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Cultural Values And Personal Ethics

Cultural Values and Personal Ethics
John R. Trevisan
University of Phoenix

Abstract
This paper examines the correlation between cultural values and personal ethics. Supporting documents include, Comparing Ideologies Across America (Catherine N. Axinn, M. Elizabeth Blair, Alla Heorhiadi, and Sharon V. Thach. (1996) and Examining Leadership Strategies for Establishing an Organizational Climate Regarding Ethics, Michael W.Grojean, Christian J. Resick, Marcus W. Dickson, D. Brent Smith. (2004).


Cultural values and personal ethics are something that affects almost every area of our professional and personal lives. They affect everything from how we interact with our families to how we approach our occupation. I do not believe that there should be a distinction between the two. Encarta defines cultural values as "the accepted principles or standards of an individual or group," while ethics is defined as "principles or standards of human conduct, sometimes called morals, and, by extension, the study of such principles, sometimes called moral philosophy." We should approach both our personal and our professional lives with the same tenacity and personal pride.
However, I do not think that we approach both in the same way. I think some attribute different values to each, with some placing more value on family and friends, while others assign more value to their occupation or education. There must be a delicate balance between the two, with both deserving a distinctive and an individual form of importance, depending on the situation. According to Forsyth (1980), "Relativists generally feel that moral actions depend on the nature of the situation." Nevertheless, the approach to both must be the same for a balanced lifestyle. A study done on personal values and personal ethics concluded the fact that cultural values are a universal truth, and that personal ethics determine the course of many decisions. (Axinm, Blair, Heorhiadli, and Thatch, 1996.)
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