Business Ethics

Let's Start With "What is ethics?" Simply put, ethics involves learning what is right or wrong, and then doing the right thing, but "the right thing" is not nearly as straightforward as stated in a great deal of business ethics literature. Most ethical dilemmas in the workplace are not simply a matter of "Should Bob steal from Bill?" or "Should Sue lie to her boss?" Many ethicists assert there's always a right thing to do …

…that codes should not be developed out of the Human Resource or Legal departments alone, as is too often done. Codes are insufficient if intended only to ensure that policies are legal. All staff must see the ethics program being driven by top management. Codes of ethics and codes of conduct may be the same in some organizations, depending on the organization's culture and operations and on the ultimate level of specificity in the codes.