What Ethics Means and the Help It Offers - Annotated Bibliography Example

Reflection Name Course Date Affiliation Reflect on what ethics means to you as an individual What ethics means to me as an individual and the help it offers me. Everyone has a perception of what persona ethics mean, but to me it all means being honest and doing the right things in everything a do. I use this ethical concern in making decisions and choices in every aspect of my life. Personal ethics to me means, what I have choose to be and not letting others affect the way I handle my issue as well as how I behave. Ethics is what we are composed of and how we react to situations that come before us. As students it is very significant to have personal ethics as this assists me to uphold honesty, academic integrity, as well as able to follow the school rules set before us as students. At workplace or at home personal ethics comes into play when dealing with others. Thousands of people don’t realize that they use personal ethics to make choices or decisions that directly affect them of their beloved ones. Ethics has helped me think before saying something as well depicts the impacts of my words to others. There are other people who don’t handle things or issue as I do, this is because their personal ethics are different. It has been hard for me to understand why different individuals have different personal ethics yet we are all human beings living under the same constitution and laws. I can conceptualize the reason why others not think the way I do, but it is difficult to understand why others are mean or dishonest yet they think nothing about it. As an individual I have tried to be honest and caring person so as I can upkeep my personal ethics. Apart from taking care of others and being responsible of my deeds, I also handle personal items for our clients. I handle cell phones, jewelry, and petty cash for them. With better integration of personal ethics I cannot even think of taking something that does not belong to me. This has made one of the best employees in the work place- I was awarded last financial year of being the most honest employee in the organization. I know there are other co-workers who have been stealing client’s possessions and I hate what has been happening. Of course they are no longer working in the organizations. I wonder that people have poor personal ethics to an extent that they can do something to people under their care. I will adhere to my personal ethics to make a better person. As an individual I conclude that personal ethics are a blend of social behaviors that govern the right and wrong decisions made. I find it hard to explain this in white and black clarity since the contemporary world has several definitions of what ethics entails. Ethics held by an individual begins and is natured when one is young. School, peers, family influence, and the social surrounding shapes personal ethics. Ethical decisions have different effects to the environment for example, a decision could be good for the community, but on their hand not good enough from a business perspective (such as decline in profits). As an individual and a business student who aspires to become a business manager in future, I find it challenging to handle cases concerning ethical considerations in the work place. Though to my point of view I have several methods that I can handle such situations if brought before me: we should understand that ethical irresponsibility as well as responsibility affects either positively or negatively our coworkers, families and entire world. The life we lead is a reflection of a single trait that we posses (our personal character). We need to know that personal ethics differ with people, for example, some of us are known to be good people; responsible and also trusted. Those who are also concerned about other people’s life and relationships thus, in a situation filled with ethical dilemma the best thing we should do is to treat people differently as we determine the ethical conflicts they have. For any business success, ethical conflicts should be addressed publicly and freely to avoid barriers to ethical rights of an individual. After a critical analysis and interpretation of code of ethics, I realized that many and business have been handling issue outside ethical principles hence, causing severe business and personal problems. According to Cohen (2004), personal ethical principles affects business functions in several ways. For example, a manager with poor Public relations with clients and stakeholders destroys the reputation of the firm or company hence depreciation of sales and productivity. As a student, it is important to understand ethical rights pertaining to professional growth, thanks to Cohen (2004), for his elaborate understanding and explanation of ethical issues and information as it acts as a guide to personal ethical development. References Cohen, S. (2004). The nature of moral reasoning: International management ethics and values. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Reflect on how cultural understanding might (or might not) help you develop as a professional in a globalised world. International markets are very dynamic and increasing global competition makes it indispensable for managers to go beyond the confines of local culture and understand the culture of the host country. Successful cross-cultural management is derived from globalization and is gaining relevance and magnitude in understanding the cultural differences. Owing to increasing significance of cross-cultural fundamentals (Rachels, 1993), our cultural dimensions attracts notice and gains proportional importance at the same time. According to Rachels, (1993) His studies have gained application in global operating organizations within workshops and trainings. To begin, effective cross-cultural management is being aware of existence of cultural differences and local strategies can dwindle in countries. Other cultural studies besides the Rachels (1993) cultural study have brought deeper understanding to cross cultural issues. Praise and criticism has faced every model of cultural identifications with Hofstede not spared by criticism. The criticism faults his methodology questioning its validity and reliability. Others critiqued that the over 40-years old findings of the survey are out-dated and lacks modern touch. In order to evaluate the relevance validity, applicability, reliability and in the 21st century towards professional growth and development it is important to understand cultural dominance. Several studies have shown that there is greater relevance and applicability of understanding