Analysis of Ethics and Business - Assignment Example

Armstrong English 123 Fall Preliminary Research Topic Assignment your major/discipline (Music) and the area of study (Humanities). Social Sciences 2. In two or three complete sentences explain your Preliminary Topic. Identify the issue, be argumentative. Analysis of Ethics and Business One argument that this paper seeks to analyze is the question on whether the management of businesses should behave ethically or just be profit-minded and goa- oriented with the lack of ethical strives. In the operational environment of businesses in their manner of selling products and hiring and employing of staff, businesses are expected to reflect their ethical standards to the society especially through ways in which they carry and treat their workers. However, one problem with this view is that there are always no clear ethical standards provided by the society to which a business can stick to. The alternative argument is that businesses are supposed to generate profits to their owners who sometimes constitute of the management, to offer jobs for employees and to create wealth for the society in general. Anything else is an irrelevance at its best and at worst simply stands in the path of success in terms of profitability to a business. The middle argument is that most businesses in the real world would like to achieve both the profit objective as well as the ethical management. However, conflicts will always arise whereby when it comes to choosing what to come first, the business usually choose profits. This always upset people who perhaps might have expected too much from the business and yet haven’t reviewed the consequences of their personal opinions (Coppage, et.al, 1992). 3. State the purpose of your research topic. One argument that this research topic seeks to analyze is the question on whether the management of businesses should behave ethically or just be profit minded and goal oriented with lack of ethical strives. In the operational environment where businesses operate in the selling of products and in which they hire and employ staff, businesses are expected to reflect their ethical standards to the society especially through ways in which they carry and treat their workers. However, one problem with this view is that there are always no clear ethical standards provided by the society to which a business can stick to. 4. 4a. -State your audience. The audience for this research topic is majorly management teams and organizations in particular. 4b. –List the two disciplines in the major field of study. Economics and Management 5. List 3 research questions worthy of consideration for the research paper. Should Businesses Be Expected to Behave Ethically? What is a business supposed to do? Are Businesses Behaving More Ethically? 6. Select the single “major area of study” section from the list below to best suit your topic (i.e. – An education major researching the censorship of textbooks will use #4 Writing in the Social Sciences). #4 Writing in the Social Sciences A Report on Ethical Management Executive Summary In management, decisions that have moral implications ought to be made on a daily basis by both managers and employees. These are decisions that impact on an organization, shareholders, and stakeholders along with the society in general. Doing business while at the same time considering the ethical issues associated with a business is essential to an organization for legal reasons as well as reasons that are pertinent to the success of the operations of the business. As a manager, one ought to understand their ethical obligations to ensure the achievement of the company’s expectations and demonstrate appropriate character for the other members within the organization such as the staff. Ethics is a set of standards meant to distinguish what is right from what is wrong. Most importantly, it entails fairness in decision-making and honesty towards an individual and a group. In the business viewing, it can be referred to as the fair and honest competition, operating without elements of deceit or misrepresentation as well as working within the boundaries of the law. In the management of business, therefore, ethics directly correlates with and focuses on the interaction that exists between the management in an organization and its employees. Due to the rise in corporate scandals over the past years, companies have resorted to putting more emphasis on ethical issues within their organizations by updating their Codes of Conduct and Ethics Rules. When a manager gets employed in an organization, among the first things that he or she is exposed to, are the organization’s ethical codes and rules. This means that the manager should contemplate and understand the actual words used in the documents that underpin their organization’s modus operandi, inclusive of the spirit and intent behind the words that define the ethical codes in the organization. The manager should also be sure that the employees he is set to manage have the in-depth understanding of the codes and ask questions in any area that is not clarified (Hummels, 1994). Through the consistent acting of an organization’s management in line with the ethical codes of conduct and rules, a business builds a foundation of trust among its employees towards sustainable management practices and an ethically-conscious business environment. This builds the existing relationship that contributes towards the success of the business in the accomplishment of its goals, mission and vision. Therefore, the management’s main goal should be to direct others in the organization or company regarding any requisite tenets in the making of ethical decisions and what it means to operate