How Personal Can Ethics Get? Essay

The level of ethics competency is determined by the individual’s ability to identify elements of ethics, assess issues with ethics that arise, apply knowledge and regulations when making ethical decisions, and communicate those decisions to others. As stated by Curry in his discussion of workplace ethics: Ethics are about making choices that may not always feel good or seem like they benefit you but are the â€Å"right† choices to make. They are the choices that are examples of â€Å"model citizens† and examples of the golden rules. We’ve all heard the golden rules: Don’t hurt, don’t steal, don’t lie, or one of the most famous: â€Å"Do unto others as you would have done to you. † These are not just catchy phrases; these are words of wisdom that any productive member of society should strive to live by. (Curry, n. d. ) Organizational ethics depends on the culture of the company or organization and the extent of the importance of codes of ethics within the company. Organizational ethics is the company’s codes and procedures that manage the actions and decisions of its employees and leadership. Personal difference and preference can impact this, however. There are occasions when organizational ethics and personal ethics are not in line with one another. A lot of times employees do not know how to balance the personal side with the business side. In businesses there are several factors that influence the morality of individuals. Those factors are peers, company policies and procedures, and superiors such as management. In our personal lives there are factors as well. Those factors include family and friends. Ethics are thought of by many people as something that is related to the private side of life and not to the business side. In many businesses, having ethics is frowned upon or thought of as a negative subject. This is because business is usually about doing what’s best for number one, not about what’s really the right thing to do. (Curry, n. d. ) With this in mind, there are occasions when business decisions are not made simply because the decision is really the right thing to do. Businesses are created for a number of reasons, but to stay in business the company must practice good decision making and make a profit. Over time, in the long run, the business that finds a way to balance personal differences and preferences with organizational ethics will last longer and be more profitable. Mary White, the co-owner of MTI Business Solutions addresses business ethics in her article. In one particular point White states: Companies and businesspeople who wish to thrive long-term must adopt sound ethical decision-making practices. Companies and people who behave in a socially responsible manner are much more likely to enjoy ultimate success than those whose actions are motivated solely by profits. Knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing what is right is the foundation for ethical decision making. In many cases, doing the right thing often leads to the greatest financial, social, and personal rewards in the long run. (White, n. d. ) Often times, individuals in leadership positions put their own goals and preferences before that of the company. For example, a CEO might accept a deal with another company that includes an extra incentive or reward that solely benefits the CEO and deny a deal with another company because there is nothing extra that benefits the CEO. Although the company benefits by accepting another client, the ethics of the organization is compromised. Although the company with no included incentives may provide more value in the long run for the company looking to make a deal, the CEO may lose the opportunity to gain a deal in the future. When any individual becomes a part of a company, their own personal differences and preferences do not only impact the individual, but everyone around them including the company. Organizational Policies and Procedures and the Impact on Ethics In addition, organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics. The policies and procedures put into effect by businesses provide guidelines in efforts to allow the business to run smoothly. These procedures and policies set by the organization provide a means of what is right and what is wrong. This is the company’s code of conduct or set of organizational ethics. The organizational policies and procedures can either benefit the company or hinder the company. The purpose of setting this code of right and wrong is so that the company is providing employees with guidelines in hopes that employees will follow. The benefit is all employees are working towards a common goal in a common matter. This provides a sense of order within the business. Every position has its own guidelines so that employees know exactly what is expected. When an employee violates a code that is clearly documented in the company’s policies and procedures, the employee cannot state that he or she did not know what was expected. In the same sense, just as the organizational policies and procedures can benefit the ethics of the company, the policies and procedures can also produce a negative outcome. This can occur when employees refuse to follow these procedures. An employee may choose not to abide by policies when he or she has his or her own motive. For example, an employee does not agree with a company policy that states that no employee may release a certain type of information. In turn, the employee shares the information with a highly competitive company. This affects the ethics of the company as well as the individual. In this situation, the policy is clearly documented. Although the policy is set in place to provide order and give a guideline for employees to follow, the employee violated the policy. Ethical Dilemmas and Valerie When ethics become an issue within a company, ethical dilemmas occur. An ethical dilemma is a dispute between what is right and wrong between two opposing parties. Although ethical dilemmas occur every day, there is really no right or wrong solution. It is simply a matter of what one believes. In the case study, Valerie is facing an ethical dilemma. The ethical dilemma she is facing is not only about what she considers right or wrong, but also her job. As a result of her decision, she could lose several things. The ethical dilemma that Valeria is facing is if she tells anyone what she has learned, she could lose her job, her privilege to stay in the United States since she doesn’t have a Green Card, future education, and her career relationships. In this situation, Valerie can reveal the information and risk losing everything or keep the information to herself and work for a company of which she no longer respects. In either situation, Valerie is losing something. It is up to her to decide what is more important. If I were in the situation Valerie is in, I would keep the information to myself. Although neither decision is potentially right or wrong, if Valerie chooses to keep the information to herself, she does not have to risk losing her job and ability to stay in the United States. Even though Valerie does not reveal the information herself, the information may still come out in the future from another source. Another method that I would chose is to provide an anonymous explanation to corporate. Most businesses provide a means in which employees are able to provide information anonymously. In either case, Valerie will not have to jeopardize losing her job, right to live in this county, education, nor relationships within the company. Conclusion In closing, personal differences and preferences can impact organizational ethics. Employees must realize that their own decisions and beliefs affect the company they work for. In the same sense, organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics as well. Although companies set up policies to address what is right and wrong, there are positive benefits as well as negative outcomes.