BACHELOR IN BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION
OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING (ODL)
_________________________________________

ETHICS IN BUSINESS
(BBCM3053)
ASSIGNMENT 1 (INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT)
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PREPARED FOR
MR. SIMI ANAK GENDI

PREPARED BY
NORZOLILAH BINTI SALEH
202105D40005

SUBMISSION DATE

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 7TH NOVEMBER 2022

Table of Contents

QUESTION 1 3

QUESTION 2 4

QUESTION 3……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5

QUESTION 4…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .6

QUESTION 5……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8

REFFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

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QUESTION 1 ( 20 MARKS )

Ethics is critical in both our personal and professional lives. Business ethics can be describe
as a set of principle that contains behavioral codes to determine what is right or wrong. Business
ethics studies appropriate business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial
subjects, including corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate
social responsibility, fiduciary responsibilities, and much more. The law often guides business
ethics, but at other times business ethics provide a basic guideline that businesses can follow to
gain public approval. Business ethics refers to implementing appropriate business policies and
practices with regard to arguably controversial subjects. Some issues that come up in a
discussion of ethics include corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, social
responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities. The law usually sets the tone for business ethics,
providing a basic guideline that businesses can choose to follow to gain public approval.

Business ethics ensure that a certain basic level of trust exists between consumers and various
forms of market participants with businesses. For example, a portfolio manager must give the
same consideration to the portfolios of family members and small individual investors as they do
to wealthier clients. These kinds of practices ensure the public receives fair treatment. Business
ethics goes beyond just a moral code of right and wrong; it attempts to reconcile what companies
must do legally vs. maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses. Firms display
business ethics in several ways. Business ethics ensure a certain level of trust between consumers
and corporations, guaranteeing the public fair and equal treatment.

Business ethics is the study of how a business should act in the face of ethical dilemmas and
controversial situations. This can include a number of different situations, including how a
business is governed, how stocks are traded, a business' role in social issues, and more. Business
ethics is a broad field because there are so many different topics that fall under its umbrella. It
can be studied from a variety of different angles, whether it's philosophically, scientifically, or
legally. However, the law plays the biggest role in influencing business ethics by far. Many
businesses leverage business ethics not only to remain clean from a legal perspective, but also to
boost their public image. It instills and ensures trust between consumers and the businesses that
serve them.

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QUESTION 2 ( 20 MARKS )

Integrity is vital in commercial dealings. Ethical principles are what guide us toward action that benefits
not just ourselves but also others around us. Such guidelines are often derived from one’s own sense of
right and wrong. However, sometimes morality is imposed from outside, in the form of laws. Companies,
for instance, are required by law to follow all applicable rules and regulations. Employees adherence to
the policies they accepted as part of their employment contracts may assist in safeguarding the company’s
good name. There are several reasons why strong business ethics are more important than ever for
managerial success:

a) Attracting top-tier individuals

The best employees may be had by building a reputation as an employer of choice. Franchises
with a stellar reputation for doing the right thing will have an easier time recruiting top talent
from a given field. Finding qualified, experienced, and enthusiastic housekeepers who are also
committed to working with Poppies for the long haul is crucial to the company’s recruiting
strategy.
b) Positive effect on profitability
Having moral business practices in place helps build customer confidence in your company and
its offerings, which in turn drives more business your way. The ethics and morals of a company
are important to consumers, and they will abandon firms they believe to be immoral.
c) Risk is reduced.
Companies that follow ethical business practices are less likely to incur sanctions. The temptation
to avoid spending money on legal expenses, fines, or punishments from government authorities
when detected breaking labor rules or neglecting worker safety dangers is great.
d) Respect your employees, and they will respect you.
Successful businesses understand the need to maintain a culture of high expectations while also
being fair to their employees. Money and status should be distributed fairly, without partiality.
Workers must be compensated in a timely and honest manner. This strengthens the bond between
the company and its staff, which improves morale and productivity.
e) It’s time for an honest approach to doing business.
Businesses need to be fair while dealing with their clients and business associates. They shouldn’t
overprice their goods and services or make false claims about their worth. They should do their

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best to fulfill their promises on cost, timeliness of delivery, and quality of service. They need to
be realistic in what they say they can do and own up to their mistakes. A person’s credibility
might take a hit if others think they can’t trust them or if they catch them in a lie

