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Jean Pauyo, USA
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Why do People / Organizations Act Ethically? Reasons
There are two main perspectives on why people (or businesses) act ethically:
1. The first one is on deontologic principle: one has to do what is right because that's good in it self.
2. The second reason people what is good is because of the long term benefit they of it ( utilitarianism). We expect to be treated well so we treat other people well.
Acting unethically is always a short term view. People who have short term perspective tend to act unethically.
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Mary R Brooks, United Kingdom
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To Be or not to Be.. That is the Question! I travel round the world working and I have to say that ethics vary from business to business and particularly from country to country. Some businesses (oligopolies too!) suffer from cognitive dissonance when operating in another country where they cannot stop things like corruption. It will go against all of their own company ethics and in their own country but they understand that unless the country they are operating in, and the larger demographics, suffer from that set of ethics then they have to "put up and shut up" and it all comes down to cash again!
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Martin Heltai, United States
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Ethics To address the original question: fundamentally we behave ethically because the fabric of successful community cultures is based on the fragile threads of trust and generosity. Acting ethically re-enforces this fabric.
As we often see, the fragility of the fabric is such that corruption of ethical standards destroys cultures.
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Henry Egidius
Consultant, Sweden
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Ethics Line When I was writing my book on ethics and profession (unfortunately available only in Swedish: "Etik och profession"), available from January 2011, I was astonished many times as I had to change old assumptions acquired during a long life in different types of business.
Deontology, as I now see it, is based in the belief of a complete rational world, as it was imagined in the 18th century in the age of enlightenment, and established in ethical theory by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Utilitarianism, which I previously had thought to be a kind calculation of what is best for the majority, now is to me a very respectable philosophy, based on values of equality, equal treatment of men and women, and political democracy and social welfare for everybody.
From this background I have developed my own theory, described in the book, based on biological and psychological knowledge of our own time.
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Jean Pauyo, USA
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Why Should People Act Ethically? The question is why should people behave ethically if they can get away with non ethical behaviors. I think Adam Smith before he was an economist said that the self-interest of the agent, in a free market economy, makes him act in a ethical way. However, I think because of the failure of the self-regulation of the market we need ethical principles. Moreover that is why market regulation is necessary to curb the preference for short term self-interest at the expense of social responsibilities.
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Bruce Halvax, United States
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Why Should People Act Ethically There is an old proverb: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". To me this says it all. This is similar to the concept of Karma.
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Doug Wilsman, USA
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Re: Why Should People Act Ethically It is much easier to act in an ethical manner when there is a benefit to you as well as to the group. Laissez-faire economic policy does not allow for any other response. To believe that one can/should act in a manner that is not necessarily beneficial to one's own interests in favor of the group's is usually decried as "socialistic" and somehow bad. I believe that the latter course is actually more beneficial to the individual because it does not cut that individual from the group as much as a laissez-faire economic policy does, but strengthens the group and, in turn, the individual as well.
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Guillermina Galicia Galicia
Analyst, Mexico
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Why Does Someone Act Ethically? It is a way to get credibility in society, however, nobody is obliged to carry it out. To do this, some companies have built and released a code of ethics of the company in order to create awareness and involve the staff.
However, there is another problem: some leaders or managers have not assimilated the code or have not not carried it out. This causes the personnel under his responsibility also to ignore it.
The code of ethics says that if there is something out of the ethical, the right approach is to make a complaint. But in reality, it is not, because staff fear losing their jobs if they were to report. Moreover, the managers are making promises or negotiations which prevents them from acting ethically.
I believe that a good start is to start introducing a code of ethics that eventually and gradually establish itself as something of a norm, which will allow the cleaning of the staff and the establishment of order.
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Hans-Guenter Lindner, Germany
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Adaptation of Ethics is Not Universal Ethics is not universal. Ethics is dependent on culture and situation. Therefore all arguments about behaving ethically are redundant if ethics is not defined. Every system has its own ethics.
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Kirk C. Heriot
Professor, United States
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Why Does Someone Act Ethically? Some of the comments in this thread suggest the "actor" is thinking ethically a priori (before their action). I think people act in their own self-interests. If it happens to be ethical, then so be it.
After all, how many of us know someone that acts ethically all the time?
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Hareesh Ramachandran
Coach, India
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Sense of Ethics Comes From Sense of Connctivity Before I put my perspective about ethics, let me first state a fact that, at least in the business world people strictly act in their best interest.
