Business Ethics - Are Ethical Judgments Merely a Matter of Personal Opinion?

Business Ethics

Business ethics is part of today's society whether you like it or not. There are many things happening in today's corporate world that needs to be opinioned.

Are ethical judgments merely a matter of personal opinion?

Yes because we live in a free society I think that most ethical judgments are based on a matter of what you believe in. Everyone has the right to think differently. There will also be similarities and differences in your ethical point of view because of religion, race, and education but I don't think it will be much different than someone else's opinion if it all comes down to these factors. I also think that personal opinion can be attributed to how sensitive the topic is. For example same sex marriage is a very sensitive issue as well as abortion. When you look at the news and see corporate giants like Enron and WorldCom a question mark comes to my mind. I ask my self what happened to the conscience of the people making decisions in the corporate offices.

I believe that a lot of the decisions are made because of self-interest. These executives were looking out for themselves and forgot about the shareholders of the company, which are equally important because they own part of the corporation. That is why we are seeing all of these corporate scandals on the news today! Ask yourself if you think what Microsoft did was ethical. When you think about Microsoft's antitrust case it reminds you of a corporate giant that makes decisions in their self-interest. They didn't care if they were hurting another company. The company that was most hurt from these illegal business practices was Netscape. Microsoft wanted to eliminate its competitors by performing business practices that would hurt other companies in its market segment. We all know what happens when there is no competition? Companies raise prices because of the law of supply and demand. I guess it's all about competition. If a corporation doesn't have good business ethics would it be a good idea for that company to do good works in the community? I would say no because if the executives that run the company have no integrity whatsoever to make decisions in their company what makes you think that they are going to care about the community in which they are suppose to volunteer in. The image of a company is very important and if the corporation is not using good business practices it can be hurt financially and its reputation can be at stake.

Should business be expected to do good works in the community?

I believe that the backbone of this country is businesses. Corporations small or large need to set examples out in the community by getting involved in programs like the united way, red cross and other activities that benefit our youth and the people of America. This plays a major role in community development. By doing this it will also build the company's image and reputation. If all of the expenses are going to be tax write offs why not do good works in the community that will benefit everyone. The former company I worked for is a very good example of a business that performs good works in the community. To my knowledge United Parcel Service practiced excellent business ethics and was very involved in the surrounding communities.Ups was also involved in local colleges and high schools. We implemented interviewer workshops at some of our local colleges and high schools. This is just another way for the students to get ready in the real world. We maintained relationships with guidance counselors and elected city officials in order to better the community and our company. By providing jobs to people in the communities, the cities and neighborhoods will benefit by uprising the economic stability of the city. We were also involved in community block parties were we give out balloons, candy, and raffle off prizes. Ups also sponsored festivals in order to provide funds to the community activities. Ups had cookouts at most of their facilities throughout the country and donated the proceeds to the united way. It was also a proud sponsor of major league baseball and nascar. Have you seen the commercial what can brown do for you? My experience with UPS was great one. Brown can do a lot for you. If you are a college student and need education assistance ups will pay your school directly if the institution participates in the Earn & Learn program and you receive a grade of a D or better. You can also work your way up in the company if you choose that school is not an option for you. This is what you call doing good works in the community by providing students with money for college. Parents don't have to think twice were their son or daughter might be attending school next semester think about paying for college because of corporate America. This is just another example in how some companies can be viewed as doing good works in the community.

Do you believe in equal pay for equal work?

The fact of the matter is that employees with the same job requirements and classifications should receive equal pay. This will be the ethical thing to do to keep employees satisfied for the time being. The only exception for an employee to receive higher pay for the same work performed would be because of seniority. By having this policy in place this will encourage employees to stay with the company over the long term benefiting the company by not having to waste resources on new employees. This employee will be compensated for his efforts and commitment to the company. If you have work experience or a college degree in your background you should also be compensated even if you are doing the same work. If you feel that you have been neglected or you weren't provided with the same opportunity then you have the right to seek legal advice from an attorney. If you are an illegal immigrant in this country you might be subjected to lower pay because you don't have the same rights as an American citizen or a permanent resident. This might be discrimination towards illegal aliens because it doesn't stand for American principles but then again the employee is willing to sacrifice him or herself for lower pay because the laws will prevent them from speaking out against their employers. When it comes to providing jobs to illegal aliens employers save money but is it ethically correct to pay them less money. This is a question that politicians have to answer unless if we can keep illegal aliens from entering this country.

Is a strong concern for ethical behavior likely to lead to economic success for a business?

I believe that a strong concern in ethical behavior can lead to success. The way you