Business Ethics – Is There Such a Thing?
I’ll ask the question again. Do you think there is such a thing as business ethics?
For me my answer is NO!
Now hold on before you start thinking that I am not ethical. There could be nothing farther from the truth.
Let me explain myself.
I don’t believe in business ethics because I believe there is only Ethics. To me, if you truly desire to be ethical then you need to live by only one standard of ethics.
Too many people today try to live by different ethics for different parts of their lives. Most people try to have business ethics while at work, personal ethics while at home and spiritual ethics while at church or whatever place you choose to worship.
Just What Are Ethics?
As defined by Webster’s dictionary, ethics is “a principle right or good conduct or a system of moral values”. No matter what part of the world you live in this definition holds true.
What Happened to Ethics in Business?
I wonder what happened to ethics in most businesses today or a least most businesses in the U.S. There have been too many corrupt business that have been discovered that make you wonder if there are any ethical businesses anymore. There are too many businesses that have gone bankrupt due to bad financial practices. These companies lied about their financial statements and in doing so cost their employees their jobs and the stockholders millions of dollars. I am sure there are some ethical businesses but they are getting to be fewer and fewer every year, at least as I see it.
Personal Ethics Test – Do You Pass or Fail?
Before you answer that let me ask you a couple of questions to help you. If someone gave you too much money back at a store, would you give it back or keep it? Have you ever taken paperclips or a pen from work? Have you told a lie so you would not get in trouble?
Think about those questions for a moment. How we handle these situations says a lot about our ethics.
My Promise to You!
I promise to run an ethical business. My decisions on what to post, what to promote and who to promote will be based upon doing the right or good thing for you.
Final Questions about Ethics in Your Life
Where do you want your career/job to take you? What kind of impact do you desire to make? How do you plan to do it?
Why is it okay for you to not be 100% ethical but you expect it from others? Is it okay to use situational ethics, where right/good is determined by the situation? Is ethics always clear?
How you answer these questions says a lot about the life you want to live.
I look forward to hearing you thoughts on these questions.
Related posts:
- Is Building An Online Business Easy? It Is If You Know How
- Starting An Online Business – Start With This
- Build Your Business Around Trust
- Building a Successful Online Business – Overcome Fear of Failure
- How To Build Your Online Business
Filed under: Blogging • Internet Marketing • Make Money Online
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Hi Rick,
What a post! Let’s say ethics are an art. Believe me Rick, if the heat is great enough, the situation dire enough or the opportunity serendipitous, (your best friend and two beautiful women) you’ll lie. Maybe I watch too much T.V.
The real challenge in life comes with making the ethical decision when no one is looking and no one really cares or will ever know. That’s character!
The decline of such ethics in our society is brought on by the failure without care of our Courts, Government and Parents for all to see and emulate. Leading to a breakdown in trust and indeed societies structure.
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Rick Reply:
August 28th, 2010 at 8:57 am
@Jeffrey,
I agree with you but even when the heat is on, why should we lie? We know it is wrong so why do it?
You make an excellent point about making ethical decisions when no one is looking. You’re right that is character.
Is there anything we can do to reverse the course on the downfall of ethics in society?
- Rick
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I’ve heard the phrase ‘business ethics’ so many times that it has become something I just accept but you’re totally right here Rick…
…why should it be a different set of ethical rules and standards for different areas of life?
I think with all the web 2.0 factors, online business is now one where the ethical will survive longer than the un-ethical, whereas in the days before ‘review sites’ and accountability there was much more room for devious traders.
So your ethical business should see you outlast those that aren’t!
But then what do I know? I’m the kind of guy that would take a pen from work
Rob
(** RJB **)
.-= ** RJB **´s last blog ..Easy Squeezy & 100 Commissions =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
August 28th, 2010 at 9:02 am
@** RJB **,
I can’t believe you stole that pen. Just kidding!
I agree that the ethical businesses will have a better chance for survival in the long run. The thing about an online business is that one can hide behind the facade of seeming to be or pretending to be ethical.
- Rick
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Hey Rick,
You raise an important point here because as internet marketing becomes more and more transparent with the age of social media, it’s almost going to be impossible for someone who has “bad” ethics in their business to continue without being exposed.
I guess that means it’s a good thing for the good guys like us
People who do what they do, but are genuine and are doing it inline with who they really are, so there isn’t any differentiation between the real person and the business.
Have a good day Rick!
Bailey
.-= Bailey Ing´s last undefined ..Response cached until Mon 30 @ 2:01 GMT (Refreshes in 51 Minutes) =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
@Bailey Ing,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
You’re right, it will become harder and harder for those marketers with bad ethics to hide behind the Internet as social media becomes more and more prevelent.
