Gen_200_Professinal_Values_and_Ethics_Paper

Running Head: PROFESSIONAL VALUES AND ETHICS Assignment: Professional Values and Ethics Paper GEN/200 February 7, 2011 Professional values and ethics are critical to career success. Whether you are an executive or office worker, a health care professional or student, it is important to do the right thing. Being ethical in the workplace or during your personal time, taps into your basic moral being. It is rare to find a company that does not require their employees, no matter what level, to sign an ethics statement. From the “me” decades of the ‘80s to the present, we constantly hear of companies where executives took the liberties of making deals with friends or thinking of the companies bank account as their own. It is very important to the success of a company and/or employee that business is conducted in an ethical manner. “Companies with strong ethics programs have found that their efforts can greatly reduce potential costly fines” (Inc. 2000). When a company is cited for unethical business practices they are fined considerably and when an executive is convicted for their unethical business practices, they are fined and sentenced to a lengthy jail term. “Ethics are beliefs about what is right and wrong based on individual value and morals.” (Ebert & Griffin, 2009, p. 20). Ethics are the beliefs whether a decision that affects other people are good or bad. Values are beliefs of a person or a group with an emotion of either for or against something. Many professions such as teachers, doctors, and accountants have code of conduct or guide of ethics and values to abide by. Boeing, manufacturer of commercial airplanes, has a list of cooperate values which the company lives by each and every day. According to Boeing (2011), “The Boeing Company is committed to fostering an environment where integrity is valued and forms the foundation for every decision. This environment includes a culture in which open and honest communication is expected and employees at all levels appreciate and understand the importance of demonstrating highly ethical behavior.” (Education and Awareness, para. 1). Values of the company include leadership, quality, integrity, customer satisfaction, diverse and involved team, and enhancing shareholders value. Boeing offers programs to inform employees about ethics and values, ethics advisors, and ethic hotline for employees to call if they have a problem. This company is committed to practicing high ethical standards. Boeing is dedicated to provide their employees with the best ethical environment possible. There are different theories of ethics in the business world. One is the deontology theory (Bowen, S. 2001) virtue ethics (personal qualities of the moral agent), justice theories (ethical decision need be consistent with ethical ideas unless circumstances deem otherwise), and the rights theories (right of the individual based upon human worth and dignity); which compile to make up the stockholder, the stakeholder, and the social contracts that derive in business ethics. The stockholder theory has “managers working as agents for stockholders”. The stakeholder theory has consideration for the workers, suppliers, managers, costumers, and community; thus receiving approval from all parties involved. The social contract theory maximizes societal interest of the company through customer satisfaction and worker interest whilst being just. These theories work together to create a system of morals for employees and shareholders alike. Ironically, much like anything relating to humans, they are subject to change according to how the business is run. For example, a worker may put in their 40 hours a week but a workplace may not be able to afford to pay them overtime. Such is the case of Wal-Mart in Indiana. Workers were asked to clock out and come back to finish their jobs to save the company money. Some workers cooperated but some defied this idea and sued the retail conglomerate for forcing Wal-Mart employees to clock out but return to clean up their department. Some workers would stay at the store three hours after their shift out from managers that threatened or prodded them into the job. This writer knew from experience because it happened to them in 1998. In 2002, Wal-Mart pleaded this was an isolated incident how; records showed this had happened in about 18 states across the country. The ethical dilemma whether the employees wanted to lose their jobs and still perform a satisfactory job and why a multibillion dollar business could afford to treat their workers in this manner. Another example would be in the medical industry where a staff members performs tasks they are not oriented to (such as administering medication without authorization or falsifying documentation to save their jobs should they make an unethical decision). Nurses make life-saving or life-threatening decisions everyday and some may become overwhelmed or stop caring over time. A famous example of this is Doctor Jack Kavorkian (most known for his views on euthanasia). The main question during this time was should a Doctor practicing medicine be allowed to end life of a terminally ill patient (considering the oath many doctors take to save lives). The moral dilemma wasn't the fact that a doctor did the act but as Kavorkian pointed out the he was only trying to end suffering of patients. On the matter of business ethics, these incidences cost him his career but on the social aspect of ethics, he was (in his mind) performing a humanitarian effort to help dying patients rest. Society frowned upon the extreme actions the Doctor performed; however, Congress passed the law in Oregon in 1994 and made it official in 1997. The law was enforced by former Governor Booth regarding his thoughts on living with Parkinson's Disease and his desire to end his suffering The Catholic Church and many religious organizations are against ending life; however few take into account the feelings of the people who live their lives in pain or torment and wish for it to end. In review, most people agree professional values and ethics are used in today’s society. Many companies, such as Boeing and now Wal-Mart, use a guide or code of conduct to ensure their employees understand these values. Professional values and ethics seem to be a much more important idea that most give credit for. Next time people see or think of professional values and ethics, think about what is in this paper and realize what is going on. Most likely readers undervalued professional values and ethics before but will start to give the credited needed and deserved. Reference Boeing. (2011). Ethics and Business Conduct. Retrieved from http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/ethics/ Ebert, R. J., & Griffin, R. W. (2009). Business Essentials (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. (USING THE YOUK–KEVORKIAN CASE TO TEACH ABOUT EUTHANASIA AND OTHER END-OF-LIFE ISSUES By: Werth, James L.. Death Studies, Mar2001, Vol. 25 Issue 2, p151-177, 27p) .(Pro-Euthanasia Group Again Promoting Assisted Suicide in 2008 Washington State Ballot Initiative By: Popik, Jennifer. National Right to Life News, Jan2008, Vol. 35 Issue 1, p19-19, 1p, 1) (Ethical climate in managed care organizations. Bell SE; Nursing Administration Quarterly, 2003 Apr-Jun; 27 (2): 133-9 ) (obligation-based ethics/duty)(A theory of ethical issues management: Contributions of Kantian deontology to public relations' ethics and decision-making By: Bowen, Shannon Jan 1, 2001), teleology theory (consequences of our actions) (,Teleology. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 7/1/2010, p1-1, 1p)