People’s ethics and values are shaped over a lifetime. Brown (2007, p.43) states, “My ethical code has been influenced by my life experiences, my family, my coworkers, my religion and faith, and, to a lesser degree, leaders or mentors that I have admired.” The author agrees early factors that contribute to a person’s groundwork are their family and environment. As people progress through life, their experiences transform this groundwork into the standards that all of their decisions are based upon. While this code evolves and changes, individuals choose what fragments of their codes are most important to them. This situation is first encountered when the individual enters their first educational institution. They must then consider their own ethics and values and yet also that of their institution. Quickly, the individual will learn that their ethics and values must run parallel to that of the institution. Comparably, once a person enters a professional or business setting, their ethics and values must consider that of their business. These educational and professional experiences reflect the guidelines that individuals live by.

Another ethical value that touches many lives, some more than others, is integrity. Everyone learns the value of trust; however some follow it strictly while others consider it amendable and yet some disregard it all together. The author has grouped the two values together as they can relate to each other. An individual who is trustworthy is, more often than not, also an honest individual. Honesty and trust both play a large role in the academic and professional career of an individual. Since technology has advanced to allowing individuals the opportunity to learn over a variety of vast regions, academic integrity is more vulnerable now then when learning only took place in classrooms. Instructors could observe one not performing their own answers or works; an online instructor does not have the same capability. The integrity lies within the students to do what is right. In the professional field one’s company holds their employees accountable for their integrity, and can have consequences for those found being dishonest.

One of the hardest areas of ethics is when the individual’s ethical values conflict with those of the nation or their professional career. For example, if one’s superior tells their assistant to lie to their consumer, what is an honest person to do? On one hand they are going against their own value of integrity but on the other can be held accountable for ignoring their superior’s direct orders. This is where individual’s reactions can be different. Several would walk out on their superiors, others would go out and do as they were told, and some will confront their conflicting views to try and come to a mutual agreement on what to do. The author believes one should confront their superior to come to a mutual agreement that both can live with.