The seed for the sense of a sound ethical mind stems out of a consideration for others, a consideration which arises out of a connectivity which makes you identify yourself as an integral part of a whole system.
This consideration would make a person be reflective while acting in his best interest, as to how his surroundings/organization/society or fellow workers are affected. Such individuals can be expected to automatically be ethical while performing their duties.
When anybody would perform their functions without this connectivity, the element of ethics is always at stake.
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Anna hanooman
ICT Consultant, Trinidad and Tobago
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Ethics is an Intangible Characteristic Ethics is very intangible and subjective, because we are all capable of having difference in opinions. True we are all subject to the knowledge of right and wrong but remember that just as one person can have one perspective, so too can someone have another. My personal opinion however, is that ethics lies within an individual and his/her perception of right and wrong- good or bad. Within a business environment, ethics can be determined by the amount of people negatively affected by a decision. Great comments from everyone by the way!!!
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GS RADJOU
CEO, France
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Why Does Someone Act Ethically I think, ethics gives a kind of vision to see issue in depth, widely and on a long horizon line. So, one can advise, subjugate, exchange face to face with someone, and put aside others-choose your pre...
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Jorge Arrieta S, Colombia
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Ethics Increases the Customer Loyalty People have to act under ethical principals because it helps to build a better business environment. Companies have to do more than wishing that the people act under ethics concept. Develop trainings ...
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Bruno Perboni
Consultant, Italy
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Ethics Does not Have a Unique Interpretation I would extend the comment of Hans-Guenter Lindner: different people have different ethics, so that my interpretation of an ethical behavior could be different from someone else's. I got this point wh...
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Martin Gonzalez de Prada
Accountant, Argentina
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Ethics Are the Way to Success I think ethics must rule our entire lives, both in business as in personal life. it is the only way of success....
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Helen Ngo, United States
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Ethics Crucial for Business Success Ethical acting in business context is to develop and maintain a course of actions that minimizes risks, both personal risks and corporate risks. According to many research papers in the past, leaders ...
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John Muiruri Makuno, Kenya
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Why People Behave Ethically It is in the best interest for a company to behave ethically at all times. This expands the company's business. Though in the short term a company may not do roaring business, in the long run people w...
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George Ayton, Canada
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Ethics in Business and Elswhere It may well be that underlying all the multi-syllabic rhetoric on the subject, that ethics is exhibited by those wanting to appear ethical for the benefit of the actor.
Those free of this selfishness...
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Penyweit, United States
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Why People Behave Ethically.. One reason most act ethically:
It will benefit them short term or long term.
I believe you must have a core belief and a guide, either spiritual or corporate model....
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Rafael Angel Calvo Arguedas
Consultant, Costa Rica
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Why Does Someone Act Ethically? Most likely, he was raised in a family environment that pursued ethical standards.
I believe that we are all the result of our interactions with others....
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Richardcavessa, USA
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Ethics is an Excuse, Most Everyone Knows Right from Wrong Not to be moral, or to be more amoral is the purpose of ethics:
- (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
- The rules of conduct recognized in re...
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Guerrero de Luna, Peru
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Values of CEO I think the vision of the business is linked to the CEO and management vision, values and ethics.
If they don´t have a systemic view of the company as a part attached to a whole that is society and t...
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Lynn Hoover, United States
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Ethics and Bible I believe the bible has a lot to say about ethics - behavior. This book has lasted centuries and still has the message that can transform lives and behavior. Your worldview will shape how you think an...
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Joe Kolinger
Management Consultant, United States
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Ethics - Starting Point? Ethics starts with the question “Who is God?”
If we believe in a creator God who is personal and has a will and purpose for every person, organization and thing, then his opinion is the foundation of...
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Jafeth Quintanilla
Teacher, Peru
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Why Does Someone Act Ethically? Ethics is not a cake from which one cuts the piece that one wants to its convenience. Ethics shape the acting of man as a person. It is the manual of human behavior. Ethics governs the conduct of man ...
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Michael Del-Colle, United States
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A View of Ethics Ethics is a matter of self interest. It is not always altruistic as some might believe or wish.
The self interest may be defined by spiritual, religious or humanistic values.
Alternatively, it may b...
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Jay Lo
Partner, Taiwan
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Ethics is What we Truly are Ethics comes from one's core values. It is what we truly are. If we deviate from our core values, we cannot find true happiness....
