Ethics_in_Management

Personal Values, ground rules, and ethics vary from person to person. Each person possesses their own carefully crafted set of values, ethics, and ground rules, which shape their lives both personally and professionally. Throughout our lives, we are faced by many challenges and dilemmas that often become the basis for our ethical views, set ground rules for our futures actions, and serve in the development of our personal values. It is this base that provides us with the ability to make decisions that maximize the benefits of a situation while minimizing the possible costs in a personal and professional capacity. Personal Values, Ground Rules, and Ethics My personal values, ground rules, and ethical code are based upon ideas of commitment, consistency, integrity, respect, responsibility, priority, and moral reasoning. These attributes and factors shape my everyday actions and reactions to certain situations and provide the basis for my morality and ethical conduct. Basis for my Personal Values, Ground Rules, and Ethics My personal values, ground rules, and ethical code are based upon many factors. First, my own values are based upon moral reasoning, which is “individual or collective practical reasoning about what, morally, one ought to do.” (Moral Reasoning, 2003) This philosophical basis allows me to reason, practically, about what morally I ought to do in certain situations. Thus, when faced with a certain situation or dilemma which may present itself, I have already developed a reaction based upon a previous similar situation, or I will actually stop and use critical thinking to reason the possibilites of the situation. The principal of respect for others and for self is also a foundation for my personal values, ground rules, and ethical code. Failure to take into account the treatment and respect for others and for myself in certain sistuations, can result in poor choices being made. Although applying this particular principal can be difficult as it is not a concrete idea, it easily manifests itself through my values which then provde my rules of conduct. Rather, I try to keep in mind the idea that I should only promote that which is truth, treat everyone equally taking into account relevent differences, understand anothers freedom of will and choice, and finally consider that everyone has rights and needs. Another one of my goals is to perform consistently and with comittment. This means that in additonal to respecting yourself and others, a person must not go back on their word. Integrity also goes hand and hand with this particular attribute. This means that if a situations is difficult, I will not give up but perserve in an effort to achieve the best possible outcome and the one that is most ethical to all parties including myself. In order to maintain this consistency and comittment it is necessary to prioritize and value my time. Quite often priorizing takes into account what situations and tasks mazimze rewards and minimize costs for all parties invloved. Another factor in my personal values concerns the understanding of my priorties and being able to clarify what is ultimately best for me in each situation. This state of thinking often affects the decisions I make both professionally and personally. I think many people forget about this factor in making ethical decisions, and do not take into account what is best for them. Often times the most ethical decision is not the best for us personally and vice versa, I believe that you must carefully weigh the positives and negatives when making a critical ethical decision. Religion has also played in important role in the development of my personal values. Through religion, I learned of such ideas such as right and wrong and of the seven deadly sins. I actually tend to think that the seven deadly sins explain unethical behavior as well as the propensity to act ethically. Religion and works based upon the bible such as “The Divine Comedy” would name seven deadly sins that contribute to the downfall of man and the desire to commit illegal acts. Many of these sins also explain or contribute to the unethical behavior often exhibited by individuals, or explain the motive behind these behaviors. The Seven deadly sins are known as “sloth, greed/avarice, lust, gluttony, envy, pride, and wrath.” (Seven Deadly Sins) An astute understanding of these concepts provides me with a base for my behavior and ethical conduct. Greed comes to mind when unethical behavior is concerned, as money is often referred to as the “root of all evil.” The idea of gaining money often fuels or motivates otherwise gentile individuals to commit unethical acts. Sloth also represents unethical behaviors, which would support leisure, for instance working hard to get to the top; only to slack off and take leisure at your position- sitting back while others do all the work. The desire to stay at the top often smudges lines of morality, and thus they will do anything to remain in a position of leisure. Child-rearing and lessons learned from my parents and family members have also helped to shape my ethical design. The basic lessons that we learn as children from our parents about the rights and wrongs and our basic responsibility to society play a role throughout our lives. Potential Impact of Values on the Workplace Ethics permeate every aspect of our lives including the professional world and workplace, where perhaps they are most prevalent. Codes of Ethics, Ethical Standards, and Cannons of Ethics are established within every profession public or private. The legal profession perhaps yields some of the most stringent codes of ethics. Lawyers are required to uphold themselves to the highest level of ethical conduct. In fact, each state has an ethical conduct code, which attorneys are required to study and understand as they prepare to practice law. Many of the State bars that attorneys are required to pass before practicing law in a particular State are full of ethically related questions. Violating a code of ethics in the practice of law will inevitably result in sanctions, fines, penalties, and possibly even criminal charges or a civil law suit. Personal values, ethics, and ground rules play an important part in organizations and businesses as a whole as well as impact the individual employees within those organizations and businesses. Pressures of the job and potential for opportunity and advancement within the organization often play a large role in the commission of unethical behavior. The pressure to succeed, to be liked, to make money and churn out positive results coupled with opportunity often are a recipe for unethical behavior within an organization. Through an expressed understanding of my own personal values, ground rules and ethics and a practical application in the work place comes an ability to act responsibly. My personal value set affects my work ethic, ability to manage time, manner in which I will advance in the corporation, and overall my adherence to codes and ethics. These values are seen in an everyday capacity… what will I do to advance my career' How will I accomplish this task' Will I steal' Will I lie to win' What is going to far' These are ethical questions that are posed everyday in the legal field. I have a social responsibility to society as well as to the business, my employers, and myself in making ethical sound decisions. Such personal values as commitment, consistency, integrity, respect, responsibility, priority, and moral reasoning shape those decisions. I work as a paralegal in a mid-size firm and am responsible for client relationships, as well as maintaining work product efficiently and producing results quickly. Our department handles foreclosures, which is a cutthroat extremely competitive field to practice. In terms of everyday basis, we are required to complete tasks for clients and are monitored and graded. If we do not perform accordingly, the firm looses work and potentially clients. Some of our competitors lie about completing deadlines to get ahead. My personal values and goals influence my actions in completing these tasks as a whole. Again, questions are brought to mind such as, will I lie' Will I cheat to get ahead' My responses to these ethical questions are solely based on my values and my responsibility to society and the organization. Conclusion Although personal Values, ground rules, and ethics vary from person to person, it is each person’s responsibility to craft a set of values, ethics, and ground rules, which shape their lives both personally and professionally. Utilizing this set of ground rules, personal values, and ethics each person will inevitably be respond to certain situations that are presented in the most ethical manner. Ultimately, ethics are each person’s responsibility to society and its society’s needs.