HUMA002-Fa23 11/11/2023

Fall
2023

mmaher@nu.edu.eg

Introduction to Ethics (HUMA-102) @ NU Dr. Muhammad Maher Saturday, 11 November, 2023 1

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Introduction to Ethics (HUMA-102) @ NU Dr. Muhammad Maher Saturday, 11 November, 2023 3

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Introduction to Ethics (HUMA-102) @ NU Dr. Muhammad Maher Saturday, 11 November, 2023 4

Outlines
• Codes of ethics
of • Codes of conduct
• Codes of Ethics vs Codes of
Conduct.
Lecture o Similarities.
o Differences.
7 o Working Together.
o Smaller Businesses.
• Conclusion.

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Codes of Ethics - 1
 Sometimes (wrongly) referred to as a value statement,
Code of Ethics behaves like the "Company's
Constitution" with general principles to help guide
employee behavior.
 Code of Ethics document outlines a set of principles
that affect decision-making.
 For example if an organization is committed to
protecting the environment and "being green", the Code
of Ethics will state that there is an expectation for any
employee faced with a problem, to choose the most
"green" solution.

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Codes of Ethics - 2
 Code of Ethics works on the bases of "treat others as
you would like to be treated."
 When faced with ethical dilemmas or debatable
situations, what is articulated in the Code of Ethics can
help guide decision-making.

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Codes of Conduct
 Some professions, such as medicine, engineering and
the law, have traditional Codes of Conduct.
 Business is different in not having a mutually shared
standard of ethics.
 This is changing, however, as evidenced by the array of codes
of conduct and mission statements many companies have
adopted over the past century.
 What central point might constitute such a code?
Essentially, a commitment to treat with honesty and integrity
customers, clients, employees, and others affiliated with a
business (stakeholders).

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Codes of Conduct - 2
 A Code of Conduct defines how a company’s employees
should act on a day-to-day basis.
 Code of Conduct reflects the organization’s daily
operations, core values and overall company culture.
 As a result, every Code of Conduct is unique to the
organization it represents.
 Yet many companies struggle with how to write a great
Code of Conduct and, as a result, their codes may fall short.

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Codes of Conduct - 3
 Writing a great Code of Conduct requires a
thorough understanding of the company, its culture and
vision.
 But no matter the company is, all great Codes of Conduct
share certain characteristics, which is to elaborated shortly.
 A Code of Conduct is not the same as a Code of Ethics.
 A Code of Ethics governs decision-making, and a Code of
Conduct governs actions.
 They both represent two common ways that companies self-
regulate.
 They are often associated with large companies, and provide
direction to employees and establish a public image of good
behavior, both of which benefit businesses of any size.
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Codes of Conduct - 4
 However, any company large or small, public or
private, will benefit from having a set of documented
rules in place where employees and other stakeholders
can reference to ensure they are performing in their
positions as expected by the company behavior, both of
which benefit businesses of any size.

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Codes of Conduct - 5
 The Code of Conduct provides the meat and potatoes
(necessary ingredients) to the Code of Ethics.
 A Code of Conduct applies the Code of Ethics to a host of
relevant situations.
 A particular rule in the Code of Ethics might state that all
employees should generally obey the law.
 A Code of Conduct might list several specific laws relevant
to different areas of organizational operations, or industry,
that employees need to obey.

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Codes of Conduct - 6
 A Code of Conduct outlines specific behaviors that are
required or prohibited as a condition of ongoing
employment.
 A Code of Conduct might forbid sexual harassment, racial
intimidation or viewing inappropriate or unauthorized
content on company computers.
 Codes of Conduct, along with other measures, have helped
some companies dig themselves out of scandals, and have
helped many companies build a healthier workplace climate
and reputation.

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Codes of Conduct - 7
 An example of an ethical dilemma that employees regularly
come face to face with is gift giving and accepting.
 This can sometimes be a bit of a tricky situation to navigate
because in some cultures small gifts are tokens of respect and
gratitude.
 Acceptance of large gifts may produce the appearance of an
improper relationship between the company and the
recipient, and vice versa.
 Work with management is required while consulting the
Code of Conduct to come to a generally accepted resolution.

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Codes of Ethics vs Codes of Conduct

Similarities
 Both Codes are similar in that they are used in an attempt to
encourage specific forms of behavior by employees.
 Ethics guidelines in a Code of Ethics attempt to provide
guidance about values and choices to influence decision
making.
 Conduct regulations in a Code of Conduct assert that
some specific actions are appropriate, others inappropriate.
 In both cases, the organization's desire is to obtain a healthy
range of acceptable behaviors from employees.

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Codes of Ethics vs Codes of Conduct

Differences
 Both codes are used in an attempt to regulate behavior in
very different ways.
 Ethical standards in a Code of Ethics are generally
wide-ranging and non-specific, designed to provide a set of
values or decision-making approaches that enable employees
to make independent judgments about the most appropriate
course of action.
 Conduct standards in a Code of Conduct are generally
specific and require little judgment; you obey or incur a
penalty, and the code provides a fairly clear set of
expectations about which actions are required, acceptable or
prohibited.
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Codes of Ethics & Codes of Conduct

Working Together
 Bigger organizations sometimes have both codes in
separate formats,
 or they are sometimes combined into one general Ethics
document that blends principles for the right action with
a list of actions that are required or forbidden.

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Codes of Ethics & Codes of Conduct

Smaller Business
 Many smaller businesses can survive without a formal
code in either sense.
 For example if a business has 1-10 employees, generally
everyone is talking with each other and interacting with
each other every day.
 So communicating appropriate behavior is much easier.
 However, as smaller businesses grow their employee
numbers, ethical hazards and risks can increase, so
having these documents can help shape cultural
expectations about behavior, and can also serve as a solid
marketing tool for potential business partners or clients.
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Codes of Ethics vs Codes of Conduct

Conclusion
 Either way, it's critical that these documents are treated
consistently in every instance of wrongdoing.
 The code needs to apply to every employee from the
ground up, and no matter how small the violation,
appropriate discipline needs to take place.
 For example, if your code stipulates that theft of
company property is prohibited, and an employee takes
home one pack of post-it-notes from the supply
inventory, that's theft, and should be treated as such.

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Codes of Ethics vs Codes of Conduct

Conclusion - 2
 These documents help employees understand how they
can feel good about being contributing members to the
company's future success.
 An organization's culture differs from industry to
industry, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for
building and adopting a strong organizational culture.
 Tools to help manage the expectations of employees, and
gather information on actions that challenge the code
will help to build and strengthen the internal culture.

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