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Mangue Tang, China
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Ethic Makes our Life Easier Ethic is a method to simplify our social relationship, which can let us know what we should do and what we shouldn't.
It is like culture and institutions, which can reduce our cost to communicate....
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Edgar Avila, Peru
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Current Ethics is Unethical Ethics, such as reasoning and moral action, have been gradually abandoned in the formation and construction of subjects in the constitution of social practices, and sedimentation of the structures of ...
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Jackie Yeoh
Manager, Malaysia
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The Foundation of Businesses is Ethics Ethics should be our way of life. It should be the core foundation of all businesses....
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Tajul Asyran, Malaysia
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Ethis = Culture + Scenery (Environment) Ethics is a culture plus scenery. What should I do? Or what could I do? These questions can be answered after we learn to know who our public or audience is....
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Komal, India
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Ethics is the Foundation of Business I totally agree with Jackie Yeoh, we should live our life with ethics. According to me ethics makes our life better and easier.
It increases trust, it is the core foundation of any businesses....
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Srinivasan, India
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Ethics - Why Does Someone Act Ethically Ethical act is a good attitude for the long term and even the law is designed with the basic principle of ethics and has logical reasoning for enactments.
Sometimes a person who is acting ethically c...
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Upali Gamakumara, Sri Lanka
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Ethics in Business Ethics is an attitude that depends on the way one looks at things, with no absolute frame of reference. People who ridicule ethics of others do unethical things to another.
For example, a survey reve...
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Bongani L. Nkosi-Dlamini
Student (MBA), South Africa
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Ethics is Natural My late brother used to say "Come back to mother earth". Sometimes we have to let nature take its cause, stand back and let the ball roll on its own and don't guide....
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Kazenieli William Msemo, Tanzania
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Why Does Someone Act Ethically? Acting ethically is the most rational thing to do. Ethics demand adherence to; they need to be complied with. Where ethics are laid down or implied, the right course of action is to act within the bou...
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Aparajita, India
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We need Role Models Much has been said about ethics and its practices. But in today's world when it comes to quoting people who are really implementing it, there seems to be a dearth of such role models.
It seems like.....
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juan salinas
Consultant, Spain
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Common and Relative Ethics Sometimes we talk about ethics as a bundle of concepts fully agreed and understood, but I agree with some opinion regarding it as a mix of personal and cultural facts.
We could state that there are s...
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Abdirisak Ahmed Hassan
Student (University), Somalia
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Ethical Dilemmas Ethics has to do with the standards of behavior that people follow: what is right and what is wrong. People act ethically when they tell the truth even when lying is not against the law. Ethics does n...
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Civilization is Based on Ethics The foundation of civilization is based on ethics and therefore if society has to survive in the future it has to nurture ethics in all walks of life, starting with children at home and school, adults...
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juan salinas
Consultant, Spain
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Ethical Hypocrisy? How comes that while most of us are agreeing on the convenience of being ethical, it happens that our world is full of injustice because of unethical conducts? Are we an exception to the rule, or bett...
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Madan Gopal Agarwal
Business Consultant, India
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Why Ethics! Fundamentally, ethics (or lack of it) emanates from the upbringing one gets from parents / family plus from the internalisation of the education one gets plus the self-imposed discipline.
Additional ...
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angel perez, Venezuela
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Ethics as a Personal Value Maybe our environments could change some of behavioral individual patters, however each of us come to life with an ethics archetype that is coming from our parents and close relatives who work out the...
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iurcovich, Italy
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Why Ethical Behavior? It's a way to survive without problems....
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Mario de Obaldia, United States
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Fractal Behavior / Thinking Even with the prospect of a semantic war, it is clear that we no longer have access, universally, to what the term 'ethics' once may have embodied.
An old adage - "together we stand, divided we fall"...
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Richard S. Dillard, United States
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Why People / Organizations Act Ethically I'd like to suggest that acting ethically is in our own "best" self-interest, and that's why people (and organizations) ought to act ethically. But where does this idea come from... Ethics informing o...
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Lucio Emilio do Espirito Santo Junior, Brazil
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Many Ethics In fact, there are a lot of ethics. Everybody follows one: a hedonist ethic, leading to egotism, a protestant one, an altruistic ethic, etc....
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James Akortsu
United Kingdom
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Ethical Behavior is Rewarded Ethics depend on the environment in which one finds itself. People / businesses act ethically because they believe in a natural justice. Behaving ethically comes with reward, both tangible and intangi...
