Personal Code of Ethics - Essay Example

of Ethics Grade (April 2, of Ethics Introduction Personal of ethics is applied by individuals as the compass that directs their lives towards achieving the goals they have set in life. The personal code of ethics can also be applied by individuals towards formulating their life goals, owing to the fact that it shapes the individuals outlook of the world, helping to distinguish between the right and wrong (Howard & Korver, 2008). Thus, the stated personal code of ethics summarizes the values that an individual holds dear, which serves to guide the individual on a daily life basis. It is through the formulation of the personal code of ethics that an individual can therefore be able to say “I will do this because I believe in this” (Begley & Johansson, 2003). In addition to guiding an individual’s life towards the realization of certain target goals, a personal code of ethics acts as an encouragement that keeps reminding an individual to continue walking their daily walk without being influenced to change what they believe in. Thus, this personal ethics code summarizes my personal values that will guide me through my daily life to distinguish between the right and wrong, while shaping my actions and emotions in my daily engagements. Therefore, my personal code of ethics is one that encompasses open-mindedness, respect, communication, excellence and integrity. I commit to apply these values to take stock of my past life, discover the areas where I have failed and chart the way forward guided by these values, to live a satisfactory life both at a personal level and in my professional career. 2. Statement of values My personal values are based on the most important principles of virtue that will guide my life to be productive and satisfying. My parents and the education system I have gone through are the two major influences in the development of my personal code of ethics. Both of my parents highly valued honesty, excellence and open communication as the basis of interaction in our family during my upbringing, and these values have come to influence my life outlook in a greater way, enabling me to develop the personal code of ethics that are guided by the values of integrity, communication and excellence. On the other hand, my education life has influenced my outlook of life, through the exposure to both deontological and virtue-based ethics, which have in turn helped me shape my personal values. The deontological ethics has taught me that certain rule-based decision-making in life are crucial, such that there is a need to determine certain actions as either good or bad, regardless of their consequences. My parents taught me that lying is bad, no matter the intention or the consequences. This rule-based ethical principle has been affirmed through the course of my education life, where the deontological ethics has taught me that negative behaviors such as dishonesty, disrespect and selfishness are wrong, regardless of their outcomes (Gower, 2008). On the other hand, my mother stressed the value of virtues such as humility and respect, underlining the fact that all human beings should be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their status in the society. This lesson aligns with the virtue-based ethics I have learnt through education, which argues that intrinsically nurtured virtues allows an individual to treat humanity as the end in itself, as opposed to treating it as a means to an end (Parsons, 2008). It is through the influence of this virtue-based ethics that I have developed the personal ethical code of respect, which requires that I treat all people with respect and dignity, no matter who they are, what they have or even how they are perceived by the rest of the society. Additionally, the education I have acquired has taught me that it is only essential to approach issues based on their respective contexts. More specifically, virtue-based ethics has taught me that the rightness or wrongness of any action or event should be judged based on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to applying generalizations (Gower, 2008). It is out of this educational influence that I have developed the personal code of ethics value of open-mindedness. The parental upbringing that I received, which persistently stressed the importance of these virtues, coupled with the educational learning that I have heard in the course of my philosophy learning, have made these personal values very important for my life, and thus rendered them non-negotiable. In this respect, the five personal ethical codes of integrity, communication, open-mindedness, excellence and respect will keep guiding me throughout my daily walk of life, while encouraging me to continue pursuing what is always right, no matter how unpopular it might be with others. Respect I commit myself to be always courteous and polite while dealing with other people, regardless of their social status, economic status, gender, religion or sexual orientation of the individuals. Respect begets respect. Every human being deserves to be respected and treated with dignity, considering that it is only the material possessions and the social status attributions that make people be treated differently, yet all human beings have the same needs. In recognition of the need for every human being to feel accepted, wanted and appreciated, I will always try to act in a way that will make others feel comfortable around me. I also commit myself to always ensure that I will not act in a way that might cause harm or even interfere with the freedom of others to express their fundamental human rights. All these commitments are in line with the provisions of the virtue-based ethics philosophy, which requires treating human as ends themselves, rather than using them as a means to achieve personal ends (Parsons, 2008). Open-mindedness I commit myself to being non-judgmental. I will not simply judge others even without understanding their situations. The actions and events that happen in life are normally shaped by contexts and situational demands. According to virtue ethics philosophy, it would only be appropriate to treat every action and every event in life as unique, and thus judge situations on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to applying blanket generalizations (Gower, 2008). Complex life situations are bound to face us every day of our lives. There are sometimes when we will be required to make decisions that are very detrimental to some quarters of the society, for the sake of making it possible for others to enjoy their rights and freedoms. Ethical dilemmas are characteristic of every day decision-making, and they can create bigger conflicts if they are not addressed effectively. Keeping an open mind allows individuals the opportunity to learn and comprehend fully, before determining the next course of action. This can greatly help in avoiding to accelerate situations. Integrity I will be honest both in my personal and professional lives. There are sometimes in life when it becomes inevitable to tell some white lies, which may help save an ugly situation. In