Download Ethics

Objectives
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Differentiate between ethics and business
ethics
Discuss benefits of managing ethics in the
workplace
Identify characteristics of ethics programs
Determine types of ethics tools
Discuss methods to resolve ethical
dilemmas
What’s the Difference Between
Ethics & Business Ethics?
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Ethics: rules that direct conduct & moral
judgments; fundamental ground rules
that guide our lives
Business Ethics: knowing what’s right or
wrong in the workplace and doing the
right thing
Why Manage Ethics?
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Managing ethics in the workplace
involves identifying and prioritizing
values to guide behaviors in the
organization and establishing
policies/procedures to ensure those
behaviors are conducted
Benefits of
Managing Ethics
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Promotes strong public image
Cultivates strong teamwork & productivity
Supports greater consistency in standards
& qualities of products
Strengthens organizational culture
Creates greater sensitivity to impact or
organizational values & messages
Helps avoid criminal acts
Ethics Programs:
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Establish organizational roles to manage
ethics (usually starts at top)
Establish required operating values &
behaviors
Coordinate organizational behaviors with
operating values
Develop awareness to ethical issues
Structure steps to resolve ethical dilemmas
Maintain ongoing evaluation & updates to
program
Ethics Tools:
Code of Ethics
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Specifies ethical rules of operation
within organization
Should be updated at least once a year
Ethics Tools:
Policies & Procedures
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Written statements that guide
organizations that aim to produce
behaviors preferred from code of ethics
Ex: training on ethical behavior, rewards
for ethical behavior, punishment for
unethical behavior
Ethics Tools: Training
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All staff members must be trained about
the organization’s ethics program and
their role in it
Most organizations involve staff in
review of ethics codes and policies
Training should involve staff members
practicing how to resolve ethical
dilemmas
How Do I Resolve an Ethical
Dilemma?
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Possibilities that can be used for
resolution:
– ethical checklist
– report dilemma to supervisor/authorities
– read company’s guidelines for making
ethical decisions
Summary
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Business ethics involve doing what’s right at work
Many organizations are establishing ethical programs to ensure
proper behaviors are conducted
Managing ethics in the workplace can lead to stronger public
image and organizational culture, cultivate strong teamwork,
and promote greater consistency in qualities of products
Ethics programs establish required operating behaviors, develop
an awareness to ethical issues, and offer assistance in how to
resolve ethical situations
Ethics tools used in the workplace include codes of ethics,
policies & procedures, and training
Ethical dilemmas can be resolved by completing an ethical
checklist or reporting any unethical behavior