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Leodegardo M. Pruna
Professor, Philippines
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Why Organizations Act Ethically? People behave they do because they were created in the image and likeness of God.
God is all good and people will tend to gravitate to the good.
Organizations are made up and managed by people. The ...
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Driving Force of Business is Money, NOT Ethics Pruna is absolutely right in an ideal world, but in the real world money is God and God is money, the the driving force is not ethics but something different and hence unless we address a million issu...
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Aparajita, India
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Ethics versus God / No God I agree with Mr. Pruna but the following question arises in my mind... When it comes to ethics, for believers, God seems to be the most ethical entity (irrespective of religion) and we have a strong e...
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MPANDE KENNEDY, Congo, Democratic Republic of the
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Businesses Require Ethics In each of us the sense of good and ethics exists. Whatever the faith, ethics is anchored in us and it urges us to act in a way which is good.
Business is not excluded from this and requires more eth...
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ALFRED ZINBANKAARA SORIZU, Ghana
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Organizations Require Good Governance and Code of Ethics There is the compelling need for organizations and individuals to act ethically if they truly want to remain competitive. Good ethical behaviour can no more be seperated from the principles of good go...
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Richard S. Dillard, United States
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Ethics Versus God / No God.. Building off of what Pruna, Prabhu, Aparajita, et al. have positioned, a good article on the subject of god, goodness, ethics, morality, etc., from an atheistic perspective (because not everyone belie...
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vilmar bueno silva, Brazil
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Ethical Principle I believe that acting ethically depends on the stage of development of the society considered. We will see societies acting on ethical principles and others completely devoid of any responsibility. Mo...
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Jafeth Quintanilla
Teacher, Peru
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Why Organizations Act Ethically? In fact many organizations act guided by economic interests rather than by principles and ethical and moral values.
But this way of acting just leads man to his destruction. Organizations that act or...
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David VanderMeulen, United States
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Why People, Individuals or Groups, Should Act Ethically As Pruna mentions, we are all made in image and likeness of God. As such, we are wise to follow any and all guidelines that reflect the nature and principles of the creator - for that I know of no bet...
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Lin Moyo
Consultant, South Africa
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Should You Be Ethical? A woman was once to be stoned by a mob (Editor: ~crowd) who had caught her red handed in a crime that, by right, should have caused her to receive what was about to come to her.
On consultation with ...
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Donald Tang, China
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Reason for Acting in an Ethical Way Ethics is not doing things against your conscience. All people have their own conscience, but it can be in different varieties and levels....
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Bismark O. Del Villar
Partner, United States
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Why Behave Ethical? Behavior rewarded > behavior repeated!
People and organizations act ethically when it's in their clear financial interest, and they don't when when it's not. Example: it's not profitable in the long ...
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Aparajita, India
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Reason versus Emotion in Ethics What is the basis of ethics - reason or emotions? Or is it a confluence of both?
Several theorists have expressed their opinions. For instance David Hume insists values come from feelings, whereas Im...
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Henry Egidius
Consultant, Sweden
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Why People Act Ethically The point I make in my coming book ethics and professionalism (Etik och Profession) is that ethical behavior is but one of many types of interaction between individuals and groups. I can build on comm...
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Bongani L. Nkosi-Dlamini
Student (MBA), South Africa
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Why People Act Ethically If you haven't worked in different countries, met people of different cultures, forced to learn, and speak different languages to give instructions or motivate your surbodinates then you are yet to un...
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Musiyandaka Donna
Student (University), Zimbabwe
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Ethics Cannot Exist Without... I believe ethics have to do with the rules of order defined by a society - do you conform/align or not? Being unethical is about introducing some form of chaos, showing some chaotic behaviour. Can any...
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Madan Gopal Agarwal
Business Consultant, India
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Why Ethics! Hi Musiyandaka, to me ethics or any other higher order thinking faculty has more to with one's state of mind which is strongly influenced by one's upbringing. Rules of order only facilitate or positiv...
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Madan Gopal Agarwal
Business Consultant, India
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Why Ethics and Why People Act That or Other Way?? Hi Henry Egdius, a happy new year 2011 and my compliments on writing a book on such a fundamental subject which can change the human-kind.
I feel the basic assumptions need not be changed. They only ...
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Leodegardo M. Pruna
Professor, Philippines
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Ethics and Consequences of Ethics Hi Musiyandaka, Ethics is what brings about "sense of order". Respecting and doing good to others are the consequences of ethics. And, so many much more traits and values are products of ethical conce...
