LarsenBMGT5026 1
Ethics in a Business Environment
Blake W. Larsen
Northcentral University
In the world of business there are things you should and shouldn’t do. Mainly its ethics that should be followed; also there is the law that businesses should abide by to ensure a loyal and legal company. When you are running a business there will always be a dilemma in which you are tested on your ethical way of thinking. There are a million different scenarios that I could come up with to be an example but today I am going to discuss three different situations and determine the ethical factors, what could have been done differently in the situations. Before I get into the examples I am going to go over the seven ethical steps that have been branded by (Guffey & Loewy, 2015). These guidelines have been identified to help assist people in being a good ethical communicator. The first guideline is abiding by the law. This is pretty self-explanatory. In order to do this you need to understand, know, and adhere to the laws that pertain to your field of business. Number two is telling the truth. Honesty is what can build customers. If your company is known as liars then odds are you will feel the effects. Depending on the severity of the lie and situation, jail time is right around the corner. Guideline three is labeling opinions. This is reference to utilizing opinions to make decisions. Gather the hard facts and have solidity behind your reasoning, not just because of hearsay. Number four is being objective. In order to be objective in this field you need to set all your biases aside and stick to the facts on what is going to benefit the company as a whole. The fifth guideline is communicating clearly. Now this doesn’t only refer to talking to employees or individuals, it is referencing your policies, regulations, contracts, etc… These need to be written in a way that a standard education level could understand. The second to last guideline is using inclusive
Blake W. Larsen
Northcentral University
In the world of business there are things you should and shouldn’t do. Mainly its ethics that should be followed; also there is the law that businesses should abide by to ensure a loyal and legal company. When you are running a business there will always be a dilemma in which you are tested on your ethical way of thinking. There are a million different scenarios that I could come up with to be an example but today I am going to discuss three different situations and determine the ethical factors, what could have been done differently in the situations. Before I get into the examples I am going to go over the seven ethical steps that have been branded by (Guffey & Loewy, 2015). These guidelines have been identified to help assist people in being a good ethical communicator. The first guideline is abiding by the law. This is pretty self-explanatory. In order to do this you need to understand, know, and adhere to the laws that pertain to your field of business. Number two is telling the truth. Honesty is what can build customers. If your company is known as liars then odds are you will feel the effects. Depending on the severity of the lie and situation, jail time is right around the corner. Guideline three is labeling opinions. This is reference to utilizing opinions to make decisions. Gather the hard facts and have solidity behind your reasoning, not just because of hearsay. Number four is being objective. In order to be objective in this field you need to set all your biases aside and stick to the facts on what is going to benefit the company as a whole. The fifth guideline is communicating clearly. Now this doesn’t only refer to talking to employees or individuals, it is referencing your policies, regulations, contracts, etc… These need to be written in a way that a standard education level could understand. The second to last guideline is using inclusive
References: Chekwa, Charles; Ouhirra, Latoya; Thomas, Eugene; Chukwuanu, Mmuta. International Journal of Business & Public Administration. Summer2014, Vol. 11 Issue 1, p48-65. 18p. , Database: Business Source Complete Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2015). Business communications: Process & product (8th edition.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning Steven, B (2009). Corporate ethical codes as strategic documents: An analysis of success and failure. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 14(2), 14-20.