Professional_Values_and_Ethics

Professional Values and Ethics Paper In this paper, our team will discuss professional values and ethics. We will provide the definitions of values and ethics and an explanation correlating career success with having values and ethics. Also included are two examples of values and ethics influencing career success. Values are important in every organization. Values is defined as a relative worth, merit, or importance (Dictionary.com, 2010). The values of an organization must be consistent with the visions of the company. Some examples are integrity, caring, teamwork, and stewardship. These values are so important to a company that they may incorporate them into their vision statement. Values are the personification of what the company stands for and should be the foundation for their employees’ behaviors. If someone in the company failed to follow these values then it would negatively affect the company and the person could be fired. Each value has its own definition. For example trustworthiness means to have the trait of deserving confidence. Another good value is sincerity. This means that genuineness, honesty, and freedom from duplicity. Being supportive is also another great trait that employees need, which is furnishing support or assistance. Understanding employees is another great value because this means knowing how something works or an encouraging, honest relationship between people. A company would also want someone who can do the task how they want it done which is the value called work ethics (Ethics Resource Center, 2009). Examples of values include • Reliability • Respect • Self-control • Sensitivity • Loyalty • Mercy • Patience • Punctuality • Generosity These are great values that a company would want in an employee and we would want our children to have when they join the workforce. Ethics is the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation (Merriam Webster, an Encyclopedia Britannica Company, 2010). According to Cavanagh, “Ethics developed over centuries, but had been neglected by scholars in recent generations.” Until the 1980s and 1990s the study of ethics was not widely covered in college curriculum. Ethical behavior is not something we are born with, but something that is learned. In the workplace, the demand for high ethical behavior filters down from top executives. It may seem that spending the extra money for expensive equipment to make a job site safe is a waste of funds; however “only through the promotion of ethical practices can one minimize harm and maximize benefits to all stakeholders” (Nichols, Nichols, Jr., & Nichols, 2007). The ethical rules that have been taught for decades: rights, justice, and utilitarianism sometimes unwittingly encourage individual mentality, which is why leaders ask, “What’s in it for me'” (Cavanagh, S.J., 2010) It is important to consider what is in it for the other people involved and for the community, not just what is in it for me. Examples of compromised ethics that seem like they would not hurt anyone can include padding expense reports with meals that are not business related, miles that are personal, or inflating expenses. Professionals need to be confident and have the strength to search for the truth in situations, look at all the different view-points, and ask for guidance to make the best ethical decision at the time. According to the July 2007 issue of Professional Safety, Texas Instruments employees receive a reference card to help them make ethical decisions on the job. It is the size of a business card and contains these questions: • Does it comply with our values' • If you do it, will you feel bad' • How will it look in the newspaper' • If you know its wrong, don’t do it! • If you’re not sure, ask. • Keep asking until you get an answer. A favorite of these is how it will look in the newspaper. This is a great question to ask when needing to decide whether to protect the company or do the right thing. Being successful in a career can be determined by a person’s values and ethics. If a person’s values and ethics are off base with what is expected of him or her either by their employer or the customer, the employee will more than likely upset the employer and may offend the customer. This could result in losing customers. Most employers will not reward employees with incentives or promotions if they are driving away customers. On the other hand if an employee has values and ethics that the employer promotes, the employee could receive awards, rewards, or at least be retained as a good employee. The following examples will better illustrate how values and ethics can positively or negatively influence career success. A Wells Fargo employee took advantage of her position to gain access to a home that was foreclosed on in California. The employee used this home inappropriately to host many parties. This violated Wells Fargo policy that also prohibits Wells Fargo employees from buying a home that Wells Fargo foreclosed on. This is clearly an ethical violation of policies that were created based on the values and ethics of Wells Fargo (Palmeri, 2010). On the positive side of ethics and values is a story about an ethical nonprofit lender. Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago helped Teresa Moore when unfortunate circumstances, including her adjustable rate mortgage jumping to 11 percent, put her house in foreclosure. According to the ABC report, there is a growing number of so-called “ethical lenders” that thrive in neighborhoods like Moore’s even though they work with the same low-income borrowers who are the heart of the financial crises. These lenders are offering 30-year fixed mortgages that their clients can afford and the on-time payment rate is “huge.” The lenders are profitable but not profit-maximizing, which has led to the success of ethical lending. It is clear from the information presented that values and ethics play a large role in the ability to be successful on a professional level. Anyone who has concerns with his or her performance at work should first consider if his or her values and ethics are in line with what management expects of its employees. References Cavanagh, S.J., G. F. (2010, October 1). Ethics in Business Requires Moral Maturity. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(1), 717-718. Dictionary.com. (2010). Define Values. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/values Ethics Resource Center. (2009, May 29). Definitions of Values. Retrieved from http://www.ethics.org/resource/definitions-values Merriam Webster, an Encyclopedia Britannica Company. (2010). Merriam Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Nichols, N., Nichols, Jr., G. V., & Nichols, P. A. (2007, July). Professional Ethics: The importance of teaching ethics to future professionals. Professional Safety, 52(7), 37-41. Pinto, B., Mendez, D., & Pluto, C. (2009, Feb. 22). 'Ethical Lenders' Offer Hope to Homeowners. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story'id=6934151&page=1