Thank goodness for good guys like us that people can trust.
Take care!
- Rick
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Since I was here I decided to write another comment as it does bring traffic. Now this is also very critical topic. “Ethics” is a life time of learning and living, from individual to individual.
But people who are ethical in doing everything will be ethical in following their business also. Almost everyone is ethical 95% of the time, and for few things every one becomes unfair. This is my lifetime of experience.
Why does this happen ? I did not get the reason yet.
A great blog post, this one is an eye opener and brings more challenge to the mind.
See you
FranA
.-= Fran Aslam´s last blog ..The Future Of eBook And Digital Information Technology =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 10:19 pm
@Fran Aslam,
I appreciate you stopping by and commenting.
Ethics is definitely a very touchy subject for some people. Today ethics has a negative connotation, especially in business. Business are more concerned about doing things within the law versus doing the right thing.
- Rick
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Very interesting post Rick.. I partially agree with you about ethics in business.
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Business ethics being part of the larger social ethics, always been affected by the ethics of the epoch. At different epochs of the world, people, especially the elites of the world, were blind to ethics and morality which were obviously unethical to the succeeding epoch. The ethics of a particular business can be diverse. They apply not only to how the business interacts with the world at large, but also to their one-on-one dealings with a single customer.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:55 am
@Allan @ jack russell barking,
Thanks for stopping in and sharing your thoughts.
You’re right about the elite being blind to ethics and morality throughout history. That is why the world is in the sad condition it is now. Also thoughout history people have been able to overcome the lack of ethcis and turn things around. Can we get back on track in the near future? I hope so.
- Rick
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Back in college, we were able to discuss business ethics 1 and 2 for two different semesters of course. I learned so many things on how you can be so ethical when it comes to your business dealings, Do’s and Dont’s of business. Despite of this so called guidelines, not all or none of these are followed by both businesses online and offline.
.-= Cole Stan´s last blog ..Present Culinary Delights With Food Gift Baskets =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
September 8th, 2010 at 10:58 am
@Cole Stan,
Thanks for sharing.
Some people find that it is easier to not follow a set of ethics. Trying to always be ethical is very hard. For me, some days I succeed and some days I fail. I try hard to always to the right thing.
Take care!
- Rick
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Cole Stan Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 5:13 am
@Rick,
Success and failure can mold you to be a better person as a whole, not only as a business owner/freelancer. You just need to believe on what you think is right, positive result will surely follow.
.-= Cole Stan´s last blog ..Anniversary Gifts for Men – Rock His World with These Romantic Gifts =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
September 12th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
@Cole Stan,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
How a person handles their successes and failures truly molds who they are and are becoming.
Doing what is right is so important me and how I raise my kids.
Take care.
- Rick
Hi Rick
So how’s it going.
Great blog post, it certainly hits on a lot of todays social problems.
What I mean is that todays society has the “What’s in it for me” tag
It seems to be all about greed and a quick and easy route to riches, through fair or foul methods – as you mention with businesses falsifying their accounts and lying and or covering up for financial gain and then there’s Banking, boy I could go on about those guys all day!! .
O.K. I’m not perfect and yes I have told the occasional “white lie”, maybe “borrowed” the odd paper clip now and again, but that’s a heck of a long way down the line from the way big commerce appears to be right now.
I think your comment of :
“Business are more concerned about doing things within the law versus doing the right thing”
is absolutely spot on, but this is not a current theme, unfortunatly they’ve always done this – I’m currently reading Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” and he talks about this too – the book was first published in 1937, 73 years ago!!
.-= Ken Abbott´s last blog ..Return of the Merry Men =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 9:49 am
@Ken Abbott,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this issue. I guess it should not surprise me that there have always been businesses that do not do the right thing. I’m sure it goes back more than 73 years ago.
I to am not perfect but I always try to do the right thing. This makes me feel better and definitely makes it easy for me to sleep at night.
Good luck to you!
- Rick
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Hey Rick,
Really good point. There is just ethics. I think separating things into personal and business ethics just makes things unnecessarily complicated.
For me, it always comes down to a choice between values. And when I look at it like that, honesty and integrity are two things that are extremely valuable to me.
Really good post!
Peace,
Darren L Carter
.-= Darren L Carter´s last blog ..The Power of Persistence =-.
[Reply]
Rick Reply:
September 12th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
@Darren L Carter,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
You’re right about how trying to have different personal and business ethics do complicate things. I also bet that it is hard to keep them seperate.
From what I have learned about you during the MWA 3.0 training and reading your blog, it is obvious that honest and integrity are importan in your life.
Take care.
- Rick
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Yes it’s true. Once you pass the ethic standard at one aspect, how come you will fail the other? Ethics for me should work in a whole and not only best at one department.
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