Question

What are ethics? Are ethics determined by a group of people or by an individual? Support your view. This is a ethical delimma class.

Answer 1

Ethic refers to the guiding principle that helps the individual to differentiate between what is good or bad. These are the values and belief that leads to good human conduct. It influence people to make appropriate decisions and lead their life accordingly.

Ethic culture is very important in business environment. It is very essential to make a right kind of environment at work place and do the right things. Managers play important role in determining whether the employees are living by the company's values and expectation.

It is very important for the organization to create a culture that supports ethical conduct and decision-making. This can be done by following key elements:-

• Ethic should be made the part of workplace culture.
• Guiding principle should be clear and a proper framework should be made to evaluate the ethical actions.
• Employees who behave ethically should be selected, trained and organization should focus on retaining those employees.
• Ethical behavior should be considered important and should be included in business and performance review.
• Organization should focus on increasing moral sensitivity of different business perspectives like stakeholders reports, open discussions etc.
• Desired behavior should be made keeping in mind the consequence and its occurrence should be measured on a regular basis.
• Organization structure and resource should focus on monitoring or being committed to ethical environment. Example- By providing regular coaching and feedback, training sessions, performance review etc.
• External review is also important.
• Set of criteria should be made to evaluate own actions.
• It is important for the organization to encourage all its employees to discuss, help and support each other and increase awareness to the ethical issues in decision-making.

The three ethical theories are: -

• Metaethics - The origin and explanation of individual ethical principles are included in metaethics. This theory takes into account the universal truth, what the ethical terms means, different reasons to ethical decisions and the will of God.
• Normative ethics - This is the practical theory of ethics where the moral standard helps in differentiating right and wrong. This theory includes virtue theories, duty theories and consequentialist theories.

1. Virtue theory refers to the good habits of an individual that influence the choice between right and wrong.
2. Duty theory refers to the ethical duties performed by an individual.
3. Consequentialist theory refers to end result when an individual make wrong or unacceptable ethical choice.

• Applied ethics - This refers to the ethical decision that is taken in everyday life. A person in every part of their day to day life needs to make decision based on his or her ethics that is as per the moral values and societal expectations.

So, ethics are determined by by an individual as well as group.