Business Ethics Defined As The Ethical Values, Morals, Norms, Principle and Corporate Standards in The Business Activities and Operation Holders.
Business Ethics Defined As The Ethical Values, Morals, Norms, Principle and Corporate Standards in The Business Activities and Operation Holders.
“Business ethics defined as the ethical values, morals, norms, principle and corporate
standards in the business activities and operation holders.”
Adam Smith said, "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment
and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some
contrivance to raise prices." Governments use laws and regulations to point business behavior in
what they perceive to be beneficial directions. Ethics implicitly regulates areas and details of
behavior that lie beyond governmental control. The emergence of large corporations with limited
relationships and sensitivity to the communities in which they operate accelerated the
development of formal ethics regimes. Maintaining an ethical status is the responsibility of the
manager of the business. According to the Journal of Business Ethics "Managing ethical
behavior is one of the most pervasive and complex problems facing business organizations
today.
Business ethics reflect the norms of each historical period. As time passes, norms evolve,
causing accepted behaviors to become objectionable. Business ethics and the resulting behavior
evolved as well.Business was involved in slavery, colonialism,and the cold war.
The term 'business ethics' came into common use in the United States in the early 1970s.
By the mid-1980s at least 500 courses in business ethics reached 40,000 students, using some
twenty textbooks and at least ten casebooks supported by professional societies, centers and
journals of business ethics. The Society for Business Ethics was founded in 1980. European
business schools adopted business ethics after 1987 commencing with the European Business
Ethics Network.In 1982 the first single-authored books in the field appeared.
Firms began highlighting their ethical stature in the late 1980s and early 1990s, possibly
in an attempt to distance themselves from the business scandals of the day, such as the savings
and loan crisis. The concept of business ethics caught the attention of academics, media and
business firms by the end of the Cold War. However, criticism of business practices was attacked
for infringing the freedom of entrepreneurs and critics were accused of supporting
communists.[This scuttled the discourse of business ethics both in media and academia. The
Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct(DII) was created to support
corporate ethical conduct. This era began the belief and support of self-regulation and free trade,
which lifted tariffs and barriers and allowed businesses to merge and divest in an increasing
global atmosphere.
One of the earliest written treatments of business ethics is found in the Tirukkuṛaḷ, a
Tamil book dated variously from 300 BCE to 7th century CE and attributed to Thiruvalluvar.
Many verses discuss business ethics, in particular, verse 113, adapting to a changing
environment in verses 474, 426, and 140, learning the intricacies of different tasks in verses 462
and 677."
1. Code of conduct :
Business ethics is a code of conduct. It tells what to do and what not to do for the
welfare of the society. All businessmen must follow this code of conduct.It is necessary
that business organisation conducts it activities with self control, self check and in the
best interest society.
5. Voluntary concept :
Business ethics must be voluntary. The businessmen must accept business ethics
on their own. Business ethics must be like self-discipline. It must not be enforced by law.
7. Relative Term :
Business ethics is a relative term. That is, it changes from one business to another.
It also changes from one country to another. What is considered as good in one country
may be taboo in another country.
8. New concept :
Business ethics is a newer concept. It is strictly followed only in developed
countries. It is not followed properly in poor and developing countries.
9. Universal in nature:
Business ethics is universal in nature. It has a universal application. It is
applicable to all business organization, its activities and operation. However, the degree
of application may vary from business to business.
3. Survival of business :
Business ethics are mandatory for the survival of business. The businessmen who
do not follow it will have short-term success, but they will fail in the long run. This is
because they can cheat a consumer only once. After that, the consumer will not buy
goods from that businessman. He will also tell others not to buy from that businessman.
So this will defame his image and provoke a negative publicity. This will result in failure
of the business. Therefore, if the businessmen do not follow ethical rules, he will fail in
the market. So, it is always better to follow appropriate code of conduct to survive in the
market.
8. Smooth functioning :
If the business follows all the business ethics, then the employees, shareholders,
consumers, dealers and suppliers will all be happy. So they will give full cooperation to
the business. This will result in smooth functioning of the business. So, the business will
grow, expand and diversify easily and quickly. It will have more sales and more profits.