recognition of these facts, I commit to judge every situation carefully, still applying the virtue-based ethics philosophy requiring that decisions be made on a case-by-case basis, instead of applying rigid rules that might be detrimental in certain situations. The deontological ethics provides for judging situations based on application of very rigid and defined rules, such that issues are either categorized as either good or bad, without an intermediate categorization (Fitzpatrick & Bronstein, 2006). While this might be helpful in making ethical decisions under different situations, it might however not be appropriate in all situations. There are sometimes in life when it becomes inevitable to hide the truth, because telling the plain truth as it is might cause greater harm than good. Therefore, in line with the need not to cause any harm to others, I commit to being honest, but ensure that the honesty does not cause harm to others. Nevertheless, I commit to ensuring that I am straightforward in my opinions and contributions, while also committing to avoiding any situation that might corrupt my integrity. I will disclose whatever is necessary to promote the advancement of both myself and others in our profession. I will serve the clients, my organization and the wider society with openness and integrity, without compromising their intended or expected benefits. Excellence Excellence is a personal code of ethics that I will pursue both at the personal level and also in my professional work. The concept of excellence provides for not accepting anything that is below the optimal standard of performance. I will work hard towards ensuring to meet and even exceed the expectations and targets set for me at work. On the other hand, I will commit to personal health and fitness improvement, through eating healthy and exercising regularly, while also reading extensively to increase my knowledge and exposure. These activities are targeted at ensuring that I remain capable of full productivity at the workplace, while also remaining a healthy and happy person, capable of fulfilling personal and family objectives. Pursuing excellence is a personal code of ethics that I have set for myself, not by intending to do everything it takes to excel, but following the right means of achieving professional and personal excellence, rather than using others as the means to achieve my excellence targets. Communication Communication is essential for creating understanding. However, the mode of communication also defines the manner in which the message is delivered and understood. Therefore, I commit to always communicate openly with others in raising issues of concern at the workplace and in other areas of interpersonal interaction. Interpersonal communication does not only help in creating understanding, but is also the basis of helping others resolve issues of concern. Positive and inspirational communication is the mode of communication I will adapt, which seeks to reinforce virtues, through for example, congratulating and acknowledging good performance or positive transformation and improvement in personal or professional life. Appreciating the positive accomplishments of others is one way of making the people feel appreciated. This also goes a long way in enhancing the sense of personal dignity and personal esteem for such people. Thus, I commit to always make others feel good about themselves. However, I also commit to letting others know when they have not done the right thing. This will help in resolving interpersonal conflicts that might arise, through communication. 3. Training and communication plan Personal code of ethics provides the framework through which an individual can improve life, through adhering to values that result in making the right decisions every day (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2013). However, developing the personal code of ethics is one thing, but following them to the letter is an entirely different thing. Thus, there is a need for personal training and communication of the personal values that constitute the personal ethics code. Training on these values enables people learn to implement them at different stages of life. On the other hand, communicating the personal code of ethics helps in creating awareness regarding the espoused values, and thus gain support from others. My communication plan for my personal codes of ethics is to formulate a document that summarizes my personal values, and use the document to communicate to the others regarding my personal code of ethics. The training plan for implementing the personal code of ethics entails exercising the values of integrity at school, through applying the principle of honesty in my class work, which will entail attending all classes as required, doing assignments personally and following all the laid down procedures, for example avoiding plagiarism. I will train myself on the value of excellence through working hard to excel in my course work, while also ensuring to work towards promoting personal and psychological health through exercising and reading motivational literature, respectively. Further, I will keep training on various organizational valued attributes such as hard work, positive attitude, leadership and time management skill, in anticipation of excelling in my professional career. I will train in the value of respect through treating my fellow students with respect and dignity, and communicating to them with decorum, decency and courtesy. This will help in perfecting this virtue for the benefit of sustaining respect as my personal code of ethics though school life and later in my work life. I will train in the value of open-mindedness through avoiding judging my fellow students without first understanding the context and the situational circumstances resulting in their behaviors. I will also train in open-mindedness through approaching every situation in my life with an open and non-judgmental perspective. I will train in communication through enhancing my interpersonal communication skills with my fellow students, while also learning varied communication skills and their application from diverse literature. Thus, the training plan is to use my school years as the training ground for exercising and perfecting my personal ethics code, so that I will be proficient in applying them when I join my professional career after school. 