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Running Head: ETHICAL BEHAVIORAL CONDUCT
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Running Head: ETHICAL BEHAVIORAL CONDUCT
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Ethics is generally defined as those principles which morally govern the behavior of a
group or individual persons in a society. It may be defined as a body of knowledge that deals
with moral principles. It is a social fabric of values, virtues, moral code of conduct, wrongs and
rights in society, principles, ideals and standard of behavior that dictate human conscience in
society, (Bersoff, 2008). They basic concepts that influence and direct fundamental principles of
decent human conduct in any social setting. It involves the universal set of values and natural
rights that are unalienable to all human beings.
Ethical code of conduct is therefore of paramount importance because it directs what is
considered to be acceptable and unacceptable code of conduct. Ethics are derived from a
people’s culture and form the part and parcel of the culture, (Bersoff, 2008). Ethics are very
important in all sphere of life such as business, healthcare and government because they dictate
the nature of the decisions made by individuals or the groups for the sake of the whole
organization. The culture of a company will shape and determine what is considered as morally
right or wrong. Ethics also ensure there is consistency and coherence in decisions made by
human beings in all spheres of life. They enable organizations and individual human beings to
make decisions and decide between what is right and what is morally wrong. Without ethical
guideline, there would be no achievement of goals in society because it would be difficulty to
choose any course of action that generally promotes the greatest common good of the society. A
well-organized system of rational and ethical standards that are entirely acceptable in society are
very important in helping individuals, groups and organizations in society to streamline their
actions and goals and accomplish their most important social values and objectives. Any
shortcoming in the ethical coding of any society is likely to limit the amount of success that can
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be achieved by individuals, groups and organizations in society. Acceptable ethical conduct in
any society is founded on a universal standard moral values and virtues upon which all the
actions and goals can be compared from universally. Happiness in society is the ultimate purpose
in life which all human beings pursue. What constitutes happiness is founded on what is socially
acceptable and regarded as the ethical code of conduct in society. An inclusive system of ethics
must comprise of day to day decisions that human beings in society make as well as any
emergency situations, (Thompson, 2009). The system of values must lay a framework that
governs how people in the society interrelate, promote their physical survival in the society as
well as their happiness and their well-being as a people.
Ethics may also be looked at from a contextual point of view in that the judgement as to
what constitutes good and bad, right and wrong differs significantly from one society to another.
Actions and decisions that are judged and approved of as being ethical behaviors may perhaps be
considered amoral or even unethical in other societies across the globe. This is because there is
diversity of culture across the different social settings in the world, (Francis, 2009). For instance,
although from a universal Christian point of view the institution of marriage should happen
between two people of the opposite sex, there is a contextual judgement disapproving this social
moral standard. In recent times, the issue of same sex marriages has become a critical issue and
although it is still considered ethically wrong in most of the societies across the world, it is still
considered ethically right and moral by many other societies in other different cultures and ways
of life, (Ladd, 2007). This therefore makes the definition of ethics to be relaxed from a
contextual point of view. Ethics as a social framework dictating what is generally right and
acceptable in a given society should be promoting the greatest common good of all the people in
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that society. Ethical behavior and conduct promotes the greatest happiness and well-being of
people in the society. In many instances, the truth-value of whether people behaviorally conduct
themselves and make rational and generally acceptable decisions in their judgements is grounded
on the specific contexts in which such judgmental decisions are made. The truth-value and hence
the acceptability of a judgement made by an individual or group of people in society is greatly
dependent on what such group of people consider to be the morally acceptable and permissible
social behavior and code of conduct as well as the context on which the judgement is made and
grasped by the people living in that society. For this case, outsiders coming from other social
settings with a different version of judging and looking at the same social behavior may
experience cultural shock and ethical dilemma in trying to get assimilated into the new
behavioral code of conduct in the new society.
Ethical behavior and moral code of conduct of also contextually looked at differently in
different religious social orientations. Religions such as Christianity, Islam, paganism and
atheism do not necessarily have a common perspective of making social judgments into human
social behavior and interactions. What is ethically right and acceptable by the people of a given
religious group may strictly depend on the contextual principles and values that the people hold
strongly as their social fabric of maintaining social order and concord. Ethical code of behavior
and conduct in the society may also be determined by what constitutes common sense within the
people of the given society. Common sense may not be universally common among all the
people in the world. What is regarded as common sense may only make sense within a small
interdenominational group of people and fail to make sense to another group of the people. This
normally culminates in there being contextual definition of what is ethically right and wrong, or
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even acceptable in the society. The truth-values of a given decision in this case therefore depend
on subjective social standards of decision making as opposed to universal standards of making
judgments and decisions as to what is universally ethically acceptable.