along ethical lines in business in terms of the advantages that it brings to the business. As a result, the organization will be placed well in terms of the observation of any vices and ameliorate them before they get out of control and become worse to a point of crossing set out legal lines. Introduction Ethics is regarded as the study and philosophy of human behavior with an emphasis on the determination of what is right and what is wrong. For managers in the business environment, ethics is defined as the standard guidelines or rules that govern the conduct of the members of the organization as well as the consequences of decisions related to management and marketing. (Donaldson, 2008). Therefore, ethical management from the usual management approach is defined to as the practices that emphasize transparency, trustworthiness and relevant organizational management policies and actions that exhibit integrity as well as fairness to the customers and other stakeholders (Donaldson, 2008). The management ethics thus focuses on the principles and standards that define marketing conducts that are acceptable and determined by various stakeholders and the organization responsible for management activities. Whereas most of the basic principles are deemed as laws and regulations to require manager to conform to the behavioral expectations of the society Ethical in management is a factor that extends far beyond the legal and ethical issues. Ethical policies of management are thus building blocks in the establishment of trust which helps in the long term management relationship. In addition to that, the nature of management being boundary spanning presents many of the ethical issues experienced in todays businesses world (Story & Hess, 2010). 7. Summarize the basic fundamentals needed for writing in your field of study. Write a minimum of 5-8 sentences, roughly one paragraph, in total. Reference the information within the section headings, i.e. - 2a/2b/2c/2d/2e. You will comment precisely on this information. Include the type of documentation your major area of study requires. Use part summary, paraphrase, and/or quotations (properly cited) from your section to demonstrate your understanding of the writing conventions and expectations in your area of study as stated in the WBH handout. In conclusion, much progress has been made in enhancing the research in management ethics which has elevated the management practice to higher ethical levels especially from the professional codes of conduct that are provided by the relevant authorities in different economies and countries with the aim of upholding the dignity of employees in line with their management. Many organizations are well-informed on the need to incorporate ethical management as a vital aspect in their existence throughout the business’s lifetime. However, there is still dire need for the improvement of ethical standards in the organizations. The following recommendations should, therefore, be taken into account by firms in the sustenance of beneficial ethical management: a) Viewing ethics as a social responsibility to which they are obligated. No matter how cleverly it is done, unethical management conducts should be deemed unacceptable. b) The creation of expectations that work for the benefit of each and everyone will make ethical management a priority in organizations. c) By creating a values-based culture within the company such that the society, society can be upgraded by the positive influences conducted within the organization the organization that helps in the institutionalization of ethical values in the society, therefore, shaping its future. 8. Select one Journal Article of your choice within your discipline (i.e. - psychology). The Journal Article must be a scholarly source. It is best to locate the article from the library database. (Use your newfound research techniques). Write a 4-5 sentence abstract stating the main points of the article. Explain how the article may be of use to your research paper. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS, 88: 63–69, 2013 Copyright C Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0883-2323 print / 1940-3356 online DOI: 10.1080/08832323.2011.639407 As an individual endeavor and profession, management ought to be founded upon sound ethical backgrounds. Therefore, preliminary management disciplines usually introduce business ethics as well as corporate social responsibility so as to build up the students’ ethical knowledge and reasoning. However, there are common misconceptions concerning the management discipline are also there in the introductions to the subject, as shown by a review of a variety of popular management literature. The discussion, with recommendations, aims towards the improvement of ethical teaching and apt managerial modus operandi for solving of problems and decision-making. References Story, J., & Hess, J. (2010). Ethical brand management: customer relationships and ethical duties. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 19(4), 240-249. Donaldson, L. (2008). Ethics Problems and Problems with Ethics: Toward A Pro-Management Theory. Journal of Business Ethics, 78(3), 299-311. Hummels, H. (1994). Management and the use of business ethics: Towards an investigative ethics. International Journal of Value-Based Management, 7(3), 239-253. Coppage, R. E., Sriram, R., & Painter-Morland, M. (1992). Ethical Issues and the Current Code of Ethics for Management Accountants-Are They Compatible?. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 11(3), 165-178. Ethics in Business Management - Anthem College." Retrieved from: http://www.anthemcol lege.edu/business-management-school/ethics-in-business-management/ 16 Aug. 2014. Read More