4. Implementation plan The implementation plan for my personal code of ethics is subdivided into two phases. The first phase is the implementation of the personal ethics code at the school environment. The choice of the school environment for the first phase of implementing the personal ethical code is informed by the fact that the school environment comprises of wide diversity of the student population, which makes it an ideal test-implementation ground. Thus, I will implement all the five personal ethic codes of respect, integrity, excellence, communication and open-mindedness within the school environment for the entire duration of my remaining term. The values of integrity and excellence will be implemented through applying honesty and hard work in undertaking my school work respectively, while the values of communication, respect and open-mindedness will be implemented in the course of interacting with the students and the entire school community. Phase two of the implementation plan of my personal code of ethics will be implemented in the workplace and also at home. At home, the personal value of communication and respect will be implemented though positive communication and respectful approach to my family. On the other hand, the open-mindedness value will be implemented at the workplace through communicating openly with colleagues at work, respecting them and also applying a non-judgmental approach when dealing with conflicting issues of colleagues at work. In addition, the value of excellence will be applied at the workplace through hard work and commitment to achieving and even surpassing the targets required for my job. The whole implementation process, consisting of the two phases is predicted to take place in the course of the next five years. By the end of the five years, I will have perfected the art of applying my personal ethics code in different environments without any hardships. 5. Plan for the role of leadership The plan for the role of leadership entails practicing leadership roles through taking initiative and leading in different organizational roles that require volunteership. Additionally, the plan for the role of leadership also entails practicing leadership at the community level through participating and volunteering to lead in different community activity and functions. Further, practicing leadership is planned for implementation through taking initiative and leading my fellow students through various school activities that may include discussion groups or other related learning activities that would require a person to organize and lead others. This way, my leadership role skills will be enhanced. 6. Corporate social issues The corporate environment is an environment that is characterized by both the diversity of people’s culture and diversity of opinions and approaches (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2013). This therefore means that there are various circumstances where conflicts might arise, due to the application of different approaches and cultural principles. Thus, the corporate issues arising from the existence of diversity include interpersonal interactions and interpersonal conflicts. Therefore, dealing with corporate issues requires the application of my personal ethic codes, such as respect, open-mindedness, integrity and communication. Respect will be applied in addressing the corporate issues through approaching all people with respect and dignity, regardless of their gender, cultural background, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation. On the other hand, interpersonal communication will be applied is negotiating and resolving corporate disputes whenever they may arise. Further, excellence as a personal ethics code will be applied to avoid corporate issues, through applying hard work to meet all the job targets. This in turn helps avoid the chances of conflict issues arising from the failure to meet targets or meet the set deadlines. 7. Recent laws and regulations impacting the corporation The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 is one of the recent laws that impact on corporation, since the law introduces an E-verify system for all organizations and employers to verify the legality of their employees, as a way of protecting against illegal immigrants gaining permits to work in organizations in the USA (U.S. Senate Committee, 2013). This law impacts on corporations through creating a discriminative system of offering gainful employment, where the immigrants who are deemed illegal in the USA will be denied gainful employment opportunities. The effect will be the violation of the basic fundamental rights and dignity of such immigrants, who might lose their jobs. 8. Monitoring and enforcement of an ethics auditing plan The plan to monitor and audit the ethics plan will take the form of a daily journal entry that contains a check system verifying the application of the personal ethics code under everyday activities. All the day’s activities will be evaluated in terms of their requirements for applications of the personal ethics codes, while the manner in which the personal values were applied under each activity is also evaluated. The outcome is recorded in terms of either fulfillment or non-fulfillment of the personal ethics code. Applicable rewards and punishments can then be assigned based on the fulfillment or lack of fulfillment of the personal ethical codes in each day’s activities. 9. Ethical considerations for working internationally The ethical codes for working internationally include the application of my personal ethics code of communication, respect and open-mindedness, which allows for open interaction with people from diverse cultures and nationalities. The ability to positively communicate with people from diverse nationalities and cultures in an open and non-judgmental manner, while also respecting and according them the right dignity enhances for chances to work and cope well in an international work environment. 10. Conclusion Personal code of ethics provides for the fundamental values that guides an individual in daily decision-making, to be able to make the right and ethical choices at all times. My personal code of ethics is build around the five pillars of open-mindedness, integrity, respect, communication and excellence. This personal code of ethics will be implemented in the course of the next five-years, at the school, home and working environment. The five personal values provide for handling corporate issues at the workplace, as well as enhancing the opportunity for easy integration and coping with an international work environment. A daily monitoring and audit schedule will be applied to audit whether the relevant personal codes of ethics have been applied under each activity of the day, and the relevant designated punishments or rewards applied, as a way of reinforcing the full implementation of the personal code of ethics. References Begley, P. T. & Johansson, O. (2003). The ethical dimensions of school leadership. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2013). Business ethics & social responsibility [OMM640 Custom Edition]. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Fitzpatrick, K., & Bronstein, C. (2006). Ethics in public relations: Responsible advocacy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Gower, K. K. (2008). Doing the right thing. In Legal and ethical considerations for public relations .Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc. Howard, R. A., & Korver, C. D. (2008). Ethics for the real world: Creating a personal code to guide decisions in work and life. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Press. Parsons, P. (2008). Ethics in public relations: A guide to best practice. London: Kogan Page. U.S. Senate Committee. (April 22, 2013). The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, S.744. Read More