The divergence in the contextual analysis ad definition of ethics is the strictly universal
lexical definition that looks at those values, virtues, ideals and principles that are universally
agreed upon as a final authority in the process of trying to unravel any social and ethical
dilemma. The lexical definition of ethics and ethical behavioral conduct in society is stringent
and it looks the entire world as one global village and community governed by same ideals,
principles, values and virtues as to what constitutes right and wrong. The lexical definition of
ethics and ethical code of behavior in the society is greatly based on the premise that the global
community is homogenous in nature as opposed to being heterogeneous. The implication of a
homogeneous global community is that there are same generally acceptable values, virtues,
principles, ideals and laws that determine and guide the process of decision making and
judgements that are taken to have a common and acceptable truth-value.
People living in a homogeneous global society are therefore guided by common universal
rules, principles, regulations, value systems, virtues and ideals. Any deviance to what is
commonly and universally acceptable code of conduct and behavior is met with severe
punishment with the aim of correcting future instances of unethical behavior. People are
expected to have a universal sense of right and wrong and that their conscience leads them doing
what is good and that which promotes the greatest good to the greatest number of people in the
society in a utilitarianism manner, (Canter, 2008). These values and principles of conduct
promotes the greatest happiness to the people living in the society. These values also lead people
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to making very critical and important decisions when faced with ethical dilemma in those
scenarios when an individual has to make a decision between two competing issues which are
essentially not ethically wrong or amoral.
There is interface between ethics, morals, values and virtues in any society. Ethics is a
moral philosophical discipline that has significant effect on the decision making process by
people on how to lead good quality lives. This philosophical body deals with what is good for
specific individuals and the entire society in general. It deals with moral beliefs on what is right
and wrong in any social interaction. Ethics stem from the dispositions, customs, traditions,
characters and habits that people recognize as acceptable in their social interactions. They are an
integral part of an individual’s conscience as to what is ethically right and wrong and what
punitive sanctions should be prescribed for a given behavior which is generally considered to be
unacceptable in the society. Ethics and morality in society therefore are used to help unravel a
number of dilemmas such as how to lead a good life, responsibilities and rights of different
people in society, and the question on what constitutes right and wrong moral decisions in a
judgmental process of establishing the truth-values that are acceptable by the people in the
society. The system of ethics and morals that people subscribe to in the society instills values and
virtues into the people, (Ladd, 2007). These values and virtues come to be integral parts of the
characters and personalities of these people. The values and virtues are passed down from one
generation to another through induction and assimilation. These values and virtues which are
derived from the ethical and moral system in the society constitute the consciousness of the
people to issues like care and concern for the well-being of other people, the sense to prevent
inflicting hardships and suffering to other people in the community, treating people with fairness
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and in a just manner, promoting the happiness of the disadvantaged and the less fortunate people
in the society, sense of integrity, according equal rights to all people, courage in fighting for
social vices, crimes and injustice in the society, honesty and truth as well as loving one another
as one people in the community.
A system of ethical and moral values and virtues that are generally acceptable in the
society provide critical insights into the key features of human flourishing and excellence in the
society. They form the part of the law and etiquette of the society and hence play a critical role in
shaping human social behavior as either permissible, prohibited or even obligatory. There is
much interface and overlap between ethics, law and etiquette in any one particular society. The
law of the society borrows heavily from the principles of ethics that are generally acceptable in
the society. Issues that are tackled by the law are ethical issues such as rights of the citizens of a
country to participate in a political process, right to own property as well as the right to life.
These rights are fundamental and inalienable rights that are accorded to every member of the
society. The question regarding on what circumstances a person’s right to life, for instance, be
infringed now becomes an ethical issue that depends on the value the people in the society attach
to life. The point of some members of the society violating the provisions of the written law now
becomes unethical issue that needs to be addressed through punitive sanctions on the individuals
who break the law. Breaching the acceptable and recognized code of etiquette in the society is
normally regarded as immoral especially if the violation is intentional and aimed at causing
offence to the other person.
