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Week One Content Outline
TOPIC and Objectives
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ETHICS
• Explain the necessity for managing business ethics, its direction, and its goals.
• Identify reasons why ethics are important to individuals, organizations, and society.
• Define ethics, ethical system, morals, values, and ethical business behavior.
Content outline
1. THE PLACE FOR ETHICS IN BUSINESS
a. Ethical dilemmas arising in the workplace
1) Determining right and wrong in conflicts
2) Addressing cynicism and mistrust of business leaders
3) Considering ethics in a society with an emphasis on success and material success
4) Redirected focus to positive, ethical, and socially responsible actions
5) Moving beyond considering ethics as a fad
b. The concept of ethics as a process—examples to illustrate the variety of approaches to make ethical decisions in business (Treviño & Nelson, 2011, Figure 1.1, Ch. 1)
c. Understanding, acceptance, and application of ethics are important to individuals, management, and organizations.
d. Employee ethical systems and their foundations (Refer to the Ethical Systems Table for synopsis.)
e. Compatibility of employee ethical systems with those of the organization and their relationship to the organization
2. Why ethics are important
a. Media focus and organization reputation
b. Businesses: It is good for business economics to act responsibly.
c. Executives: Corporate ethics begin with the man or woman at the top.
d. Managers: Productivity increases with cohesive employee actions.
e. Employees: Character and reputations count.
f. Society: There are economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities.
3. Developing the language of ethical principles
a. Ethical business behavior: “Behavior that is consistent with the principles, norms, and standards of business practice that have been agreed upon by society” (Treviño & Nelson, 2011, Ch. 1)
b. Morals: actions based on one’s underlying ethical principles
c. Ethical system: underlying ethical principles that a person uses to make decisions
d. Values: those things or actions upon which the individual or the organization spends time and money
e. Ethical dilemma: situations where what is right or wrong, ethically speaking, appears to be either in conflict for the individual or the organization (Treviño & Nelson, 2011, Ch. 1)
f. Character: moral actions based on duty-driven ethical principles, including trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship (For more information, visit )
g. Ethics: “The principles, norms, and standards of conduct governing an individual or organization” (Treviño & Nelson, 2011, Ch. 1); ethics form the basis for determining the correct action (moral behavior) in a particular situation.
4. Systems used by individuals and organizations in making ethical decisions (Treviño & Nelson, 2011, Ch. 2)
a. Duty-based ethics: This focuses on duties, obligations, and principles. Regardless of consequences, certain moral principles are binding. It focuses on duty rather than results, moral obligation over what the individual would prefer to do.
b. Consequence-based ethics: This maximizes best results, regardless if rules must be broken. Whether a decision is right or wrong is based on the best consequences. The greatest good for the greatest number of people is determined by examining alternatives. The rights of the minority are sacrificed for the majority.
c. Rights-based ethics: Individual rights must be respected by others, including limiting their actions if they infringe on those individual rights. Certain things are acceptable in a community because the majority of people in the community agree that the behavior is acceptable. This is called a social contract.
d. Human nature ethics: These are beliefs based on extremes of human behavior—both good and bad. The positive side of this theory focuses on the virtue, integrity, and character of individuals rather than on the actions themselves. The negative side focuses on self-interest, selfishness, entitlement, and ego. The character is defined by the individual’s community or religious training.
e. Relativistic ethics: This is a personalized approach to ethics. It is subjective and focuses on personal experience as a form of judgment, and many different factors—feelings, circumstances, evolution, experience, culture, race, gender, and age—play a role in determining how a person uses this system. There are no absolutes within this type of ethical approach, as decisions, such as that the right action may apply to only the current point in time, may change.
f. Entitlement-based ethics: This focuses on what is in the best interest of the individual without thought of society, the needs of others, or relationships. They should have what others have because it is their right.
g. Virtue-based ethics: The integrity, character, intentions, and motivation of the person is more important than the act itself. Virtue is determined by community standards or religious training. It is the highest standard available.
5. Managing business ethics
a. Understanding, acceptance, and application of ethics influence the management role.
b. How business policy and decision-making systems are influenced by ethics
c. Legal considerations for making ethical decisions
6. Application of ethics and its reflections on character
Reference
Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
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