Saturday, June 14, 2008

Ethics

“A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties…"

-Albert Einstein

Ethics are the principles and standards that guide our behavior toward other people. They are based on morals and entrenched in our culture, religion, and background. Ethics play a prominent role in business, as well. Billionaire Kerry Stokes explains, “Ethics or simple honesty is the building blocks upon which our whole society is based, and business is a part of our society, and it's integral to the practice of being able to conduct business that you have a set of honest standards.” While ethics can be defined as doing the right thing, the distinction between right and wrong is often blurred. The law outlines what is legal but sometimes conflicts with what is ethical. For example, it may not be illegal to run personal errands on company time, but it is certainly not ethical. Because acting ethically and acting legally do not necessarily always align, it can be difficult to decide what the appropriate decision in a certain situation may be. When these choices are not perfectly clear, it is important to give the situation much though and even discuss it with a colleague. Some companies even offer an ombudsman, an individual who gives advice on work-related ethical issues. Regardless of how one comes to make a decision, it is essential to act ethically.