Define Values and Ethics

The concept of values when used in social science terminology refers to common, theoretical notions belonging to individuals or cultures with regard to what is desirable and acceptable. People's values are influenced to a large extent by the culture of the society of the country they live in (Values, 1993). In The Values Americans Live By, L. Robert Kohls (Kohls, n.d.) cites change, time, equality, and individualism as fundamental American values. In contrast, he lists fate, birthright inheritance, idealism, and cooperation among the principles favored by other foreign countries. Although closely related, values and ethics are not the same thing.

The American Heritage Dictionary offers these definitions of ethics: "The study of the general nature of morals and of specific morals choices; moral philosophy; and the rules or standards governing the conduct of the members of a profession. The other difference relates to the amount of emphasis placed on the person's values when the decision is being made. As a result, values and judgments play a critical role in making ethical decisions. Most people would agree that high ethical standards require both businesses and individuals to do the accepted thing and abide by moral principles (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2002). Ethics is essentially an analysis of how humans should behave in regard to the question of what is right and what is wrong. Values are a guide when trying to determine the best answer. Many schools of thought exist that people and societies use in making ethical decisions. One of which is the divine command theory that looks to the teachings of the Bible, the Torah, or the Koran. In Hollywood, many people appear to ascribe to hedonism, acting in a manner that brings them the most personal pleasure (Ethics. 2007). Social norms can move away from what may consider ethical. There are things society may accept regarding doing the right thing, and some things may not always be accepted. There are so many issues to deal with it, makes it difficult for everyone to understand.

Professional values and ethics may differ from person to person, situation to situation, and company to company, yet are still forever intertwined. Personal values, morals, and beliefs are what form a person's professional values. These also contribute to a person's professional ethics; an employer's code of ethics directly influences one's professional ethics. When deciding to join a company's workforce, adhering to stated corporate values and ethics can lead to great deal of accomplishment or great hardship if not followed properly.

Duty, respect, and integrity are three values from the United States Army's seven core values that correlate to professional values and ethics. Duty being the value of finishing a task and accepting the role based on personal actions (United States Army, n.d.). Then continue to seek self improvement in oneself and or company (ACM, Inc., 2009). Follow through by starting early or staying late to complete a project, seeking help from others to help with completing the project if needed.

Respect is a value that contributes to the work environment of a company. How employees interact and treat one another directly reflects on the person and professionally on the company (United States Army, n.d.). Maintaining a level of respect for coworkers and the company will keep an employee consistent and in compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations. Insubordination leads to the breakdown of teams and respect for superiors (ACM, Inc., 2009). Improper relationships between coworkers and superiors create an unpleasant work environment.

Developing the ability to do what is right in all situations, legally and morally, demonstrates integrity (United States Army, n.d.). Personal and corporate integrity is critical in today's working society, it can cause a company to gain great abundance or implode on themselves. Most companies have nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements new employees must sign as a part of the company's ethics policies. When a company's integrity is in question, it leads to employee mistrust and a loss of faith in the confidentiality of internal business processes.