9. Consumer movement :
Business ethics are gaining importance because of the growth of the consumer
movement. Today, the consumers are aware of their rights. Now they are more organised
and hence cannot be cheated easily. They take actions against those businessmen who
indulge in bad business practices. They boycott poor quality, harmful, high-priced and
counterfeit (duplicate) goods. Therefore, the only way to survive in business is to be
honest and fair.
Ethical problems and phenomena arise across all the functional areas of companies and at
all levels within the company.
1.Ethics in Compliance:
Compliance is about obeying and adhering to rules and authority. The motivation for
being compliant could be to do the right thing out of the fear of being caught rather than a desire
to be abiding by the law. An ethical climate in an organization ensures that compliance with law
is fuelled by a desire to abide by the laws. Organizations that value high ethics comply with the
laws not only in letter but go beyond what is stipulated or expected of them.
2.Ethics in Finance:
The ethical issues in finance that companies and employees are confronted with include:
Discrimination issues i.e. discrimination on the bases of age, gender, race, religion,
disabilities, weight etc.
Sexual harassment.
Affirmative Action.
Issues surrounding the representation of employees and the democratization of the
workplace, trade ization.
Issues affecting the privacy of the employee: workplace surveillance, drug testing.
Issues affecting the privacy of the employer: whistle-blowing.
Issues relating to the fairness of the employment contract and the balance of power
between employer and employee.
Occupational safety and health.
Companies tend to shift economic risks onto the shoulders of their employees. The boom
of performance-related pay systems and flexible employment contracts are indicators of these
newly established forms of shifting risk.
4.Ethics in Marketing:
Marketing ethics is the area of applied ethics which deals with the moral principles
behind the operation and regulation of marketing.
This area of business ethics deals with the duties of a company to ensure that products
and production processes do not cause harm. Some of the more acute dilemmas in this area arise
out of the fact that there is usually a degree of danger in any product or production process and it
is difficult to define a degree of permissibility, or the degree of permissibility may depend on the
changing state of preventative technologies or changing social perceptions of acceptable risk.
1. Be Trustworthy:
Recognize customer want to do business with a company they can trust, when
trust is at the core of a company, it’s easy to recognize. Trust defined is assured reliance
on the character, ability, strength and truth of a business.
3. Meet obligations:
Regardless of the circumstances do everything in your power to gain the trust of
past customers and clients, particularly if something has gone away. Reclaim any lost
business by honouring all commitments and obligation.
7. Be respectful:
Treat others with the utmost of respect. Regardless of differences, positions, titles,
ages or other types of distinctions always treat others with professional respect and
courtesy.
People aspire to join organizations that have high ethical values. Companies are able to
attract the best talent and an ethical company that is dedicated to taking care of its employees
will be rewarded with employees being equally dedicated in taking care of the organization. The
ethical climate matter to the employees. Ethical
2. Investor Loyalty:
Investors are concerned about ethics, social responsibility and reputation of the company
in which they invest. Investors are becoming more and more aware that an ethical climate
provides a foundation for efficiency, productivity and profits. Relationship with any stakeholder,
including investors, based on dependability, trust and commitment results in sustained loyalty.
3. Customer satisfaction:
4. Regulators:
Regulators eye companies functioning ethically as responsible citizens. The regulator need not
always monitor the functioning of the ethically sound company. The company earns profits and
reputational gains if it acts within the confines of business ethics. To summaries, companies that
are responsive to employees’ needs have lower turnover in staff.
Shareholders invest their money into a company and expect a certain level of return from
that money in the form of dividends and/or capital growth.
Customers pay for goods, give their loyalty and enhance a company’s reputation in return
for goods or services that meet their needs.
Employees provide their time, skills and energy in return for salary, bonus, career
progression, and learning.
1. Compliance:
Many large businesses today have entire compliance departments, typically consisting of a
special team of lawyers (and others) whose job it is to make sure that the company remains in
conformity with the laws and regulations applying to its activities. Given the very wide range of
laws and regulations to which modern businesses are subject, this can be a very substantial task.