The system of ethics and morals does not only regulate behavior on the social interactions
only, it also touches on professional codes of conduct at the place of work both in the private and
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in the public sectors of the economy. The place of work is governed with etiquette and moral
values that are unique for those people in the industry. Issues like lying, professional dishonesty,
untrustworthy character and lack of motivation at place of work are regarded as unethical and are
punishable by laid down structure.
There are number of factors that determine ethical conduct any given society. The norms
and customs that are recognized by the society are a key factor in deciding on how people
interact, socialize and conduct themselves in the society in their day to day activities. The norms
and customs are informal forms of social capital, social networks and the basic social fabric that
holds the society together. They are therefore very important in determining and influencing
behavior in the society. The legal framework in the society is also very crucial in determining
and shaping social conduct in the society. A good legal framework postulates on what is
considered to be the dos and the don’ts in the society. It therefore helps in streamlining the social
code of conduct for the people in a given acceptable way. The legislation in any country should
ensure that the enacted law reflects the aspirations, values, customs and norms of the people in
the society.
The system of religious beliefs that are accepted and adopted by the people in the society
also play a key role in ensuring that people in the society behave and conduct themselves in a
given manner. The Christian doctrines and teachings, for example, impart values and virtues to
the people and help them behave in a given manner that is considered acceptable from a
Christian point of view. All religious affiliations instill and impart values and virtues to people
and individuals and they are therefore very key and crucial in ensuring that the people interact
and conduct themselves in a given manner, (Canter, 2008).
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Institutional framework in the country is also another key factor that influences how
people interact with one another in the society. It guides the professional code of conduct that
people adopt in the society. It guides the manner in which people in different professional careers
conduct themselves at the place of work and when interacting with their customers.
The personal attributes and attitudes are also another very important aspect in looking at
the factors that guide and inform code of conduct in the society. The personality and character
that individuals adapt to as they grow up from their parents also plays a key role in ensuring that
people interact and conduct themselves in a given way and manner that is considered acceptable
in the society. Personal attitudes and attributes such as charisma, honesty, integrity, diligence and
trustworthiness which are learned and adopted from parents are very crucial in ensuring that
people conduct themselves in an ethical manner in the society. Parents who have a duty and
responsibility of bringing their children up in a moral and ethical manner should endeavor to
ensure that they attend to their children in timely manner to ensure that they grow up all round
people.
Behavior may be defined as the manner in which an individual or group of people
conduct themselves in their interactions with other people. It may be looked at as the manner in
which people react towards a given external stimuli. Ethical behavior may be defined as social
and professional conduct that is in agreement and consistent with what people in the society
recognize as good values. Ethical behavior is also exemplified in the corporate and business
world in that it involves illustrating moral values such as fairness, honesty, dignity, equality,
individual rights and diversity. For any social behavior to be regarded as ethical, there must be a
well laid down framework of social norms, customs and beliefs upon which it must conform and
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be recognized as acceptable behavior. People in the society are inducted and assimilated in a
manner that they are able to behave as it is expected of them by the norms, customs and beliefs
of the society. Behavior that conforms to the code of conduct that is generally acceptable in the
society promotes unity among the people, peace, harmony and togetherness among all the
people. People who do what is expected and required of them are always happy people and they
work hard towards achievement of greater social and individual success in their lives. When
people conduct themselves in the manner that is expected and required of them in the society
avoid instances of civil vice and strife. Social vices such as crime and civil strife are avoided
from occurring in the society when people willingly conform to the expected code of conduct in
the society in which they live.
Any behavior that is not in conformity with the social expectations is generally regarded
as unethical behavior and it is discouraged from happening. They are human action actions that
are generally considered to be morally wrong. They are morally wrong for a person, industry or
even for a profession. These unethical behaviors in the society include crime, civil strife,
corruption and professional dishonesty. Unethical behaviors in the society bring about
disharmony, social conflict and in severe cases loss of lives. These unethical behaviors should
therefore be discouraged through punitive sanctions such as prosecution before a court of law.
The wholesomeness and success of the society is based on strict adherence to social ethics.
Ethical behavior has unique features that make it distinct from unethical behavior. It is
generally recognized and accepted by all the people in the society as the unique code of conduct.
