...Ethical and Moral Issues in Business In today’s business environment employees and manager feel pressure to compromise his or her ethical and moral beliefs. In industry, businesses are encountering issues that are wide spread throughout the industry. On the company side managers are dealing with company specific issues. What are some of the common ethical problems businesses are dealing with today? Knowing the difference between ethical and moral issues and the difference between personal ethics and business ethics will help managers and employees make better choices in the workplace. Differences between Ethical Issues and Moral Issues What is the difference between ethical issues and moral issues in business? Morals define ones personal character and help us define what is right and wrong. Ethics deals with the social system we live in and which we apply our morals. Ethics also deal with our standards and our behavior. Ethical issues deal with the businesses customers, employees, and the employer. Moral issues ask us to obtain all of the facts so we can make an ethical decision. For example, a criminal defense lawyer may have a moral code that says murder is immortal but the ethics of his or her profession tell the lawyer that he or she must defend the accused to the best of his or her ability even though he or she know that person is guilty. Differences between Personal Ethics and Business Ethics What is the difference between personal ethics and business...
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...the differences between ethical issues and moral issues. A description of the differences between personal ethics and business ethics will be discussed. Also examples of common ethical problems in business for the ethical issues will be discussed in this paper. Differences between ethical issues and moral issues Morals issues pertain to personal character and focus on right and wrong. Ethics issues pertain to a social system in which those morals are applied. It is said that ethics issues are standard s or codes of behavior expected by the group to which an individual belongs. The two issues co-inside with each other and for there to be an ethical issues there are three main components that needs to be present. They are non-moral facts, concepts, and the moral, or ethical aspects. The difference will be moral deal with belief and involves a factual disagreement in belief. Moral issues do not involve a disagreement in attitude or in feeling. “Ethics involves the sphere of interpersonal, group, and community politics at the level of values—not just what can be achieved or how to achieve it, but more what should be sought, in the realm of social harmony and fairness. It is the complexity of the other side of individualism—other than taking care of oneself, what do we want our collective to do or refrain from doing? Ethics looks at our proper relations, our duties to each other, individually and collectively” (Blatner, 2006, para. 4). Differences between...
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...Morals and Ethics in Society Kalob Lisk Rasmussen College Author Note This paper is being submitted on July 14, 2016, for Thomas Santangelo’s B406 Business Law and Ethical Behavior course. Morals and Ethics in Society Morals and ethics in society play major roles in our lives and our work environments and I am more than happy to write this research paper to help explain the similarities and its key differences. And this research paper will also include where both morals and ethics derived from and what can cause both of these. How can ethics or morals affect the work atmosphere and even outside of work. And with ethics and morals the key difference is that ethics comes from the social system and can be an external factor, while morals can be derived from the individual and is an internal factor. Ethics can be linked back to the Greek word “ethos” (Diffen, 2016) meaning “character”. And according to Merriam-Webster the full definition of ethos “The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group or institution”. (Merriam-Webster, 2016) Ethical behavior can be motivated by self-interest, or some intuitive sense of right and wrong and this can stem from our social system which I briefly describe in the first paragraph is an external factor. And consequently there is no clear-cut blueprint of ethics that you can use to project your business’ reputation and well-being of your employees and customers (Small Business, 2016)...
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...Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Barbara Douglass MGT/216 February 5, 2011 Brigitte Culberson-Austin Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Ethical and moral issues have been an issue since the dawn of civilization. It has never been more important than how business deals with these issues. Ethics and moral behavior is essential to any successful business and its environment. Morals and ethics are two separate entities, but depend on each other for successful decision making. Sometimes the line between morals and ethics can become blurred and making the right decision can be difficult and not as clear-cut as one would think. Understanding the differences between ethics and morals and moral and ethical behavior is relevant to decision making. Differences between Ethics and Morals Understanding the differences between ethics and morals may be difficult for some. At times they can be confused for one another. Morals values are standards of right and wrong. Morals are taught over our years of growing up. These could consist of right and wrong behavior when we are children or right and wrong sexual issues as teens and young adults. These are generally instilled on us by our parents or our religious beliefs. Ethics is applying our moral standards to our environment. Our decision to do something that we consider immoral may not be unethical and our decision to do something unethical is not necessarily immoral. Personal Ethics versus Business Ethics ...
