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Organizational Behavior Trends
Ethics refers to standards of conduct that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues, which themselves are derived from principles of right and wrong. As a practical matter, ethics is about how we meet the challenge of doing the right thing when that will cost more than we want to pay (Josephson, par. 1). Along with the merging of decision-making is the process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or opportunity (p. 2). People create personal ethical codes in response to internal reactions that cannot be explained by personal benefit or the law. Sometimes, however, ethical conflict remains despite benefits and rational rationalizations. For example, everyone has done something that was legal and resulted in personal gain but produced an uneasy, conflicted, guilty reaction (Ferguson, par. 5). This internal reaction provides both source and definition of personal ethics. People describe their ethical reactions to their own behavior in terms like "I feel guilty," or "It just seemed wrong." These reactions modify our pleasure and satisfaction in life. Once we notice patterns of ethical self-reaction, we can take these reactions into account when making decisions (Ferguson, pars. 8-9). To build the character of our community and ourselves, an individual must understand the critical need for a core set of principles or moral values that will guide the decision-making processes. These principles or values are necessary if we are to make ethical decisions.
According to the Josephson Institute of Ethics, values are core beliefs or desires that guide ...