“i Hope I Shall Possess Firmness And Virtue Enough To

ETHICS

“I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington

ETHICS DEFINED 

Ethics—a moral standard of right and wrong 

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Just as your personality is shaped by outside influences, so is your ethical make-up Ethical behavior is a reflection of influences

Ethical behavior starts with the individual

INFLUENCES ON ETHICS AT WORK 

Ethical issues arise daily at work  Issues must be kept confidential  Implied confidentiality—do not share information with individuals with whom the business is of no concern  If you are uncertain about sharing information, check with your boss first

INFLUENCES ON ETHICS AT WORK Ethical Behavior  Ethical behavior includes dependability and 

conduct during company time It is inappropriate to consistently spend your time on non-company activities such as:     

Surfing the Internet for personal business Taking and making personal telephone calls Exceeding allotted breaks and lunch periods Playing computer games Using company supplies for non-business purposes

POWER AND ETHICS Power Power—the ability to influence another’s behavior  Everyone at work has power 

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Seven bases of power:       

Legitimate Coercive Reward Connection Charismatic Information Expert

CORPORATE VALUES/CULTURE 

Each company has a corporate culture—the way a company’s employees behave  

This is based upon the behavior of its leaders This behavior reflects an organization’s ethical behavior

CORPORATE VALUES/CULTURE A company may have an ethics statement to address the issue of ethical behavior  Included in an ethics statement should be a conflict of interest statement to reduce unethical decisions from those who are in a position to influence a decision for personal benefit 

MAKING ETHICAL CHOICES 

There are three levels of ethical decision-making:

The first is the law The second is fairness The third is your conscience

MAKING ETHICAL CHOICES Levels of Ethical Decision Making 1. The Law

 Ask yourself if the action is legal 

If it is illegal, it is unethical

MAKING ETHICAL CHOICES Levels of Ethical Decision Making (cont.) 2. Fairness

 Your actions should be fair to all parties involved  If someone is going to be harmed, the decision is probably not ethical  Even when being fair, not everyone will be happy with the results

MAKING ETHICAL CHOICES Levels of Ethical Decision Making (cont.) 3. One’s Conscience

 When one knowingly behaves inappropriately, he or she will ultimately feel badly about this poor behavior  Sometimes a behavior may be legal and fair, but it still may make us feel badly; if so, it is probably unethical

WHEN OTHERS ARE NOT ETHICAL 

If someone is breaking the law, you have an obligation to inform your employer immediately  If the accused are executives, you are protected by the whistle-blower law; you cannot be fired for informing authorities of a coworker’s or an employer’s illegal conduct

WHEN OTHERS ARE NOT ETHICAL Accusing of Wrongdoing  DocumentedOthers facts and evidence 

You have three choices: 

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Alert outside officials if the offense is illegal and extreme If the offense is not illegal and extreme and is accepted by management, you accept management’s decision If the offense is not illegal and extreme and is accepted by management, yet you are bothered, decide whether you want to continue working for the company

WHEN OTHERS ARE NOT ETHICAL Company Theft 

Company theft is not always big items; more often it is small items, such as: 

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Office supplies  If not used for company purposes Time  Surfing the Internet, making personal calls, and taking extra-long breaks