Abstract
Ethics is the science of morals dealing with human morality revealed in the human character and conduct. In general, ethics shows a corporation how to behave properly in all their businesses and operations. In business, ethical behavior means feeling responsible, being honest and confident towards your clients, employees, and stakeholders. On the other hand, when a company does not respect ethical criteria and fails to improve them, this will disrupt its integrity and unity and lead to internal or external conflicts. The rules of behavior are set by the government and society in the public area whereas the rules of behavior are set by employers in the workplace. The corporate world has always had some rules, norms, and standards in doing business. In this chapter, the authors show the impact of ethics in the field of management.
Top1. Concept Of Ethics
Ethics is a difficult concept to define in a precise way. In general it can be defined as, the code of moral principles and values that govern the behaviors of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong. (Daft, 1991, p. 92).
Ethics sets standards as to what is good or bad in conduct and decision making (F.Shea, 1988, pp. 601-617). Values and ethics in simple words mean principle or code of conduct that governs human conduct. However, the meaning of the term differs from one person to other according to each point of view. When the sociologist Raymond Baumhart asked business people, “What does ethics mean to you?” he got many different answers. Among the replies were the following:
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“Ethics has to do with what my feelings tell me is right or wrong.”
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“Ethics has to do with my religious beliefs.”
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“Being ethical is doing what the law requires.”
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“Ethics consists of the standards of behavior our society accepts.”
Key Terms in this Chapter
Ethics: The philosophical study of moral values and rules that inform decisions about right and wrong.
Work Ethics: Belief in the moral values in work.
Management: The planning, organizing, leading and controlling of different resources to achieve company goals.
Ethical Decision Making: The processes of choosing the best alternative for achieving the best results compliance with individual and social values, moral, and regulations.
Morality: Conformance to a recognized code, doctrine, or system of rules of what is right or wrong and to behave accordingly.
Moral Development: The process throught which every individual develop proper attitudes and behaviors toward other people in society, based on social and cultural norms, rules, and laws.
Business Ethics: The critical, structured examination of how people and institutions should behave in the business world.