Ethics_Awareness

Running head: ETHICS AWARENESS MGT521: WEEK 6 ASSIGNMENT Ethics Awareness Inventory Self-Assessment And Personal Values Randall Duncan University of Phoenix Personal values are commonly considered to be ideals by which an individual lives. An individual’s values will not only qualify his personal conduct, but will also determine how he interacts with others. Those values are influenced by many things such as culture, family upbringing and moral instruction and are as varied as the individuals who own them. I will share some of my own basic values and describe why they are important to my life. Then, I will attempt to identify the values of Kudler Fine Foods and reflect on how those values align to my own. As part of my self-discovery, I completed the Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory Assessment. I discovered that my personal ethical perspective most identifies with that of “Character.” This assessment proved accurate in all aspects. At the very core of my values system, I feel that it is not enough just to follow the rules set by society or to allow others to determine what is right. Instead, I believe a person’s character is what determines his morality. An individual must not only develop the wisdom to understand the difference between right and wrong, but he must also consistently apply that knowledge in every aspect of his life. An individual may comply with all the rules and norms of society, but remain unethical if his character is less than exemplary. Since my value system is based on exemplary character, it is no wonder that wisdom is such an important value in my life. In order to make fair and just decisions, it is important that I can clearly differentiate between right and wrong. I do not believe that there is always one and only one solution to a problem. I believe that every situation is unique and that many things must be considered before determining the best course of action. Wisdom is of particular importance in this process. I believe that wisdom is one of the pillars of a good value system. If an individual is wise, he will also seek other key values such as truth, responsibility and forgiveness, when appropriate. Another of my core values is that of integrity. This is obviously an important value for me because it forms the basis of my entire belief system, as stated above. I do not believe that what a person does or says is the most important thing. Instead, I believe that it is more important who the individual really is “inside.” If he is an individual of good character or integrity, he will automatically do and say what is right. These actions become who the person is, not just what he does. Integrity, like wisdom, also is the basis for several other basic values that I endear. Those values include such things as fairness and honor. Love is a third important value which exhibits itself in many manners. To me, love in its most basic form is an unselfish and caring concern for others. It is essential for positive human interaction and can be found in several forms. It may include devotion to one’s family, reverence of one’s god or respect and fellowship of mankind. It exhibits kindness toward others and sharing of one’s good fortunes. Finally, tolerance and compassion are two other values of special importance in my life. These values bring harmony and respect of others. They are about helping those who are less fortunate or who cannot care for themselves. Tolerance dictates that we treat everyone fairly and respectfully. Several values of Kudler Fine Foods become obvious from their strategic plan. From the company’s mission statement and vision, it is apparent that excellence is a key value for the company. Throughout the plan, numerous references are made to the high quality or excellence of the company’s products and services. It is important to the company that its clients enjoy only the freshest products of the finest and freshest ingredients. Along with excellence, customer satisfaction is mentioned on numerous occasions. Another value that can be seen from the strategic plan is that of compassion and social responsibility. The plan actually includes a social responsibility statement which dictates that the company will donate unused product to local homeless shelters and food kitchens in their community. It is also obvious that hard work and growth are important values for Kudler Fine Foods, especially from Kathy, the company’s founder. Not only does Kathy work numerous hours each week in order to make the company successful, but she has expanded the business several times. Obviously, since Kudler Fine Foods is a business, their values will be slightly different than many of my own personal values. For example, whereas love and tolerance are extremely important values to me personally, Kudler Fine Foods is more concerned with providing excellent products and great exemplary customer service to its clients. On the other hand, there are values that Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) and I do share. For example, as I seek wisdom in my personal life, KFF seeks to manage its business in a manner in which wise business decisions are made. Also, compassion for the less fortunate is a common value for both KFF and me. We both want to give generously of our excesses and to help others. Finally, in the same manner that integrity is important for my life, it is also important to KFF. The company obviously wants to do the right thing for its employees, clients and community. Values determine the manner in which we conduct ourselves and determine how we interact with others. They are important to individuals and businesses alike. As can be seen in this paper, personal values and business values are sometimes similar. Other times they are different. Regardless of these differences and similarities, every person and every business is qualified in some manner by the values it possesses.