QUESTION 3 ( 20 MARKS )

Businesses must adopt and enforce codes of conduct and ethics that all employees
must follow. Five most common ethical issues encountered by business people:
1. Discrimination
Discrimination is not just unethical, in many cases, it is also illegal. There are statutes to
protect employees from discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, disability, and
more. Nonetheless, the gender and race pay gaps show that discrimination is still rampant.
Other common instances of discrimination include firing employees when they reach a
certain age or giving fewer promotions to people of ethnic minorities.
2. Harassment
The second major ethical issue businesses face is harassment, which is often related to racism
or sexism. This can come in the form of verbal abuse, sexual abuse, teasing, racial slurs, or
bullying. Harassment can come from anyone in the company, as well as from customers. In
particular, it is an ethical issue for the business if a supervisor is aware of harassment from a
client and takes no action to prevent it.
3. Health and Safety
Another type of ethical issue that is often protected by law is health and safety. Companies
may decide to cut corners to reduce costs or perform tasks faster. As well as injuries, failing
to take workers’ safety into account can lead to psychosocial risks, like job insecurity or lack
of autonomy, which can cause work-related stress.
4. Abuse of Leadership Authority
In addition, abuse of authority can extend beyond the workforce. Managers can use their
position to change reports, give themselves credit for the work of a subordinate, misuse
expenses, and accept gifts from suppliers or clients.
5. Nepotism and Favoritism
Nepotism is when a company hires someone for being a family member. Favoritism occurs
when a manager treats an employee better than other workers for personal reasons. Not only
are nepotism and favoritism unfair, they are also disheartening to employees. Workers often
find they have to work much harder to receive a promotion or other rewards.

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QUESTION 4 ( 20 MARKS )

Religion is one of the most important factors influencing a person's ethical values. From
an academic perspective, there is a clear distinction between religion and ethics. Religion is
usually based on faith, while ethics is based on reason and logic. Religion often involves
rituals and commandments that may be blindly followed without questioning their validity or
reason. Ethics, on the other hand, is always open to question and discussion. It is based on the
principle that people can use their reason to find the best path for their lives. This distinction
is important because it can help us better understand the world around us. If it was their
religious beliefs that drove them to do this act, we may need to try to understand that religion
to understand why they did what they did. If it was their ethical beliefs that drove them to do
the deed, then we can try to figure out what led them to believe that it was the right thing to
do.
Another important difference is that religion is often based on faith, while ethics can be
based on reason. Ethics can also be applied in situations where there’s no religious authority.
For believers, religious morality can be a guide in their lives. It gives them a set of principles
to live by that, while based on faith. For non-believers, ethics can be a similar guide in their
lives. Even if they don’t believe in divine power, they can still use reason to decide what’s
right and wrong. Neither religion nor ethics are perfect systems, but both can provide a
framework for us to live our lives as best we can. Here are a few other differences between
these two terms.
Religion teaches us that we are sinners who need to be saved from God’s wrath, while ethics
teaches us how to live in a way that is consistent with our values. Religion can be seen as an
escape from the world, while ethics is about making the world a better place. Religion may
tell us to accept things as they are, while ethics tells us that we can always strive to make
things better. Religion often focuses on personal salvation, while ethics focuses on creating a
better society for all.
One of the main reasons religion is dogmatic and static is because it relies on scriptures
that are considered infallible. These scriptures are often interpreted very literally, which
means there may be very little room for interpretation or change. This can lead to religious

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groups becoming intolerant of other groups who interpret the scriptures differently, and it can
also lead to stagnation in moral values. In contrast, ethics always evolve as our understanding
of morality grows. This is because ethics isn’t based on a set of scriptures but on our
understanding of what’s right and wrong. This means that it may change as our understanding
of morality changes, allowing for more flexibility and evolution.