Big companies regularly engage in compliance training, which both expose employees to the
relevant laws and regulations to which the company is subject and the practices and procedures
for conforming to them in the performance of their duties.
2. Consequences:
Most mangers worry about the consequences of their actions. In fact, one set of ethical
theoris uses the yardstick of whether good or bad consequenses will result I deciding whether the
decisions are ethical or unethical. for instance, a decision to move a manufacturing plant to a
lower-cost-of-labour country will likely mean good consequenses for the company in terms of
lower cost of production. But not all the consequences arising from such a decision will be
positive.
3. Contribution:
Most managers of companies do not look at their position or corporation as just being in
thwe business of making money. They often speak in much more enlightened terms, such as
improving convenience for consumers or offering more productive economy and a happier
society. Whether this vision is always fulfilled is debatable, bust businessman and women often
see themselves as contributing to society and not just in narrow microeconomic sense.
Business ethics in the workplace is about prioritizing moral values for the workplace and
ensuring behaviors are aligned with those values — it’s values management. Yet, myths abound
about business ethics. Some of these myths arise from general confusion about the notion of
ethics. Other myths arise from narrow or simplistic views of ethical dilemmas.
2. Myth: Our employees are ethical so we don’t need attention to business ethics.
Most of the ethical dilemmas faced by managers in the workplace are highly complex.
Wallace explains that one knows when they have a significant ethical conflict when there is
presence of a) significant value conflicts among differing interests, b) real alternatives that are
equality justifiable, and c) significant consequences on “stakeholders” in the situation. Kirrane
mentions that when the topic of business ethics comes up, people are quick to speak of the
Golden Rule, honesty and courtesy. But when presented with complex ethical dilemmas, most
people realize there’s a wide “gray area” when trying to apply ethical principles.
3. Myth: Business ethics is a discipline best led by philosophers, academics and theologians.
Lack of involvement of leaders and managers in business ethics literature and discussions
has led many to believe that business ethics is a fad or movement, having little to do with the
4. Myth: Business ethics is superfluous — it only asserts the obvious: “do good!”
Many people react that codes of ethics, or lists of ethical values to which the organization
aspires, are rather superfluous because they represent values to which everyone should naturally
aspire. However, the value of a codes of ethics to an organization is its priority and focus
regarding certain ethical values in that workplace. For example, it’s obvious that all people
should be honest. However, if an organization is struggling around continuing occasions of
deceit in the workplace, a priority on honesty is very timely — and honesty should be listed in
that organization’s code of ethics. Note that a code of ethics is an organic instrument that
changes with the needs of society and the organization.
5. Myth: Business ethics is a matter of the good guys preaching to the bad guys.
Some writers do seem to claim a moral high ground while lamenting the poor condition
of business and its leaders. However, those people well versed in managing organizations realize
that good people can take bad actions, particularly when stressed or confused. (Stress and
confusion are not excuses for unethical actions — they are reasons.) Managing ethics in the
workplace includes all of us working together to help each other remain ethical and to work
through confusing and stressful ethical dilemmas.
Actually, ethics is always “managed” — but, too often, indirectly. For example, the
behavior of the organization’s founder or current leader is a strong moral influence, or directive
if you will, on behavior or employees in the workplace. Strategic priorities (profit maximization,
expanding marketshare, cutting costs, etc.) can be very strong influences on morality. Laws,
regulations and rules directly influence behaviors to be more ethical, usually in a manner that
improves the general good and/or minimizes harm to the community. Some are still skeptical
about business ethics, believing you can’t manage values in an organization. Donaldson and
Davis (Management Decision, V28, N6) note that management, after all, is a value system.
Skeptics might consider the tremendous influence of several “codes of ethics,” such as the “10
Commandments” in Christian religions or the U.S. Constitution. Codes can be very powerful in
smaller “organizations” as well.
