Ethics Paper

Ethics Paper

Angelique Prickett

MGT/498

October 12, 2011

Silburn Pitter

Ethics Paper

Ethics, defined by dictionary.com is “that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions” (“Ethics“, 2010, p. 1). When preparing to run a business, ethics are needed to keeping the business running smoothly. It is important to keep ethics in mind when creating a business plan. When making the business plan social responsibility needs to be considered, this will help keep business and employees needs clear and up front. Companies need to keep ethics and social responsibility in mind to keep from having acts of unethical behavior as some companies in the past have done.

Ethics

In order to perform to company standards employees as well as managers should follow the business ethics of that company. When developing a plan, companies should put the most important values and beliefs in the plan to keep employees making the most ethical decisions. A company should develop a mission and vision to help the employees understand what is expected of them. The statements can be used as a starting point for helping set goals and make plans without being unethical.

Social Responsibility

Like ethical behavior, “social responsibility is a critical consideration for a company’s strategic decision makers…” (Pearson & Robinson, 2004, p. 23). Owners must make certain to employ managers who follow company policy and are an ethical example, rather than managers who will only protect themselves. To help the company be profitable and survive, decisions made by these managers must match the vision and mission of the business owner and company stakeholders. Bonuses, incentives, quarterly appraisals, and recognition programs can be put into place to better encourage managers to be ethical. When a manager receives these benefits...