– Ethical principles apply to all aspects of the employer-employee relationship. The employer-employee relationship should not be looked at simply in economic terms. It is a
Obeying the Law Is Not Always Enough
A common source of ethical insensitivity is a legalistic attitude toward ethics that says that if an action is legal or within some set of “rules,” then it’s acceptable and therefore ethical. The prevalence of this notion explains why so many people accused of wrongdoing hide behind technical interpretations of the law. They boast that they were not indicted or …
Citizenship
Orlando and his three friends went on a camping/fishing trip. When they reached the camp site they were unpleasantly surprised at how it had been left by the previous campers. Beer cans and other trash were all around. They spent almost three hours cleaning it up. The morning of their scheduled departure day another camper in the area told them …
Avoiding Unfair Conduct
One of the problems with interpreting the concepts of fairness and justice is that so many factors can go into the notion of a fair judgment. There is rarely one single result dictated by ethical analysis. Consequently, we often do not know what is truly fair. We do, however, often know what is unfair, and our first obligation is to …
Fairness
How old were you when you first experienced the sting of injustice? Perhaps you were blamed for something you didn’t do or excluded from a club or team because someone didn’t like you? Perhaps you were given a lower grade than you deserved because the teacher had it in for you. Or did you ever experience frustration and moral indignation …
Rationalizations – The Enemy of Integrity: Twelve Common Rationalizations and Excuses to Avoid
Everyone is ethical in their own eyes. Rationalizations are the most potent enemy to integrity. They work like an anesthetic to our consciences allowing us to avoid the pain of guilt when we don’t live up to our values. We want to think well of ourselves so much that we develop strategies to convince ourselves that we are better than …
Using the Six Pillars of Character to Get More From Your Organization
Michael Josephson explains how the Six Pillars of Character relate to everyday business operations and how they can be used to get more out of your organization. Almost all companies are in what we call a compliance mode after the creation of rules and statutes like Sarbanes-Oxley. Compliance is the concept of rules and industry regulations creating the “laws” of …
Six Reasons to Be Ethical in Business
Why be ethical? It’s the smart thing to do. And it’s the right thing to do. Competitive edge – People prefer to work with those they can trust. Credibility – People believe you when they know you are honest and will keep your promises. Efficiency – Trust makes decision making faster and more economical. Morale – People feel better about …
Including the Six Pillars of Character in Your Company’s Ethics Code
An ethical code of conduct must arise naturally from the company’s stated values and should provide detailed guidance for handling ethical challenges. General principles without specific provisions risk being perceived by employees as just window dressing and may breed cynicism rather than commitment. Though provisions must be specific and clear, an ethics code should cover a lot of ground. The …
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Ethics Codes Don’t Make People Ethical
Michael Josephson discusses ethics codes. Video Here