the relevance and significance of culture to business related companies and firms. We should learn to appreciate learn about indigenous organizations especially in international business with concentration on centralized power and subordinates as expected by large and small multinational corporation. We this in mind it has been important for me a business oriented professional to equip myself with skills and knowledge of handling business cases related to international business cultures. As business professionals we ought to equip ourselves with the right cultural understanding of how business can be able to integrate with other business related stakeholders for our business success. Business culture is prone to changes and established in convenience to suit circumstances. Our organizations have flattered hierarchies hence developing tendency to become decentralized. They have a limited number of personnel on supervisory levels. For example, in china, Chinese privileges for the top ranks are basically undesirable such that superiors are required to be constructive and accessible to their subordinates (Rachels, 1993). They also have tendency of establishing greater formal rules, accept the prospects of absolute truths, and reject deviant behavior and ideas, and unchallengeable expertise attainment. We this in mind I am able to understand one of the cultural principles that govern business. As a business professional the above example equips me with the knowledge that business leaders should be flexible and constructive when dealing with employees/ subordinates. One other cultural component that affects professional development is age factor of businessmen and professionals. I have noted that suspicion lingers among younger people since the old are concerned with security in life. Unlike the authorities, ordinary citizens are incompetent while competition and conflict creating aggression is easily avoided. With this idea, we should much age factor in businesses so that we can balance our workplaces with both generation Y and the most experience personnel. With the Hofstede’s model in mind, we should use cultural to largely influence the interpersonal and mechanics relationships of our workplace so as to attain full potentials of our business as well as develop our professional expectations. We as business professionals should understand that when one is growing up in a certain culture, behavior is shaped and employee interactions should not be taken for granted. We should always think about employee and customer preferences, reactions, and feelings. We should also put caution when stepping into a foreign culture as things may suddenly seem different. When faced by a cultural dilemma, Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions is the best remedy and a starting point. We should evaluate the approach, actions, decisions, based on a general sense of societal thinking and reaction, the society being predominantly heterogeneous; people have to understand the deviations from the norms found by Hofstede. As business professionals, caution should also be taken since the guide used should not be followed blindly. The unknown is little less intimidating and one needs a greater boost of security and confidence to apply this cultural model in international concerns. Reference Rachels, J. (1993). Elements of moral philosophy. New York: McGraw Hill. Reflect on how social and environmental sustainability would (or would not) apply in your chosen profession Social and environmental issues are strategic business issues that govern my professional. Social and environmental sustainability has been the talk of the day for decades now. The environment is now changing to a disastrous place because of poor management of world activities. Emission of excess carbon into the atmosphere leads to global warming. All the actions that lead to global warming such as the emission of carbon to the atmosphere are also as a result of human social ignorance. Through my understanding of several readings, I have ascertained that business today is not working towards business and professional sustainability through adhering to social and environmental obligations. We also have to use as well as formulate social and environmental sustainability strategies. I noted that the work written by Sandhu, (2010), working towards meeting environmental goals depends on the willingness if those of human support to keep the world a safer place for business as well as those within the business environment. Upon reflection, it is the due responsibility of we human beings to manage our social frameworks to evaluate corporate social responsibilities. Determination of these strategies and approaches and implementation of them to our businesses and professional skills will help business society to remain sustainable. My evaluation of contemporary social and environmental strategies that helps in the improvement and development of business has also shaped the life of business professionals. Investors and other corporate skills are significant in ensuring that national and international organizations that take care of environment to have general obligations of managing businesses sustainability. Readings from the career book in addition to other texts that I had read concerning environmental sustainability made me think of the better ways to engage social and environmental understanding of better ways to maintain and sustain business and environment. After comparing several readings, I realized that lack of sustainable environmental awareness could lead to national if not international health disaster. In Australia, we are developing contemporary strategies to curb the negative aftermath of pollution to the environment. For example, safe disposal strategies have been embedded in school curriculum to facilitate environmental pollution awareness. General understanding of social and environmental sustainable approaches is the key to sustainable and better working conditions. In case we as human beings are able to incorporate social and environmental knowledge and skills towards business success, we only have to determine social and cultural norms of those within the business environment. After my review and understanding of the social and environmental concepts from tutorials and Sandhu, (2010), I have noted that sustaining businesses as well as improving professional skill towards sustaining the environment is a clear business idea for individual and business growth. Reference Sandhu, S. (2010). Shifting paradigms in corporate environmentalism: From poachers to gamekeepers. Business and Society Review, 115(3), 285-310. Read More