8. Myth: Business ethics and social responsibility are the same thing.
The social responsibility movement is one aspect of the overall discipline of business
ethics. Madsen and Shafritz refine the definition of business ethics to be: 1) an application of
ethics to the corporate community, 2) a way to determine responsibility in business dealings, 3)
the identification of important business and social issues, and 4) a critique of business. Items 3
and 4 are often matters of social responsibility. (There has been a great deal of public discussion
and writing about items 3 and 4. However, there needs to be more written about items 1 and 2,
about how business ethics can be managed.) Writings about social responsibility often do not
9. Myth: Our organization is not in trouble with the law, so we’re ethical.
One can often be unethical, yet operate within the limits of the law, e.g., withhold
information from superiors, fudge on budgets, constantly complain about others, etc. However,
breaking the law often starts with unethical behavior that has gone unnoticed. The “boil the frog”
phenomena is a useful parable here: If you put a frog in hot water, it immediately jumps out. If
you put a frog in cool water and slowly heat up the water, you can eventually boil the frog. The
frog doesn’t seem to notice the adverse change in its environment.
10. Myth: Managing ethics in the workplace has little practical relevance.
Managing ethics in the workplace involves identifying and prioritizing values to guide
behaviors in the organization, and establishing associated policies and procedures to ensure those
behaviors are conducted. One might call this “values management.” Values management is also
highly important in other management practices, e.g., managing diversity, Total Quality
Management and strategic planning.
Governments at every level and in all regions of the world are beginning to recognize the
importance of addressing the challenge of sustainability. Increasingly the language of
sustainability is emerging in public policy discussions. Coming to grips with the challenges and
opportunities of sustainability is an imperative that goes beyond domestic agendas. No country
can be an island of sustainability in a sea of unsustainability. Equally, no single government, or
any other organization, can easily create economic, environmental and social value through
policy changes or innovative practices if global drivers and reward systems are working in the
opposite direction. The global context must be factored in to the domestic policy agenda.
It has become increasingly evident that governments acting alone cannot achieve the far-
reaching social and economic changes that sustainability will require. Though sustainable
development began (in the report of the Brundtland Commission and the organization of the first
Earth Summit in 1992) as a project for governments, the need to engage all sectors of society is
now self-evident.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos in 1999, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
invited world business leaders to embrace and enact the Global Compact involving nine
principles covering topics on human rights, labour, and the environment. Some business
leaders have even argued that as the largest institution on Earth only business and industry can
lead [toward sustainability] quickly and effectively.
From this perspective, business must take the lead both domestically and internationally.
In relation to sustainability issues in developing countries.
It’s not often that companies are celebrated for good behavior. Here are corporations with
policies we can support:
1. Google:
2. Microsoft:
Given the fact that it was started by Bill Gates, one of America’s most generous
philanthropists, it follows that Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT) would do well in following his
example. The tech company and its employees donate over $1 billion yearlyto charities and non-
profit organizations. If that wasn’t enough, Microsoft’s management and employee’s have also
decided to tackle America’s IT professionals shortage through its TEALS program. Through the
TEALS program, Microsoft employees are encouraged to volunteer at local schools to instruct
students in computer science, in the hopes that it will inspire them to enter the technology
industry. It’s only natural that Microsoft employees would be generous people; in addition to
3. Intel:
Since 1988, the computer chip manufacturer Intel(NASDAQ:INTC) has been trying to bolster its
reputation through its efforts to strengthen technological education. Through the Intel
Foundation, the company hosts the Intel Science Talent Search and the international Science and
Engineering Fair to help encourage STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
education for young people. Intel is also interested in making these areas more diverse; the
company has many donation funds and programs to encourage girls and underprivileged
minorities to study in these fields. Employees of Intel also experience the company’s dedication
to education through a very strange corporate perk — the company promotes or reassigns them
to different fields and areas every 16 to 24 months, in the interest of making sure that workers
never become bored with their roles, and encouraging them to explore new fields. Accepted
employees are often told, “Welcome to your next five jobs.”
1. Patagonia
2. NuStar Energy
3. SAS Institute
4. Ultimate Software
5. Goldman Sachs
6. Starbucks
7. Salesforce.com
1. TATA Steel
2. Wipro Limited