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...essay it will discuss the similarities and differences of virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology theory as it relates to ethics and morals. Also I will briefly discuss a personal experience that explains the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as it relates to one of the theories. Ethics and morality play a major role in day to day situations; they dictate how to respond in an acceptable manner. Similarities and Differences Virtue Ethics deals with what is right or wrong. It is character-based ethics that views ones action over a period and not for a single action. Utilitarianism theory implies that an action is morally right when it creates a worthy result for the greater good of the people. Deontology is a moral theory that emphasis on one’s duty to do the right thing or take an action, without thinking of the consequences. All three theories deal with how a person perceives, judges, and react to a situation. Each theory deals with demonstrating the good in a person; making the right or morally correct decision. Both Virtue Ethics and Deontology deal with what is ethically and morally right or wrong. Motivation is what causes a significant difference among the three theories. Virtue ethics emphasis trying to achieve excellence in all you do, in your personal and professional lives. Utilitarianism focuses on whether or not an action has beneficial consequences. Some may perceive this moral theory to be selfish because you are not...
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...reading this essay it will discuss the similarities and differences of virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology, theory as it relates to ethics and morals. Also how a personal experience that explains the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as it relates to one of the theories. Ethics and morality play a major role in day to day situations; they dictate how to respond in an acceptable manner. Similarities and Differences Virtue Ethics deals with what is right or wrong. It is a character-based ethic that views ones action over a period and not for a single action. Utilitarianism theory implies that an action is morally right when it creates a worthy result for the greater good of the people. Deontology is a moral theory that emphasis on one’s duty to do the right thing or take an action, without thinking of the consequences. All three theories deal with how a person perceives, judges, and react to a situation. Each theory deals with demonstrating the good in a person; making the right or morally correct decision. Both Virtue Ethics and Deontology deal with what is ethically and morally right or wrong. Motivation is what causes a significant difference among the three theories. Virtue ethics emphasis trying to achieve excellence in all you do, in your personal and professional lives. Utilitarianism focuses on whether or not an action has beneficial consequences. Some may perceive this moral theory to be selfish because you are not looking out...
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...Kohlberg's Moral Development Crystal Bombay, Ruth A .Buissereth, Steven Odemns, Cherish Powell, and Steven Soranno October 26, 2015 Shawn Davis Kohlberg's Moral Development Today’s discussion will evaluate Kohlberg’s theory on moral development and also Carol Gilligan research on moral reasoning. The topic will first summarize the theory of moral development by psychology’s pioneer Lawrence Kohlberg. The discussion will also have a compelling view of three approaches by Kohlberg to help individuals understand moral development. The topic will also give an explanation of three of limitations of the Kohlberg’s theory and how they work in individual’s lives. The discussion will then give insight on Carol Gilligan and her research on gender differences with moral development and reasoning. This topic will bring delightful stimulations to the mind as there is an in-depth look gender differences in the approach of moral development and reasoning. Kohlberg’s theory Lawrence Kohlberg was a psychologist that extended Jean Piaget's theories. Kohlberg felt that moral development was a process that continues throughout an individual's lifespan. According to Reimer (1977), "Piaget's research dealt mostly with younger children. Kohlberg adopted Piaget's methodology and applied it to older children and adolescents" (p. 61). Kohlberg believed that there were six stages to moral development, within these stages they were classified into three different levels. The three...
