, group or organizational identity. Values are relatively enduring conceptions or judgments about what is considered to be important to an organization. Agreement between personal and organizational values result in shared values which constitute the benchmarking of a successful business practice.

break the law all of the time so this is not a very good solution.

Companies are supposed to be able to achieve and demonstrate an ever increasing performance showing improvement on leading in their industries to acquire competitive advantages. Having a high level of performance could be greatest achieved with competent and motivated employees. The conduct of business in an organization with an ethical manner is of great importance to secure an increasing performance as well. Organizations functioning towards ethical standards should ensure unbiased applications of business and recall a sense of justice to stimulate motivation among their employees. Employees that are motivated through a positive ethical organizational climate and leadership do much better than a less motivated employee. This promotes the organizational achievement that causes

The adage says “character is doing right when no one is looking.” That is the bottom line of leading by example, developing a character that will make the right decisions when no one is watching. This kind of integrity and character is indicative of most corporations’ culture.

How do ethical values shape behavior in organizations? According to Saleem (2014), ethical values and behaviors of an organization are made up of organizations institutionalized philosophies along with the moral ideologies of its members. In addition, the codes of ethics help to enhance the moral reasoning of employees while shaping their behaviors towards morally questioning unethical situations. Organizational leaders are encouraged to build cultures of trust with leadership who establish concerning goals employees pursue y setting examples for others to follow (Crosbie, 2008). The leaders whom are able to build training and development throughout their organization helps design and build relationships characterized by collaborative behaviors those results in mutually beneficial outcomes (Crosbie, 2008).

In the modern world, two things are most sought after: goodness and prosperity. However, given the innate nature of mankind, and his compulsions towards greed and selfishness, complete morality is impossible. This idea has roots in the definitions and ideals found in utilitarianism, a term that will be defined later, and has led many to call business ethics an oxymoron. “In the US generally, the ethical road that is paved with good corporate intentions and constructive programs includes some bumps,” (McClenahen 60). Although bumps may exist, many companies are striving for excellence in this area as statistics show ethics are related to customer loyalty 's. These businesses have found that improvements can be found through understanding and action. Business leaders can increase morals by understand utilitarianism, leadership, correct forms of communication, and how these affect customers.