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mursal bashir, Kenya
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The Foundation of Ethics Ethics is closely linked to value, honesty, trust and a host of other virtues which are rooted in the culture in which the individual was nurtured. It is easy to talk about it, but hard to act on it (...
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Tarek Kazma, Lebanon
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Acting Ethically Acting ethically reflects the personality and behavior of each individual wether performing in a society or in a working environment. But I say that ethics to running low in different aspects of life....
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Kirk C. Heriot
Professor, United States
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Acting Ethically It would be nice to believe everyone / each organization is ethical. However it is foolish in my opinion to believe that to be the case:
- How ethical is it for the US Government to continue borrowin...
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Professional Ethics for Youth Every nation lives in the future by the actions of the youth and hence their character and behavior decides the quality of life in terms of ethics. This is particularly important in the case of profes...
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Ethical Basis is Faith and Beliefs People all over the world have different religions and faith and philosophies based on their beliefs.
These have not changed much during the last hundred years, although rational and spiritual thinke...
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Long Term Success is Based on Good Ethics In the future organizations who survive for more than ten years will have strong long term values based on ethics and not on profits. These organizations have evolved over a period of time focussing o...
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Jafeth Quintanilla
Teacher, Peru
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Foundational Values of Organizations That is right Bantwal, regardless of religion, ethics is based on faith and beliefs. This generates in organizations foundational values or principles. These values become the core essence of organiza...
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Stig Falster
Management Consultant, Australia
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Personal Ethics I agree with the proponents of the concept of core vales. At the heart of ethical behavior is one's upbringing and resultant core values. It is alarming to see the lack of ethics displayed by most pol...
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Mario de Obaldia, United States
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Older Organizations Bantwal - it seems presumptive to assign status of ethical to an organization based on an arbitrary number of years in existence. Inevitably nature, millennially, follows its own path; rivers will cha...
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Madan Gopal Agarwal
Business Consultant, India
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Ethics, a Summary Mostly people seem to agree that ethics is good for individuals / organisations / societies / nations and so forth.
People also seem to agree that things are too bad all over.
Some people think that...
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Jackie Yeoh
Manager, Malaysia
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Ethical Behaviour from Professionalism Almost everyone is a "professional" in his/her field. Apply your "professionalism" at all times, you have a an ethical behaviour consistent with your application. Just imagine all head of departments ...
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GS RADJOU
CEO, France
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Ethical Behavior from Professionalism Professional ethics is not a dream.
Architecture code is relevant. If professional workers don't reinforce the bricklaying, there is a risk to see all buildings flatten down during an earthquake. Urb...
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Mario de Obaldia, United States
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'Professionalism' Imagine! That is what we hear during our religious childhood - imagine, then believe, then we die. We are enthralled, excited, mystified, frightened then resigned.
Most of us will wonder why we can't...
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Bantwal Prabhu
Teacher, India
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Professional Ethics of Youth Today the developing countries are facing the problems of corruption owing to the lack of ethics in profession, business, politics, justice, police etc. This problem is going to be very serious when d...
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Leodegardo M. Pruna
Professor, Philippines
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Ethical Business, to Be or not to Be @Mary R Brooks: While it is really happening that "CASH" in a materialistic world seems to thrive in business transactions, the righteousness and truthfulness of said transactions, while taken for gra...
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Leodegardo M. Pruna
Professor, Philippines
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Faith and Belief @Bantwal Prabhu: the ethical basis of professionalism is faith and belief. Faith is founded on moral values which emanate from a higher order, while belief is more about attitudes and behaviors which...
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K R Sethuraman
Professor, Malaysia
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4 Universal Principles of Business Ethics 1. Client Autonomy
2. Non-maleficence (not causing harm)
3. Beneficence (doing good), and
4. Justice (Equality)
are four universally applicable tenets of Ethical conduct in any profession.
At tim...
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Madan Gopal Agarwal
Business Consultant, India
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Ethics and Morality Revisited Ethics and Morality, often used interchangeably, need clear distinctive understanding. Also, it has nothing to do with any transaction, be it with client or anybody else. Client autonomy is what is pa...
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Daniel Adanri
Student (Other), United Kingdom
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Reasons for Ethical Business Practices Ethical business practices refer to the standards and principles that guide the behavior of organizations in their interactions with shareholders and stakeholders, including employees, customers, supp...
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