Ethics Reflection

Ethics Reflection

In the past years ethics has taken more important roles in corporate America, after some fraudulent and unethical business practices uncovered. Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco made their names in the spotlight of corporate fraud practices. Many top executives have made top headlines like Martha Stewart with insider trading and Bernard Madoff with his ponzie scheme by taking investor monies that can sink an entire company values. The paper will clarify the roles of social responsibility and ethics in a strategic plan.

Ethics in Strategic Planning

Ethics means a “complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct, and the body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive” (Dictionary.com, 2013). Business and social activities both rely on background dependable on ethics. A good business leader is vitally important because it requires him or her perform the job to the highest level required. When unethical behavior is in the workplace, the environment becomes overwhelming and stressful to the employees. An example, an employee find a behavior unethical, which is not seen as illegal, but believes what he or she is doing is right and wrong may play a role in what he or she does. As Mintzber, Lampel, Quinn, and Ghoshal 2003 state, a good corporation needs to know what is good and bad not just in the present time but also in the future. Clear direction on ethical consideration in for an organization should be included in the policy, which describes the code of ethics and every employee should sign at the time of employment.

Ethics in a work environment in which is contemporary has changed to an extent as Mintzberg et al. (2003) states, there is some preparedness is better and is not waiting for ethical conflicts to happen. Many organizations have a code of conduct to summarize the business practices and requirements to guide business activity and decision-making processes. This process assists employees to make good and informed business decision with integrity.

Ethics for business requires commercial personnel that can cooperate and abide by general rules, even if an employee could gain some advantage by a breach. However, it does not entail suspension for profit motive, or other mainsprings of human action of self-interest. However, it does require business agents to follow practices essential for long-term and conventional rules.