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Top2. Ethical Concepts And E-Government
Recent initiatives by most organizations in different sectors indicate their concerns in relation to ethical and social responsibility. The main focus of businesses is always related to enhancing organizational image and reputation or increases their market share (Milovanović, Barac & Andjelković, 2009).
Ethics provide means that would lead humans to what to do and how to behave (Salman, Saad & Ali, 2013). Ethics guide us to what is considered good or bad behavior, and deal with behaviors and actions rather than thoughts or feelings. Also, what is considered as an acceptable behavior in one culture might not be ethical in another.
Kolthoff (2007) defines ethics as:
Ethics (Greek ethika, from ethos, ‘character’ or ‘custom’) can be described as principles or standards of human conduct, sometimes referred to as morals (Latin mores, ‘customs’) and, by extension, the study of such principles, sometimes termed moral philosophy.
He adds that social sciences frequently attempt to determine the relationship of particular ethical principle to social behavior and to investigate the cultural conditions that contribute to the formation of such principles. Peterson (1999) said that ethics are the proper principles; depend on social values, which define a code of good and bad or right and wrong. Most of ethics are simply unwritten rules; some of them are set in laws. The code of ethics may be set by society at large or by any certain sub-group of society.