Principles of Ethics

Principles of Ethics

The importance of ethics in today’s society cannot be denied. The scandals of past and present are always upon us. In a perfect world, certainly one more idealistic, we would not the intense focus on ethics. need the training, the compliance, etc.

In terms of ethics, we refer to the moral principles or values that determine whether actions are right or wrong, and if outcomes are good or bad. (Steven L. McShane, 2010, p. 52)

Ethics and ethics standards have become commonplace in the business world. At work, we are faced with daily ethical dilemmas. This is true in my organization and company, Cisco Systems.

There are three principles in ethics; utilitarianism, individual rights and distributive justice.

The ethical principle of utilitarianism, also called the consequential principle, focuses on the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is related to the consequences of the actions, not how they are achieved. Therefore, the actions themselves could be deemed unethical, while the consequences of the actions are considered ethical. Utilitarianism works well when focusing on the results of policies in business. Utilitarianism is attractive to many business people, since the philosophy acknowledges that many actions result in good consequences for some, but bad consequences for others.

The principle of individual rights entitles individuals act in a certain way. These rights can come from the legal system or from rights as human beings. Essentially, employees have the right to be treated fairly without infringing on their individual rights whether moral or legal.

The principle of distributive justice states that people similar to each other should receive similar benefits and burdens. For those who contribute to work equally, similar rewards will be given. Lesser contribution to work will receive less reward. This