Transcript Why Study Ethics?

Why Study Ethics?
Management 117
Joseph Desjardins Author “Business
Ethics”
Jerry Estenson, Professor
Why?
• Need to be prepared for careers in business
• Many have been harmed by lack of attention
to ethics
• Law requires it
• Lack of knowledge creates risks in the
marketplace
Foundation of a strong strategy
Objectives
Goals
Mission
Vision
Beliefs
Values
Purpose
3
The Legacy Thing
Collins and Porras
• CORE IDEOLOGY
– CORE VALUES
• Organization’s essential
and enduring tenets - a
small set of guiding
principles. Not
compromised for financial
or individual political gain.
– PURPOSE
• Fundamental reason for
existence - A perpetual
guiding star on the
horizon.
Determining if a “Value” is Ethical
• Serves the end of human well-being
• Happiness, integrity, meaning, freedom,
autonomy, companionship, health.
– Smoking is Ok then
• Ethical if promote well-being in an impartial
way.
– Malden Mills – ethical, well-being, bad outcome
Ethics determine by
• Individual thinking for themselves
– “an unexamined life , is not worth living” Socrates.
• You therefore will be required to be
thoughtful.
Ethics as the law
• Law is history – ethical decisions are now
First Old Dead Guys
• “ethics deals with no small things, but how we
ought to live.” Socrates
• Ethos became ethics – customary (the rule of
tribal norms)
• Philosophical ethics – seeks a reasoned
analysis of custom and a reasoned defense of
how we “ought” to live
Business Ethics
• The ethics of those charged with acting on
behalf of a business. What should a business
manager do in various situations?
We as educated members of society
need ask:
• How should we live as an individual and a
member of society?