ethics

(noun)

The study of principles relating to right and wrong conduct.

Related Terms

  • ethical behavior
  • business ethics
  • normative ethics

(noun)

A branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct; also called moral philosophy.

Related Terms

  • ethical behavior
  • business ethics
  • normative ethics

Examples of ethics in the following topics:

  • A Brief Definition of Business Ethics

    • Business ethics is the written and unwritten principles and values that govern decisions and actions within companies.
    • Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the meaning of all aspects of human behavior.
    • Theoretical ethics, sometimes called normative ethics, is about delineating right from wrong.
    • Business ethics, also called corporate ethics, is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment.
    • In the most basic terms, a definition for business ethics boils down to knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right.
  • Corporate Policies

    • Companies often have corporate ethics statements or codes that identify ethical expectations and offer guidance.
    • Due to the increase in comprehensive compliance and ethics programs, many companies have formulated internal policies pertaining to the ethical conduct of employees.
    • It is hoped that having such a policy will lead to greater ethical awareness, consistency in application, and the avoidance of ethical disasters.
    • For instance, the US Department of Commerce ethics program treats business ethics as a set of instructions and procedures to be followed by 'ethics officers'.
    • Some others claim being ethical just for the sake of it.
  • What is ethics?

    • Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the meaning of all aspects of human behavior.
    • Theoretical Ethics, sometimes called Normative Ethics, is about discovering and delineating right from wrong; it is the consideration of how we develop the rules and principles (norms) by which to judge and guide meaningful decisionmaking.
    • Business ethics is not chiefly theoretical in character.
    • It is best understood as a branch of ethics called applied ethics: the discipline of applying value to human behavior, relationships and constructs, and the resulting meaning.
    • Here are four ethical approaches that have stood the test of time.
  • Introduction

    • Framing the structure and content of business ethics is a presumptuous undertaking, but one I believe to have real merit.
    • The reader might spend a lifetime as student and practitioner in the most exciting field of applied ethics: business ethics.
  • Ethical Issues at an Individual Level

    • Job choice is an example of ethical behavior at the individual level.
    • Do you take it, or take a job with an ethical firm that pays a lower salary?
    • The idea of ethics is a dynamic concept, so it is sometimes difficult to determine in the moment what is ethical and what is not.
    • Of course, ethics at an individual level does not only depend on the individual involved.
    • This desire by employees to work in a company that behaves ethically puts pressure on employers to ensure that their activities are ethical.
  • Ethical Issues at an Organizational Level

    • When organizations go above and beyond mandated behaviors they can be thought of acting ethically.
    • Organizational Ethics is how an organization ethically responds to an internal or external stimulus.
    • There are at least four elements that make ethical behavior conducive within an organization:
    • Availability for advice on ethical situations (i.e, advice lines or offices)
    • Previously, finance ethics was somewhat overlooked because issues in finance are often addressed as matters of law rather than ethics.
  • Personal ethics: four ethical approaches

    • From the earliest moments of recorded human consciousness, the ethical discipline has entailed four fundamental approaches, often called ethical decision-making frameworks: Utilitarian Ethics (outcome based), Deontological Ethics (duty based), Virtue Ethics (virtue based), and Communitarian Ethics (community based).
    • Aristotle wrote the first systematic treatment of ethics in Western Civilization: Nicomachean Ethics.
    • Today we call his approach to ethics virtue ethics.
    • A Postscript on Narrative Ethics.
    • Its benefit over the four traditional ethical approaches is that story invites both ethical engagement and ethical creativity.
  • Ethical Issues Within a Business

    • Broadly speaking, ethical issues in business include the rights and duties between a company and its stakeholders.
    • Part of the ethical evaluation of an action might be whether it is a "professional" or "unprofessional" one.
    • Related issues include corporate governance; corporate social entrepreneurship; political contributions; legal issues, such as the ethical debate over introducing a crime of corporate manslaughter; and the marketing of corporations' ethics policies.
    • While business ethics emerged as a field in the 1970s, international business ethics did not emerge until the late 1990s, looking back on the international developments of that decade.
    • Theoretical issues, such as cultural relativity of ethical values receive more emphasis in this field.
  • Ethics: the authentic rim on the wheel

    • Ethics refers to the "heart and soul" of the activities you engage in while starting your business.
    • Who will I go to for advice when I have a moral/ethical dilemma?
    • How will I know what is ethical and what is not?
    • How often will I cross check that I'm following my new venture's code of ethics?
    • Will I listen to my gut if I have a strange ethical reaction to someone or something?
  • Ethical Barriers

    • Despite international trading laws and declarations, countries continue to face challenges around ethical trading and business practices.
    • Nevertheless, countries continue to face challenges around ethical trading and business practices, especially regarding economic inequalities and human rights violations.
    • This event came to symbolize the increased debate and growing conflict around the ethical questions on international trade, globalization and capitalization .
    • Demonstrations such as the mass protest at the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle, highlight ethical questions on the effects of international trade on poor and developing nations.
    • Explain how and why groups place ethical barriers on international trade
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