Ethics in the workplace is a topic that we have all heard about. In fact, the topic of ethics in general is something most people are familiar with. And, what is commonly understood about ethics is that there is ethics and then there is ethics in the workplace. However, what most people don’t realize is that there is no such thing as ethics in the workplace; ethics are the same (or should be) whether in the workplace or in personal life.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT
Ethics is about making decisions that don’t always feel right or seem to be in your best interest, but are the “right” decisions to make. It is the elections that are examples of “model citizens” and examples of the golden rules. We have all heard the golden rules: do not hurt, do not steal, do not lie, or one of the most famous: “Do to others what they 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.
In our personal lives, most people try to do exactly that. Many people think that ethics is something related to the private aspect of life and not to the commercial aspect. In many companies, being ethical is frowned upon or viewed as a negative issue. This is because business is usually about doing what is best for number one, not what is actually the right thing to do. You’re probably already feeling uncomfortable reading this.
A GOOD EXAMPLE
Take ENRON, for example. Were the actions of the CEO of ENRON a good example of ethics? No. But, they WERE a CLASSIC example of two things: One, those actions showed how ethics were not being used in any way. Two, his actions painted a grim and realistic picture of what can happen when ethics are neglected. If ethics had been considered first by company leaders, there would have been no scandal. If ethics were used daily in all companies, there would never be any scandals.
Martha Stewart comes to mind when ethics is discussed. Once again, there is a sense of uneasiness in dealing with this topic. But why is this so? Ethics are supposed to improve our lives and invoke good feelings. Perhaps the reason ethics is such a touchy subject is because they are often misused, if at all.
A NEW WAY
Ethics is coming back. For starters, more and more corporations and businessmen and women are realizing that ethics is not checked at the door as you enter the workplace. Ethics has as much place in the public as in the private. How come there should be separate sets of ethics, depending on whether it’s your personal life or your work life? The answer is that there shouldn’t be a separate set, and in light of the recent events we’re seeing on our TVs lately, more and more companies are waking up to this fact.
Some companies are incorporating ethics into their training. It is an issue that can go hand in hand with business, and when both employees and CEOs understand what ethics is all about, business can improve. Not only will the community take note of the ethical nature of a business, but so will the customers.
Periodic reassessments in ethics training are also suggested, as times change many things that some would never consider ethical or unethical. For example, when the first hacker to submit a paper to a university’s computer system crippled the entire network that the system was part of, including the utility network, simply because he could, it’s hard to raise an ethics issue. . Computers were new, at the time. And, no one had been able to do such a thing before. With the new times come new technologies and new ways of doing things. Ethics will continue to be a part of all of this, and refreshing ethics training only re-strengthens what has already been learned, when new eras arrive.
In the end, it comes down to what a person understands about ethics. Many university curricula are now heavily applying ethics teaching, and for good reason. Young minds will carry this information into the workforce and understand that ethics must apply both there and in the private sector. Corporations will be able to avoid embarrassing scandals that are featured all over the national news. Small businesses will be able to keep and attract more customers and consumers. Negotiations between companies could be conducted with more of the other company in mind, which would only help both.
Above all, there must be a high level of ethics in your business, at least for customers. If anything, it is the customer who should be considered the most when it comes to ethical business practices. In the long run, a business will make huge profits from a customer base that feels they are being treated fairly and truthfully.
