Business Morals and Ethics

Morals and ethics have been and continue to be a foundation in business practices. Morals and ethics are very similar, and in many instances hard to decipher. People tend to implement their own morals and ethics, into their daily lives and careers. Often personal morals and ethics can influence business decisions and become controversial.

Although the difference between morals and ethics can seem subtle, there are basic differences. Morals tend to define ones personal values and character, while ethics speak more socially where those morals may be applied. While morals are essentially unchanging, different ethical practices are expected in deferent environments; such as professional, social, business, and even family.

Personal and business ethics often become intermingled. As previously mentioned ethics are socially applied morals. Many people define a line between business and personal ethics. In some instances business may cause someone to make a decision that they may not normally make in their personal lives. The general purpose of business is to make as large of a profit as possible, especially in a publicly owned company. Making a large profit does not mean a business needs to become unethical.

In some instances a company may ask someone to do something that is not necessarily ethically wrong, but may present a personal moral dilemma. In such cases a that person may have to take a different position that does not present the same issues, or maybe even leave the company if the situation cannot be resolved.

Many careers may present ethical and moral dilemmas for example; police and doctors. Police have sworn to uphold the law and abide by certain standards, sometimes even uphold laws that they believe to be unjust. Doctors have one of the most intense ethical decisions to make when opening a practice, whether they will support pro-life or pro-choice. Neither decision is wrong because they are both legal, but are they both ethical? Leaning either way may affect a doctor's practice and/or reputation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while ethics and morals tend to be very similar their slight differences can make a huge difference in personal and business decisions. As found in the research, personal morals can effect ethical business decisions. By defining a line between personal and business ethics, a person can easily set the standards of what business morals and values they are going to uphold.