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...Essay ETH/316 June 30, 2014 Ethics Essay Comparing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics is what will be discussed in this essay. Also, explaining a personal experience in how the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the three theories will be discussed. What are ethical theories? “Ethical theories deal with the question of how human beings ought to behave in relation to one another. In the broadest sense, they define what qualifies as right and wrong, as well as how to promote human flourishing (Dontigney, 2014).” The comparison between the three ethical theories are that each theory promotes the decision to choose what is right or wrong in particular situation. Whereas, the differences are the types of a situation a person is dealing with. Each of the theories describes a different situation on how one deals with their choice of right and wrong. The definitions of each ethical theory is as follows. First, virtue is a theory that it looks at ones individual character, rather than his or her actions. For example, if a student cheats on an assignment, the virtue theory looks at the students past personality traits to help determine if he or she is guilty (Hamilton, 2014). Second, deontological is a theory that looks at the consequences of one actions toward life choices and how those action relate to responsibility and obligation. For example, a woman finds...
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...Ethics Essay Jermaine Ford ETH/316 June 12, 2016 Dr. Stephanie Hancock Ethics Essay Everyday people deal with difficult situations. For years Ethical theories have been the main point in creating solutions to these problems. Ethical theory has to do with how people react to situations as well as how they react in with dealing with others. The main idea of this paper will be to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and virtue theory. A description of the differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality as well as a personal experience to explain the relationship between moral concepts, values, and virtue will included as well (Manias, Monroe, & Till, 2013). The virtue theory deals with character traits as the most important part. Moral character is most emphasized element in ethical thinking. This is placed above ones actions in order to bring good consequences to the situation. Virtue theory also has to do with integrity to the highest order over the behavior and decisions (“Ethical Theories Compared”, 2001). Virtuous people are kind above all else. They are kind because of their character and do not concern themselves with receiving favors or thinking about how the situation can benefit them. Theories of virtue do not identify characteristics principles that can use in any moral situation (“Ethical Theories Compared”, 2001). Morality has to do with your actions when other people are directly...
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...social responsibility, one should begin by comparing the similarities and differences between virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. Once one gains a better insight of the similarities and differences, one can begin to actually comprehend the important roles ethics and social responsibility play in one’s personal and professional success. This essay describes some of the similarities and differences in how each theory addresses ethics and morality. This essay also includes an example of a personal experience to help explain the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as they relate to one of the three theories. To begin, some the differences and similarities of the three theories must be described. Virtue theory is identified as an ethical theory which is person based rather than action based. It emphasizes one’s virtues, or moral character. In contrast, deontology emphasizes one’s duties or rules and consequentialism emphasizes the consequences of one’s actions. However, this essay will only be discussing one form of consequentialism- utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is defined as the theory in which the right and wrong of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing the most happiness to those affected by it. While the differences between the theories can get someone confusing, the major similarity is easily understood. All three theories deal with how to judge one’s ethics and morality. To help better describe the three ethical...
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...challenges it presents to countries with different ethical cultures. While most would assume that people in another land speaking a different language, following a different religion, and eating different food would more than likely perceive and behave differently from than our own; the truth is that even though these differences may be perceived, very little is done to actually understand them appropriately unless it is deemed necessary. However, what is quickly becoming equally apparent, for international businesses and corporations to deal successfully with a foreign contractor, business, or even government; the proper measures must be taken to understand the differences in ethical perception and to work to accommodate those differences. Failure to do so leave many of these companies and businesses vulnerable for international ethical dilemmas that are quickly brought to global attention by international media sources; where the wide-spread use of the Internet and digital communication have helped companies grow internationally, now any unaddressed unethical practice or issue from businesses can be heard and commented on around the world. Cultural difference begins with the ethical variations of perspectives or business ethics of each individual international company. Language is a huge barrier when it comes to international or inter-cultural business dealings, but despite the language barrier one...
