“Good ethics may not always be good business but it is always good ethics and for a company or person of character — that’s enough.” – Michael Josephson
Xavier University Business Ethics Class Slides
I prepared a condensed summary of business ethics issues and strategies to a class at Xavier University. If you’re interested, you can find the slides here.
What can business learn from the Wells-Fargo ethical debacle?
What good is a bad experience if you don’t learn from it? Wells Fargo had been my bank for some time. So when I began to read about the pervasive corruption of its culture in late 2016, I was troubled. But I hadn’t seen any misconduct in my dealings and I liked the people I was working with so I …
Principled Reasoning: Using the Six Pillars of Character as a Filter for Decision Making
Is the conduct I’m considering consistent with my obligations to be trustworthy? Am I prepared to be truthful, sincere and candid? Is it consistent with what I believe and what I say? Have I made any promises I will have to break? Am I being disloyal to anyone? Will I be treating everyone with appropriate respect? Is my conduct courteous …
Business Case #8: Headhunting and Job-Shopping
You are contacted by an executive recruiter and told about another job with an excellent company that has an immediate need. You occupy a key position in your present company, and you are presently involved with a major long-term project (it will take at least a month to complete) that will be seriously damaged and may have to be abandoned …
Business Case #7: Friend With a Drug Problem
You become aware that the drug problem of a co-worker whom you like is becoming worse and beginning to affect his work. What do you do? Does it matter what kind of work the person does?
Three Sources of Moral Obligations: The Root of Business Ethics
Updated December 13, 2017 Duty: The Root of Ethics A duty is an obligation to act in a certain way. Though duties arise from various sources, all duties have a moral dimension. Duties create obligations and expectations. Companies, for example, have many duties including an obligation to treat customers and employees fairly, to assure that their products and services are …
Role of the Ethics Officer
The Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics posted a series of videos with Linda Trevino, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Ethics at Smeal College of Business, on their YouTube channel. The videos cover topics such as: the intersection between CSR and ethics programs, teaching business ethics, cheating in business schools, values-based vs. compliance-based ethics programs and dozens more. The videos …
12 Ethical Principles for Business Executives
Ethical values, translated into active language establishing standards or rules describing the kind of behavior an ethical person should and should not engage in, are ethical principles. The following list
Accountability
Ambrose Pierce, a nineteenth-century humorist, defined responsibility, as “A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one’s neighbor. In the days of astrology it was customary to unload it upon a star.” Being accountable means accepting responsibility for who we are, and for our character, personalities, attitudes, and weaknesses. Even for our happiness. The …