This difference between religion and ethics is important because it means that religious
groups may be intolerant of other groups that have different beliefs, while ethical groups may
accept other beliefs as long as they stay within the boundaries of what’s considered ethical. It
also means that religious groups may stagnate in terms of their moral values, while ethical
groups may evolve as our understanding of morality changes.
A secular religion is one in which the religious aspects are downplayed or removed
altogether. A religious religion, on the other hand, emphasizes the religious aspects of the
faith. There are a few reasons why ethics tend to be secular, while religions can be either
secular or religious. One reason is that religions often contain certain doctrines and beliefs
that aren’t universally accepted. For example, some religions teach that there’s only one way
to achieve salvation, while others teach that there are multiple paths to salvation. In addition,
religions often have rituals and ceremonies that are specific to the particular faith. These
rituals and ceremonies can be difficult to follow for people who don’t share the same
religious beliefs. Ethics, on the other hand, don’t usually contain specific doctrines or beliefs.
Instead, they focus on general principles to guide people’s behavior. In addition, ethical
principles usually don’t include rituals or ceremonies. This makes them more accessible to
people who don’t share the same religious beliefs.
Many people believe that ethics is more rational than religion. Ethics is about using
reason and logic to decide right and wrong behavior, while religion often relies on faith and
intuition. This difference is evident in the way people debate ethical and religious issues. In
ethical debates, people usually use evidence and arguments to support their positions. In
religious debates, on the other hand, people often rely on their faith and personal experiences.
Ethics Is a Matter of Personal Choice, While Religion Is Often a Matter of Public Confession
In recent decades, the issue of ethics has moved to the forefront of public consciousness. This
is largely due to technological advances that have enabled a greater degree of transparency in
both personal and professional lives. While many argue that ethics is a matter of personal
choice, others claim that religious beliefs should take precedence over ethical considerations.
One of the key arguments in support of the idea that ethics is a personal choice is that there’s

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 no single correct answer to ethical questions. Some people believe that it’s unethical to lie,
while others believe that lying is sometimes necessary. There’s no single correct answer to
this question, and it’s up to each individual to decide what they consider ethical.

QUESTION 5 ( 20 MARKS )

The word Morals is derived from a Greek word “Mos” which means custom. On the
other hand, if we talk about ethics, it is also derived from a Greek word “ethikos” which
means character. Morals are the customs established by group of individuals whereas
ethics defines the character of an individual. While morals are concerned with principles
of right and wrong, ethics are related to right and wrong conduct of an individual in a
particular situation. In our daily lives, we are confronted with moral and ethical
quandaries.
Morals are the social, cultural and religious beliefs or values of an individual or group
which tells us what is right or wrong. They are the rules and standards made by the
society or culture which is to be followed by us while deciding what is right. Morals refer
to the beliefs what is not objectively right, but what is considered right for any situation,
so it can be said that what is morally correct may not be objectively correct. Ethics is a
branch of philosophy that deals with the principles of conduct of an individual or group.
It works as a guiding principle as to decide what is good or bad. They are the standards
which govern the life of a person. Ethics is also known as moral philosophy.
The major differences between Morals and Ethics are as under: Morals deal with what
is right or wrong. Ethics deals with what is good or evil. Morals are general guidelines
framed by the society. We should speak truth. Conversely, ethics are a response to a
particular situation. Is it ethical to state the truth in a particular situation. Morals are
dictated by society, culture or religion while Ethics are chosen by the person himself
which governs his life. Morals are concerned with principles of right and wrong. On the
contrary, ethics stresses on right and wrong conduct. As morals are framed and designed
by the group, there is no option to think and choose; the individual can either accept or

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 reject. Conversely, the people are free to think and choose the principles of his life in
ethics. Moral may vary from society to society and culture to culture. As opposed to
ethics, which remains same regardless of any culture, religion or society. Morals do not
have any applicability to business, whereas Ethics is widely applicable in the business
known as business ethics.
Morals are expressed in the form of statements, but Ethics are not expressed in the form
of statements

REFERRENCES

Informally published Web document

a) https://ceo.city.edu.my/mod/bigbluebuttonbn/view.php?id=3041

b) https://ceo.city.edu.my/course/view.php?id=36

c) https://ceo.city.edu.my/pluginfile.php/3062/mod_resource/content/4/Chapter
%201%20Basic%20Principles%20Ethics%20and%20Business.pdf

d) Written by True Tamplin, BSc, CEPF®

Updated on October 27, 2022
https://learn.financestrategists.com/finance-terms/business-ethics/?
gclid=CjwKCAjwtp2bBhAGEiwAOZZTuNmPpD4uG4Z3a_8xJOejMcpFjI_JdqIEFAU3
YfBDTnGgSCgjH3Df_BoCOdwQAvD_BwE

e) May 5, 2012 Posted by Admin

https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-ethics-and-vs-religion/

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