Ethics in the Workplace

December 19, 2005

Ethics in the Workplace

What is ethically right? Ethics is defined as the study of the

general nature of morals and the specific moral choices to be made by a

person. We make ethical choices every day by how we interact with others.

We make these choices through

being honest or lying, being greedy or giving to

others, and by being friendly to someone or ignore them. Ethics is not only

how we interact with others but is also in the daily choices we make. Do

you think of ethics as being how one acts socially, their religious beliefs,

and legally? Some do. There are eight elements of ethical reasoning:

1. All thinking has a purpose, goal or objective

2. All thinking generates questions, issues, or problems

3. All thinking uses this information

4. All thinking comes to conclusions or solutions

5. All thinking has concepts

6. All thinking makes assumptions

7. All thinking has implications or consequences

8. All thinking comes to a point of view or perspective

Our human nature tends to be egotistical and self focused. How we think and

act toward other humans can affect the quality of others lives. Ethics can

be divided into two actions, the first being the enhancement of the

wellbeing of others and the second being harming the well-being of others.

We can learn to respect the rights of others through

critical thinking or

ethical reasoning

As a human being, you must be a person of strong and honorable

character committed to professional work ethics. This essay will provide

you with the fundamentals of what a human being must be to have the moral

strength and courage to make hard decisions utilizing the ethical

decision-making process based on one\\\'s beliefs, values, norms, and

professional work ethic in general and in the workplace.

Beliefs are assumptions or convictions that you hold as true about

some person, thing, or concept. Assumptions are suppositions that something

is true. Convictions are strong persuasions that something is true. It\\\'s

vitally important to value one\\\'s beliefs since people generally behave in

accordance with their beliefs. You must understand that an individual cannot

normally prove all of his or her beliefs. Some examples of individual

beliefs that I\\\'ve experienced in the military are: one soldier believes that

\\\"duty\\\" means \\\"8 to 5.\\\" Another believes that \\\"duty\\\" means selflessly

serving their unit regardless of the time of day. One leader believes that

rewards and punishments are the only way to motivate soldiers. Another

believes that they should use rewards and punishments only in exceptional

cases. Therefore, personal beliefs are extremely important since they

directly impact the leadership climate, cohesion, discipline, training, and

overall effectiveness of the organization.

Values are attitudes about the worth or importance of people,

concepts, or things. An attitude is a mental position, feeling, or emotion.

People use their values to decide between alternative actions thus

influencing behaviors. However, personal values need not be logical. For

example, I have values considered essential for building the trust necessary

for efficient unit operations: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service,

Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These values are instilled in all

soldiers starting the first day of basic training and follow them throughout

their career.

Loyalty - Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution,

the Army, your unit, and other soldiers.

Duty - fulfill your obligations.

Respect - Treat people as they should be treated.

Selfless-Service - Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and

your subordinates before your own.

Honor - Live up to all the Army values.

Integrity - Do what\\\'s right, legally and morally.

Personal Courage - Face fear, danger, or adversity (Physical or

Moral).

Norms are rules or laws (normally based on agreed-upon beliefs and

values) that members of a group follow to live or work together in harmony.

For example, normal norms are: traffic signals, the Geneva Conventions,

uniform regulations, and safety codes. Informal norms are things like this

unit