Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Business Ethics - Essay Example It may be argued that the business professional is not solely responsible for proper business conduct, but the organization can assist ethical behavior of a business person by laying code of conduct which may be used for immediate reference when the individual is unsure of the step ahead. Business ethics does not have a typical definition because the rightness or wrongness of a behavior in business is not agreed by all as morally right or wrong, ethical or unethical, good or bad. Ethics has evolved from ancient tradition based on cultural, religious and philosophical beliefs. Business ethics is an argumentative subject with disagreements erupting due to its dynamism, complexity and interdependence in business. Business operations usually involve compromise. There are two basic viewpoints about business ethics: (a) business ethics is inseparable from personal or other ethics and (b) business will not be more ethical than the people who conduct business. There are certain assumptions that form the basis for business ethical and unethical business conduct. It is assumed that profit is not the only motive of business, competition leads individuals to ignore ethics, pressure to compromise ethics occurs often at lower and middle management levels, a person who act ethically has a proper personal code, ethics is highest among youngest and those in the final stages of their careers, individuals with ethical superior tend to behave ethically, workplace pressures to exhibit performance can lead to unethical behavior and more managers and employees identify their ethical behavior with the policies of their organization(Lewis, P.V. 1985 p.377-383). Some scholars define ethics as an inquiry into the grounds and nature of morality where morality is considered as standards, moral judgements and rules of conduct. The confusion in understanding ethics is due to the inability to determine precisely the various factors of business ethics and