Introduction to Ethics

Business Ethics

What is Ethics?
- A set of moral principles or values that govern the actions and
decisions of an individual group.
- The branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.
- Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, meaning character, or “a
character way of acting. Morality comes from the Latin word moralis,
meaning customs or manner. Ethics, then, seems to pertain to the
individual character of a person or persons, and morality appears to point
of relationships among human beings.
- Ethics is the study of the moral behavior, or conduct of man as
viewed from ultimate principles insofar as these principles are known by
human reason. Briefly, ethics is a philosophical science dealing with the
morality of the human act.

CHARACTERISTICS AND VALUES WITH ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

Integrity
- Be principled, honorable, upright, courageous and act on convictions;
do not be twofaced b or unscrupulous, or adopt and end-justifies-the
means philosophy that ignores principle.
Honesty
- Be truthful, sincere, forthright, straightforward, frank, candid; DO NOT
CHEAT, steal, lie, deceive or act deviously.
Trustworthiness and Promise Keeping
- Be worthy of trust, keep promises, full commitments, abide the spirit
as well the letter of an agreement.
- Do not interpret agreements in an unreasonably technical or legalistic
manner in order to rationalize noncompliance or create excuses and
justification for breaking commitments
Loyalty and Confidentiality
- Be faithful and loyal to family, employers, client and country. Do not
disclose information learned in confidence.
- Do not use or disclose information learned in confidence; in a
professional context, safeguard the influences and conflicts of interest.

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Fairness and Openness
- Be fair and open-minded, be willing to admit error and, appropriate
change positions and beliefs, demonstrate a commitment to justice etc...
Do not take advantage of another's mistakes or diversities.
Caring for Others
- Be caring, kind and compassionate, share, be giving, be service to
others;
- Help those in need and avoid harming.
Respect for Others
- Demonstrate respect for human dignity, privacy, and the right to
self-determination of all people;
- Be courteous, prompt, and decent; provide others with the
information they need to make informed decisions about their own lies;
- Do not patronize, embarrass, or demean.
Responsible Citizenship
- Obey just laws; if all laws unjust, openly protest it;
- Exercise all democratic rights and privileged responsibly by
participation, social consciousness, and public service.
- When in a position of leadership or authority, openly respect and
honor democratic processes of decision making, avoid unnecessary
secrecy or concealment of information, and assure that others have all the
information they need to make intelligent choices and exercise their rights
Pursuit of Excellence
- Pursue excellence in all matters;
- In meeting your personal and professional responsibilities be diligent,
reliable, industrious and committed;
- To perform all tasks to the best of your ability, develop and maintain a
high degree of competence, be well informed and well prepared;
- Do not be content with mediocrity; do not “win at any cost”
Accountability
- Be accountable, accept responsibility for decisions, for the
foreseeable consequences of actions and inactions, and for setting an
example of others.
- Parents, teacher, employers, many professionals and public officials
have a special obligation to lead by example, to safeguard and advance the

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integrity and reputation of their families, companies, professions and the
government itself;
- An ethically sensitive individual avoids even the appearance of
impropriety, and takes whatever actions are necessary to correct or prevent
inappropriate conduct of others.
Why is ethical behavior necessary?
- It is necessary for a society to function in an orderly manner. It can be
argued that ethics is the glue that holds the society together.
Why do people act unethically?
- The person's ethical standards are different from those of as a whole,
or
- The person chooses to act selfishly.
PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL ETHICS INCLUDE AMONG OTHERS
- Basic justice fairness
- Respect for the rights of others
- Concern for the rights of others
- Concern on the well-being on welfare of others
- Benevolence, trustworthiness, honesty
- Compliance with the law.
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS INCLUDE AMON OTHERS
- Integrity, impartiality, objectivity
- Professional competence
- Confidentiality
- Professional behavior
- Avoidance of potential or apparent conflict of interest

BUSINESS ETHICS INCLUDE AMONG OTHERS

- Fair competition
- Global as well as domestic justice
- Social responsibility
- Concern for environment
CODE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR THE PROFESSION IN THE
PHILIPPINES

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- This code is adopted by the Professional Regulation Commission
(PRC) and 42 Professional Regulatory Boards to cover an environment of
good governance in which all Filipino professionals shall perform their task.
Specific Principle of Professional Conduct
- Service to other
- Integrity and Objectivity
- Professional Competence
- Solidarity and Teamwork
- Social and Civic Responsibility
- Global Competitiveness
- Equality of all Professions

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