Culture Values and Ethics
Shana S. Brown
COM 525 Managerial Communications and Ethics
Instructor: Jerry Barkley
University of Phoenix-Charlotte Campus
February 28, 2005
Cultural Values and Personal Ethics
I will be discussing how I make decisions, based on my cultural values and personal ethics to interact with people of different cultural values and ethics in society and the workplace without conflict.
According to Peters (2003), "Personal ethics have been defined as principles of good behavior. Personal ethics are the rules we impose on ourselves that govern our daily actions. Our ethical beliefs are dynamic growing, shifting and changing throughout our lives" (2003, p1).
Culture--as defined is--"the total pattern of human behavior?embodied in thought, speech? [and] action" (Merriam, 2002, p2).
Before I make a decision about anything, I always ask myself what affects would my decision making have on my family. "What are the consequences"? "Will my decision hurt anyone"? "Is this the right decision to make"? and "Why did I make this decision"? I know making decisions based on my personal values are appropriate as long as I consider other's cultural values and ethics. I believe when you consider other's in any aspect of decision making, it causes better decision making and little or no conflict.
However, I did not always consider other's, and their cultural values, and ethics. The ethics that I experienced as a child has affected my life negatively and positively. I found myself making bad decisions because of the ethical lifestyle of my guardians. I have made decisions in the past without asking myself the same questions I ask myself today, which ...