Business Ethics Reflection

Business Ethics Reflection

Ethical dilemmas occur constantly in the workplace. These dilemmas occur because people have different morals, virtues, and values than others. Many places of employment require diversity in their setting and this is where these differences can cause issues. Virtues, values, and morals mean different things to some people and sometimes these change with time, social pressure, and influence.

Virtues, values, and morals are generally used in the same way when someone discusses their beliefs and actions. Virtues are similar to morals in knowing right and wrong and applying them to life and work. Virtues are shown through conduct of right and wrong and the values that people hold are generally adopted through upbringing and influences. Values are someone's personal goals or purpose and morals are actions and approaches of right and wrong to life or work situations. Virtues, values, and morals greatly impact making decisions in the workplace. One such example could include witnessing someone doing something they may think is acceptable, but another knows is wrong.

One example of a dilemma in the workplace encountered recently was someone knowingly clock in early from a shift and sat in the lunch room taking a nap for 20 minutes before they were supposed to be working. Everyone's values are different but to act immorally by knowingly abusing the system and assuming no one will notice is common sense wrong. The situation needed to be brought to the manager's attention. The manager sent out a friendly reminder to the entire office rather than discussing this individually with the person. The demand for moral actions may differ in my eyes than they do in the manager's and the employer's because I would have dealt with the situation face-to-face with the employee. I would have asked her how her actions are like stealing from the company and if it were her paying an employee would she think it was a right thing to be sitting around for long periods of time while being paid. Then I would explain the expectations and make sure those were conditions she could work under. This is an example why companies have to create expectations in the workplace on moral and ethical conduct. While one person may believe it is common sense not to clock until it is time for their work shift and then start working, others may not care. Having a written standard for all employees to know their expectations is a necessity in keeping company ethics and standards clearly defined.

Many factors change or influence people's standards of morals, values, and virtues. Some people have life changes, such as growing up, maturity, marriage, children, and even death. Some influences can be friends that people choose to be around and the common pressure of doing things that can change how a person behaves. Some of the most common influences are