It promotes social cohesion and unity in that if all the people adhere to it strictly they will derive
benefits of peace, harmony and tranquility that is very important in ensuring that the people in
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the society achieve unprecedented success in their day to day activities. Ethical behavior does
not need to be forcefully enforced to the people. It is naturally recognized and accepted by all the
people in the society. It forms the part and parcel of life of the people and any slight deviance is
observed and sanctioned by the other members of the society. It does not necessarily need to be
prosecuted by a court of law because the general public in the society knows what is right and
wrong and they conform to the system if conduct as prescribed by their unwritten ethical system
of values and virtues.
Unethical behavior has number of features. It is not generally recognized by the people in
the society. It is usually in contradiction to the ethical system of values and beliefs in the society.
It is a result of deviance and non-compliance of the acceptable code of conduct in the society.
The deviant members of the society are generally considered as social misfits because they fail to
fit in to what is generally acceptable by the entire society as the ethical code of conduct. Actions
that amount to unethical behavior are punished and sanctioned by all the other members of the
society.
Conformity to ethical code of conduct is normally rewarded with more assimilation into
the society. Members are regarded with great respect and are accorded high social status in the
society. They are normally looked upon during times of crisis in the society as voices of
authority on what direction the society should follow regarding what behavior is morally
acceptable. This conformity to these moral values and virtues brings about happiness and success
in the society because issues like civil strife and conflict of interest are normally avoided.
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The society should put mechanisms in place to serve as remedies for cases of unethical
behavioral conduct among the members in the society. Some of the possible solutions to
unethical behavior in society could be creation of rehabilitation centers where those people who
deviate from the ethical system of morals and values can be assimilated back to the society.
Literature research on what constitutes ethical system of behavioral conduct indicates that
most of the social norms, values and virtues are universal and widely accepted as the standard
yardstick of behavioral conduct in the society. Values such as honesty, love, hospitality, respect
for oneself and others are given greater weight from a universal point of view. Those shared
universal ethical values and virtues ensure there is coherent behavioral conduct across the entire
globe, (Bersoff, 2008).
One case study involving ethical and unethical behavior involves a corporate worker. The
worker happens to be a female has not been attending job of late because her mother has been
sick and hospitalized. She happens to be the only person who can take care of her mother. Due to
her absence, the workload on the other workmates has been piling up every day. She has now
just returned to work and there so much pressure on her side because she has a lot of work to do.
She is unable to do and complete the work. The other workmates are starting to complain and
some of the other workers are uttering words that are abusive. The manager is now facing the
dilemma regarding whether to criticize the other workers who have been present at work or be
compassionate to the one employee whose mother has been sick and she has just returned to
work. If the manager attacks the other workers for being abusive to the employee who has been
absent, then they will feel being unrecognized and appreciated.
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One of the key issues in this case study are professional behavior at the place of work,
integrity and confidentiality. The other employees need to carry themselves with dignity and
diligence knowing that they need not discredit their professional positions that they at the place
of work. They also have a duty of confidentiality regarding the worker that has been away so that
they do not just attack her for things that are beyond her control.
Governments and non-governmental institutions across the world need to come up with
policy procedures and frameworks that ensure that ethical systems that inculcate values and
virtues among all the members of the society are consistently reviewed and updated for the sole
purpose of ensuring that there is strong social fabric holding societies together. There must be
both formal and informal policy formulations with the main aim of ensuring that there coherence
and concord in society. The government should also ensure that there is policy mainstreaming
such that the informal norms, customs and traditions that form the foundation and basis for
ethical systems and values are not abolished or eroded.
In conclusion, ethical systems of conduct are of paramount importance in any social
setting and they need to be adhered to strictly by all members of the society. Any deviance
should be punished with sanctions that discourage a repeat of the same behavior in the society.
Running Head: ETHICAL BEHAVIORAL CONDUCT
References
Bersoff, D.(2008). Ethical conflicts in psychology, (4th. . ed.). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
Thompson, A.(2009). Critical Reasoning in Ethics. New York: Routledge.
Francis, R. (2009). Ethics for Psychologists. Leicester: British Psychological Society.
Canter, M.(2008). Standards of Conduct, Performance and ethics. London. Oxford: Routledge
Publishing.
Ladd, J.(2007). The Quest for a code of Professional Ethics: An Intellectual and Moral
Confusion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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