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...OBJECTIVES At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: Define values List the sources of value Identify the roles of values in decision-making Identify the definition of ethics Identify the nature of ethical reasoning Identify the concept of ethical standards and judgement Define morality Identify the various phases of Kohlberg's theory of moral development Identify the differences between ethics and morality Identify the similarities between ethics and morality Identify the basic unification of ethics, values and morality NATURE OF VALUES 1.1.1 Definition A small company has just employed Rizal as a marketing executive. As a fresh graduate, Rizal feels enthusiastic about the job and is determined to be a good worker. On the first day of work, new employees were briefed on how work is done. At that point, Rizal realized that some of the company's marketing strategies somewhat deceived the customers. This is just one example of ethical issues in business that we will look at in this course. Values, ethics, and morality are three concepts used in discussing 'Business Ethics and Values'. We will see how they should be applied in businesses. However, in this section, we will discuss values first. Values are defined as fundamental principles or enduring beliefs about the most desirable conditions and purposes of human life. Values determine our actions and behavior, and they enable us to understand why people act the way they do. In simpler terms, values...
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...Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership revolves around the implementation of new ideas, change, flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement. Transformational leaders possess the following characteristics: First, the leader has charisma. This characteristic is hard to define because no one really knows it until he experiences it. We can just be contented with defining it as something that inspires people to follow a leader with this characteristic. These leaders are seen as having special gifts or talents that make them able to influence people who are in distress. It is their personality, their skills and their presence that affect those who are in crisis or problem. These leaders can convince these affected members that their special gifts can alleviate their pain or solve their problem. When this happens, the members feel safer and directed and believe that the problem has been 'solved' and these leaders have an impact on their lives so they follow them. However, charisma involves dependency. Second, these leaders have vision. They can create a compelling picture of the future and make people develop commitment and a common goal in which achievement of that goal is a way to feel successful. Third, they can stimulate the intellect of their followers by presenting new ways of looking at the problems that have been there before and were not solved right away. The transformational leader creates a group of followers who follows him because...
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...virtue theory, utilitarianism, Deontology. These Philosophical theories deal with human behavior. This is an area that is open to much discussion and seldom is there universal agreement. Virtue theory is about assessing the character of an individual based on the moral and ethical decisions that are dominate in their lives, rather than assessing character based on a single act or behavior. We speak of moral and ethical individuals by their perceived behavior choices. It becomes difficult to differentiate between what is moral and what is ethical. Utilitarianism is about assessing the acts of individuals as to how they affect and impact a larger group. Acts are measured by their value of good or bad, dependent on the consequences or the results that inure to the larger group. The individual’s value is subordinate to that of the social group. So when one is faced with moral dilemmas that could be beneficial to the individual but potential harm to the greater group then the choice under utilitarianism is clear. Deontology deals more with the individual assessment of what they feel is the right thing to do regardless of the consequences. The intent of and act or behavior is of greater value to measure wrongs and rights than do the consequences derived from the act or behavior. I can justify lying, if by lying I can prevent someone from experiencing pain or discomfort. All these theories deal with the assessment of what are acceptable acts committed by individuals...
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...Samuel Robinson Ethical and Moral Issues in Business 10-29-12 Ms. Patricia Anderson Differentiating ethical and moral issues have been repeatedly debated throughout years in politics, classrooms, upon peers and so forth. The ultimate difference is ethical issues are the majority consideration, or what is beneficial to majority. Moral issues deal specifically with personal values and what we value as individuals. It may involve family values, traditional heritage values or just own individual values. But these two simple words are a lot in common and often compared between each other. Business ethics and personal ethics have somewhat in common also. Personal ethics mostly deal with what you moral feel is ethically right towards others and how you conduct yourself and your belongings in that matter. Also dealing with how you expect things in return as well. Business ethics look on the majority consideration, Laws and Government regulations and also a Liability standpoint. Once these views and points are considered a business or organization usually comes up with their own code of ethics or code of conduct to regulate their employees. I believe it is more so considered and persuaded from a liability view when deciding the current ethics for each individual business. Since employees direct actions cannot be controlled, if one shall conduct themselves in unethical conduct in harms of someone else the company can be held liable. Common ethical issues a business can encounter...
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