Here’s a useful training exercise you can use to get your ethics training off to an interactive start. The objective of the exercise is to examine key issues involved in business ethics.
Ask trainees to complete the worksheet below. Then use the answers provided in the “Guidance” section to discuss the results as a group and answer any questions.
- Briefly define business ethics.
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- Briefly explain why ethics is important in business.
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- List three ethical values.
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- Identify two reasons why people sometimes behave unethically on the job.
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- Name two possible ethical problem areas you need to watch out for.
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Guidance
1. Business ethics is a standard of acceptable behavior on the job. It is a set of rules by which to judge decisions and conduct in the workplace.
2. Ethical conduct is important because it not only involves doing what is right and proper, but it’s also good for business. Ethical conduct is the basis for long-term success in any organization. Ethical conduct:
- Promotes a strong public image for the organization
- Makes the best use of resources
- Helps maintain quality and productivity
- Assists the organization to comply with laws and regulations
- Protects the organization’s privileged information as well as that of customers
- Ensures that relations with vendors are proper and professional
- Boosts morale and promotes teamwork because employees feel they can trust one another and their employer
3. Ethical values include:
- Integrity—being honest, keeping your promises
- Loyalty—supporting the organization’s mission and policies, protecting privileged information, and cooperating with others in the organization to promote common goals
- Respect—treating others professionally, with courtesy and tolerance
- Accountability—taking responsibility for actions and conduct
- Fairness—acting consistently and impartially at all times
- Responsibility—obeying laws and regulations and acting appropriately toward the community in which you do business and with the public in general
4. Common reasons for unethical conduct include:
- Pressure to achieve a result, or even pressure to cut corners
- Uncertainty about what is actually the right thing to do
- Self-interest in terms of greed or ambition
- Misguided loyalty—thinking that what one is doing will benefit the organization or please important people in management
- Lack of personal ethical values—having no moral compass
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5. Possible ethical problem areas include:
- Conflicts of interest
- Relationships
- Communication
- Confidentiality
- Laws and regulations
The information in today’s issue is adapted from a course in the Leadership for Employees Library in TrainingToday called “Business Ethics—What Employees Need to Know.”
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